Changes Underway for Wyoming’s Behavioral Health System

July 2, 2024

After several years of planning and coordination with partners across the state, changes to Wyoming’s behavioral health system are underway, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH).

“For many years, our department has paid millions of state dollars to community mental health centers to help ensure access for Wyoming residents who sought care for mental health and substance use related issues regardless of their ability to pay,” said Stefan Johansson, WDH director. “It’s one of our largest budget items and is clearly important, but there have been challenges.”

A significant new law passed in 2021 by the Wyoming Legislature supported efforts to strengthen Wyoming’s behavioral health system. A chief goal is focusing state resources on those who need them most: acute psychiatric adults, criminal justice involved clients, high needs children and families and low income and indigent general access populations.

Johansson said, “We really want to help ensure high-needs people facing serious mental illness do not fall through the cracks before their needs grow. As we have carefully prepared for these changes, a focus for our department and our partners has been to help answer the question of ‘What is state government’s role?’”

To help direct the state dollars toward where and when they are needed most, the redesigned process is meant to help ensure people seeking services who could qualify for financial help from other sources such as Wyoming Medicaid or private insurance are supported through those sources rather than through state funding alone.

“When Wyoming’s community mental health system was designed, there was less financial support available for behavioral health services through options such as private insurance. But that has since changed, which presents an opportunity to potentially share the financial load,” Johansson said.

Franz Fuchs, senior policy analyst with WDH, said “One thing people will notice is all residents seeking state-paid behavioral health services must now submit an application through Wyoming Medicaid. While this does not mean you have to be eligible for Medicaid to be helped, this step will check for other potential pay sources beyond state general funds and verify income, citizenship and residency.”

Without an application on file, WDH will not be able to pay for services received after July 1. “The community health centers and organizations such as Enroll Wyoming can help people complete the needed application,” Fuchs said.

Because Wyoming Medicaid is also part of WDH, using existing systems to check eligibility and to manage payments to the community mental health centers is an efficient solution.

Fuchs acknowledged some individuals will no longer be eligible for state-supported services from the community mental health center network. These include people with incomes over 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) who do not have significant behavioral health needs. For those in this group who do not already have insurance, heavily subsidized insurance is likely available through the federal marketplace.

There are also changes to provider payments. “We’re moving from block grants to a mix of block grants, service payments and outcome payments,” Fuchs said.

“The hope for many involved in this redesign effort is that focusing the state’s resources on high-needs clients may eventually lead to cost-savings and reduced pressure on other elements of Wyoming’s behavioral health system such as frustrating waiting lists,” Fuchs said. “If we can reduce repeated hospitalizations or divert people from institutional settings in the first place, that’s a win for both clients and for our state facilities.”

Matt Petry, Behavioral Health Division senior administrator with WDH, said, “We are making big changes and we certainly recognize that change isn’t always easy. We are truly grateful and want to thank our partners in Wyoming’s community mental health centers, law enforcement personnel, leaders in local and state correctional facilities, judicial system representatives, Department of Family Services staff and the state’s policymakers for their participation and willingness to work with us.”

(From provided press release)

On June 28, 2024, the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office conducted a detail along Rt.
20A throughout Wyoming County with the purpose of identifying and apprehending crimes in
progress.

Funding for the detail was secured through the United States Department of Homeland
Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s [FEMA] Operation Stonegarden Grant
Program [OPSG], and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency
Services [DHSES].

Assisting the detail were units from Warsaw Police Department, Homeland
Security Investigations Buffalo, and two [2] United States Border Patrol K9 Units. Throughout
the detail, twenty-six [26] traffic stops were conducted, which resulted in five [5] criminal
arrests, and multiple traffic citations were issued throughout four [4] townships. Arrest details
are as follows:

Eric R. Reimer, age 36, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested following a traffic stop on Rt.
20A in the Town of Perry.

Reimer is charged with Operating While Registration Suspended.

Reimer was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in the Town of Perry Court
at a later date.

______________________________________________________________________________________________
Abidha S. Abedin, 23, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested following a traffic stop on Rt. 20A in the Town of Perry. Abedin is charged with Operating While Registration Suspended.

She was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in the Town of Perry Court at a later date.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Cierra K. Wheeler, 37, of Edison, NJ, was arrested following a traffic stop on Rt. 20A in the Town of Warsaw.

Wheeler is charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the Third Degree.

She was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in the Town of Warsaw Court at a later date.

___________________________________________________________________________________________
Endersson E. Rojas Garcia, 32, of New York City, NY, was arrested following a traffic
stop on Rt. 20A in the Town of Orangeville.

Rojas Garcia is charged with Displaying a Forged Certificate of Inspection, Uninspected Motor Vehicle, and Unlicensed Operation.

Rojas Garcia was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in the Town of
Orangeville Court at a later date.

___________________________________________________________________________________________
Takia S. Richie, 38, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested following a traffic stop on Rt. 20A in the Village of Warsaw. Richie is charged with Operating While Registration Suspended.

She was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in the Town of Warsaw Court at a later date.

Related

American Legion Baseball teams are in Week 14 of Wyoming’s 2024 season. The week begins with numerous conference doubleheaders. Then, tournament action takes over the weekend. Douglas and Gillette have tournaments for A-level teams, while Cheyenne has a Double-A tournament for the second straight weekend. The Gillette Riders and Rock Springs Stallions head to tournaments in North Dakota and Idaho, respectively.

WYOMING AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL SCHEDULE WEEK 14 2024

Game schedules for Week 14 are subject to change and the weather. If you have an update or see a game missing, let WyoPreps know by emailing david@wyopreps.com.

