Mental Health & Substance Use Services
The Agency of Human Services envisions a Vermont in which everyone is healthy - physically and mentally. AHS delivers services and supports to individuals, families, and communities to promote positive mental health as well as to prevent, reduce, and eliminate the issues caused by alcohol and drug use through prevention, treatment, and recovery services.
Why Is This Important?
Why Is This Important?
Why Is This Important?
What We Do
Who We Serve
How We Impact
What We Do
Who We Serve
How We Impact
What We Do
Who We Serve
How We Impact
What We Do
Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death, but about 800 Vermonters still die each year from tobacco-related diseases. Given this morbidity and mortality, three goals guide the work of the Tobacco Control Program: prevent youth smoking; reduce adult smoking; reduce exposure to second-hand-smoke. The Health Department Tobacco Control Program employs Centers for Disease Control and Prevention best practice in four key areas to address these goals:
Cessation services help Vermonters quit smoking through the Quitline, Quit Partners, or Quit Online as part of 802Quits. These services are evidence-based and greatly increase the changes a smoker will quit successfully. The program also partners to provide nicotine replacement therapy
Mass Reach Media, including hard-hitting ads, is shown to be effective in reaching those who smoke and inciting them to reach out to 802Quits. This includes television, radio, and social media efforts.
State and community interventions raise awareness on the actions decision makers can take to reduce the toll of tobacco. These include educating decision makers about passing smoke-free policies at local parks and playgrounds, which reduce secondhand smoke exposure and create positive social norms around tobacco use, and changing the tobacco retail environment, where exposure to product and advertising causes youth tobacco initiation. The Vermont Department of Health and the Agency of Education fund two youth tobacco prevention groups – Our Voices Xposed (OVX) in high schools and Vermont Kids Against Tobacco (VKAT) in middle schools.
Surveillance and evaluation ensure the program stays on track and uses data to drive programmatic decision making. The Tobacco Control Program invests in data collection, analysis, and dissemination to partners in and outside of government.
Who We Serve
The Tobacco Control Program is committed to serving all Vermonters seeking to reduce and quit their tobacco use. Some populations, including pregnant smokers, Medicaid-insured, those with mental illness or substance abuse disorders, less education, and lower income, are a focus of the Health Department. Additionally, supervisory unions with a higher burden of tobacco use are a targeted sector supported by this program. Tobacco use and the morbidity and mortality it causes disproportionally impact those with fewer resources and results in large health disparities.
How We Impact
By employing CDC Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs with fidelity, the work of the Tobacco Control Program and partners should, over time, impact the number of Vermonters who smoke and therefore reduce deaths from tobacco-related diseases. Quitting tobacco has beneficial short and long term health impacts no matter one’s age. Three behaviors - no physical activity, poor diet, and tobacco use - lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease accounting for more than 50% of premature deaths in Vermont. Reaching Vermonters that want to quit and supplying the needed cessation support will reduce, over time, the number of Vermonters suffering and dying from chronic disease.
Together with population indicators, the following performance measures focus on whether Vermonters are better off as a result of this program. They do so by looking at the quality and efficiency of these programs and services.
What We Do
Who We Serve
How We Impact
What We Do
The Adult Mental Health (AOP) program serves adults experiencing mental health challenges. The array of services available for people in the AOP program vary by DA and may include:
- clinical assessment
- service planning and coordination
- community supports
- individual, group, and/or family therapy
- medication evaluation and management, and consultation with primary care
- emergency care and crisis stabilization
- psychoeducation/recovery education
Who We Serve
Any adult (18+ years old) is eligible to receive adult outpatient (AOP) supports and services.
How We Impact
Together the following performance measures focus on whether Vermonters are better off as a result of this program. They do so by looking at the quality and efficiency of these programs and services.
Budget Information
Budget Description: Adult Services to include Emergency Services Investment, CRT (all expenses), Adult Case Rate, Homeless, MISC Adult Grants, Emergency Outreach, Case Management, Workforce Training, Forensic System of Care
| FY 22 Actual | FY 23 Budget | FY 24 Draft Governor Recommend |
| $93,927,952 | $99,771,295 | $101,648,524 |
What We Do
Emergency (or Crisis) Services are time-limited, intensive supports provided for individuals and families who are currently experiencing, or may be expected to experience, a psychological, behavioral, or emotional crisis. Services may also be provided to the individual's or family's immediate support system. These services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Who We Serve
Any person in Vermont is eligible to receive support through the Emergency Services (ES) program.
How We Impact
Together the following performance measures focus on whether Vermonters are better off as a result of this program. They do so by looking at the quality and efficiency of these programs and services.
Budget Information
There is no budget information specific to Emergency Services. It is emeshed in the following budgets:
- Suicide Prevention
- Childrens Community Services to include Emergency Services, Childrens case rates, peer services and Misc. Grants
- Adult Services to include Emergency Services Investment, CRT (all expenses), Adult Case Rate, Homeless, MISC Adult Grants, Emergency Outreach, Case Management, Workforce Training, Forensic System of Care
What We Do
The Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital provides excellent care and treatment in a recovery-oriented, safe, respectful environment that promotes empowerment, hope and quality of life for the individuals it serves.
Who We Serve
The Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital (VPCH) serves adults who require a hospital level of care and who are held involuntarily by a civil or a forensic order. VPCH is considered a Level 1 inpatient facility, meaning it serves those who are highly acute and require additional services and supports.
How We Impact
Together the following performance measures focus on whether Vermonters are better off as a result of this program. They do so by looking at the quality and efficiency of these programs and services.
Budget Information
DMH Program budget (summary level)
| FY 22 Actual | FY 23 Budget | FY 24 Draft Governor Recommend |
| $28,065,553 | $24,833,519 | $31,355,689 |
What We Do
The Community Rehabilitation and Treatment (CRT) programs provided at Vermont's Designated Agencies help individuals and their families to develop skills and supports important to living the life they want for themselves.
Who We Serve
Vermont’s Community Rehabilitation and Treatment (CRT) programs assist adults that have been diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness. Symptoms may be mild or substantially disabling, and long-term or short term.
How We Impact
Together the following performance measures focus on whether Vermonters are better off as a result of this program. They do so by looking at the quality and efficiency of these programs and services.
Budget Information
Budget Description: Adult Services to include Emergency Services Investment, CRT (all expenses), Adult Case Rate, Homeless, MISC Adult Grants, Emergency Outreach, Case Management, Workforce Training, Forensic System of Care
| FY 22 Actual | FY 23 Budget | FY 24 Draft Governor Recommend |
| $93,927,952 | $99,771,295 | $101,648,524 |
Budget Information
Appropriation ID - 15000 Global Commitment
What We Do
The Clinical Integrity Unit (CIU) is responsible for the utilization management of mental health and detoxification services. The team works toward the integration and coordination of services provided to Vermont Medicaid members with substance use disorders and mental health needs. The team performs utilization management activities; including concurrent review and authorization of mental health, eating disorder treatment, and substance use detoxification services. The CIU also administers the Team Care program, which locks a member to a single prescriber and a single pharmacy. In addition, the Autism Specialist authorizes applied behavior analysis (ABA) services for children. The CIU also engages in Medical Record Reviews to support quality initiatives.
Partners
- Department of Mental Health Adult and Children and Families Units,
- Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living,
- Department for Children and Families,
- Integrated Family Services,
- Designated Hospitals,
- Designated Agencies,
- Special Service Agencies,
- Vermont Chronic Care Initiative
How We Impact
The CIU serves Vermont Medicaid members who require mental health inpatient and detoxification services, eating disorder treatment, and ABA services.
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