MO Medicaid advocacy visit

Lisa Meyers, LCSW/LSCSW, and Joy Durham, social work intern, went to Jefferson City on April 16, 2014 to engage in social justice advocacy.

They met with Representative Judy Morgan and Senator Jason Holsman to discuss mental health services for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Currently MO Medicaid limits licensed clinical social workers in providing counseling to Medicaid recipients upon their 21^st birthday. Kansas Medicaid has no such age limit for LCSWs providing the same service. Lisa and Joy explained to the legislators that there would be no impact on the state budget by removing the age limitation in Missouri. This is because there would not be a change to the reimbursement schedule or a change in the scope of work for clinical social workers. It would merely allow LCSWs to provide counseling to children AND adults.

This change would positively impact Missourians in TPG’s geographic area because Lisa is an LCSW with two areas of specialization: developmental/intellectual disabilities and human sexuality. There are a number of adults with disabilities here locally, who have Medicaid, who would be able to do counseling with Lisa if the age restriction was lifted. Currently, these Missourians either get shuffled through the community mental health centers before being prematurely discharged (because mainstream therapists are either uncomfortable or untrained to work effectively with them doing talk therapy) or they go without counseling that could have a positive effect on their overall quality of life.

If you believe strongly, like Lisa does, that all people, regardless of their resources, deserve access to the highest quality services, then please reach out to your own legislators and share this message with them: Please remove the age restriction on LCSWs providing counseling through MO Medicaid.