Final Score: Casper Drillers 11 Gillette Rustlers 5 (conference game) – a 5-run 5th followed by a 3-run 6th clinched it for the Drillers. J. Pexton had 2 hits & 2 RBIs, and Speiser added 3 hits & 1 RBI.

Gillette Rustlers at Casper Drillers, 7:30 p.m. (conference game)

Casper Oilers at Spearfish (SD) Spartans, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Buffalo Bulls at Laramie Rangers A, 3 & 5:30 p.m. (conference games)

Powell Pioneers at Riverton Raiders, 4 & 6 p.m. (conference games)

Casper Drillers at Torrington Tigers, 5 & 7 p.m. (conference games)

Miles City (MT) Mavericks at Douglas Cats, 5 & 7 p.m.

Buffalo Bulls at Cheyenne Eagles, noon & 2:30 p.m. (conference games)

Sheridan Troopers at Jackson Giants, 1 & 3 p.m. (conference games)

Final Score: Cheyenne Sixers 7 Jackson Giants 0 (conference game) – forfeit

Final Score: Cheyenne Sixers 7 Jackson Giants 0 (conference game) – forfeit

Tournaments

Mountain West World Series in Cheyenne

Laramie Rangers AA vs. Collins Collab 18U, 1 p.m. (at Pioneer Park)

Parker (CO) Lightning 18U at Cheyenne Sixers, 3:30 p.m. (at Powers Field)

Rocky Mountain Oysters (AZ) at Cheyenne Sixers, 6 p.m. (at Powers Field)

Powell Pioneers at Cheyenne Hawks, 6 p.m. (at Pioneer Park)

Boise, ID Tournament

Rock Springs Stallions vs. TBD

Cody Cubs at Riverton Raiders, 4 & 6 p.m. (conference games)

Tournaments

Bolln Wood Bat Tournament in Douglas

Wheatland Lobos vs. Evanston Outlaws, 5 p.m.

Torrington Tigers at Douglas Cats, 7:30 p.m.

Hargens/Leisy Tournament in Gillette

Sheridan Jets vs. Rapid City (SD) Bullets, 10 a.m.

Sheridan Jets vs. Miles City Mavericks, 12:30 p.m.

Greeley GOJO’s at Gillette Rustlers, 8 p.m.

Mountain West World Series in Cheyenne

Laramie Rangers AA vs. Greeley GOJO’s, 4:30 p.m. (at Pioneer Park)

Powell Pioneers at Cheyenne Sixers, 6:30 p.m. (at Powers Field)

Collins Collab 18U at Cheyenne Hawks, 7 p.m. (at Pioneer Park)

Phil Brown Classic in Jamestown, ND

Gillette Riders vs. Dickinson (ND) Roughriders, 12:30 p.m.

Boise, ID Tournament

Rock Springs Stallions vs. TBD

Casper Drillers at Cheyenne Eagles, 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. (conference games)

Casper Oilers at Utah Yaks (Kaysville, UT), 3 & 5:30 p.m.

Tournaments

Bolln Wood Bat Tournament in Douglas

Evanston Outlaws vs. Lovell Mustangs, 10 a.m.

Wheatland Lobos vs. Lovell Mustangs, 12:30 p.m.

Torrington Tigers vs. Green River Knights, 3 p.m.

Green River Knights at Douglas Cats, 5:30 p.m.

Hargens/Leisy Tournament in Gillette

Sheridan Jets vs. Premier West (Denver, CO), 10 a.m.

Sheridan Jets vs. Greeley GOJO’s, 3 p.m.

Miles City Mavericks at Gillette Rustlers, 5:30 p.m.

Premier West (Denver, CO) at Gillette Rustlers, 8 p.m.

Mountain West World Series in Cheyenne

Laramie Rangers AA vs. Parker (CO) Lightning 18U, 11 a.m. (at Powers Field)

Powell Pioneers vs. Parker Lightning 18U, 1:30 p.m. (at Powers Field)

Laramie Rangers AA at Cheyenne Hawks, 3:30 p.m. (at Pioneer Park)

Powell Pioneers vs. Rocky Mountain Oysters (AZ), 4 p.m. (at Powers Field)

Greeley GOJO’s at Cheyenne Hawks, 6 p.m. (at Pioneer Park)

Collins Collab 18U at Cheyenne Sixers, 6:30 p.m. (at Powers Field)

Phil Brown Classic in Jamestown, ND

Gillette Riders vs. Bonivital Black Sox (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), 8 a.m.

Gillette Riders vs. Edgeley (ND) Post 146, 4 p.m.

Boise, ID Tournament

Rock Springs Stallions vs. TBD

Casper Oilers at Utah Yaks (Kaysville, UT), 10 a.m. & noon

Laramie Rangers A at Casper Drillers, 1 & 3 p.m. (conference games)

Final Score: Laramie Rangers AA 7 Jackson Giants 0 (conference game) – forfeit

Final Score: Laramie Rangers AA 7 Jackson Giants 0 (conference game) – forfeit

Tournaments

Bolln Wood Bat Tournament in Douglas

Pool A Seed 3 vs. Pool B Seed 3, 8 a.m.

Pool A Seed 1 vs. Pool B Seed 2, 10:30 a.m.

Pool B Seed 1 vs. Pool A Seed 2, 1 p.m.

Winner of 10:30 a.m. game vs. Winner of 1:00 p.m. game, 3:30 p.m. – championship

Hargens/Leisy Tournament in Gillette

Rapid City Bullets at Gillette Rustlers, 4:30 p.m.

Sheridan Jets at Gillette Rustlers, 7 p.m.

Mountain West World Series in Cheyenne

Cheyenne Sixers vs. TBD

Cheyenne Hawks vs. TBD

Laramie Rangers AA vs. TBD

Phil Brown Classic in Jamestown, ND

Gillette Riders vs. TBD