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Request a DemoKevin Tanner talks improving mental health access in Georgia
Kevin Tanner took over as commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) last month, with a challenging mandate to oversee an agency responsible for meeting the health needs of some of the state’s most vulnerable people, including those undergoing mental health crises and battling substance abuse issues.
A former police chief, county manager and four-time Republican state legislator, Tanner has been at the forefront of efforts over the past several years to change Georgia’s status as one the bottom-ranked states in the country for access to mental health care. With the passage of the sweeping Mental Health Parity Act in Georgia last year, Tanner has an opportunity to leverage the momentum in state government to make ambitious improvements to the state’s behavioral health system.
State Affairs spoke to Tanner, who received his undergraduate degree from University of North Georgia College and a master in public administration from Columbus State University in Columbus, about how he hopes to implement key reforms and about his priorities for this year. The conversation is edited for clarity, brevity and length.
Q. Tell me a little about your background and what brought you to this work?
A. Well, I guess in March, it will be 33 years since I started in some type of public service. I actually started my service career in law enforcement and worked for a good long time in a lot of different capacities, including running a law enforcement agency [in Dawson County]. And one of the things even back then that I became frustrated with on a regular basis was going on calls dealing with people who were suffering from behavioral health, mental health issues, and oftentimes not really having a good answer for the family that was there crying out. And you know, most folks when they have a need they call 911. And the police are supposed to solve all their problems, but so many times we just didn't have a good answer.
[After college] I worked my way into county management, became a county manager and did that for a number of years. And enjoyed that. And then I had always been involved in some way [with] politics, not directly involved but had helped other people run for office and had been involved in the political party at the local and state level. Long story short, I ended up running, getting elected and I spent four terms in the General Assembly [as District 9 representative].
All the way back in 2013, I introduced legislation to create a study committee on mental health and didn't have a lot of success, really, with that at the time. But as I developed my relationships in the General Assembly, in 2019 I revisited the issue. I’d heard several stories, but one in particular, where a gentleman I was renting a house to was in mental health court and things didn't go well for him. And I just wanted to try to see if I could help make some positive changes to the system. So from there, I worked with Speaker David Ralston and in 2019, created and ultimately the governor signed and became codified into law, the Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission [BHRIC]. So later that year, Governor Kemp named me the chair and I've been chairing that for the last three years. And our work resulted in speaker Ralston's House Bill 1013 [Georgia Mental Health Parity Act], which passed last session. So I’m very proud of that. We just released the newest [Behavioral Health Commission] report for 2022.
Q. How can you leverage your position to accomplish some of the things that you've advocated for in the past, particularly in some of the areas where progress has been lacking?
A. Well, let me say this, I was not looking to be the commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. It's not anything I had ever even thought about quite honestly. I was county manager in Forsyth County, I had 2,000 employees, I had a great operation. And I'd surrounded myself with some very bright people, and my job was fairly easy because I had built a great team of people and was running one of largest counties in the state and life was fairly good. When the governor approached me about this opportunity, I had to spend a little bit of time thinking about it.
But it came down to the fact that so much of my life had been working toward understanding problems within the system, maybe some shortfalls, but also looking for solutions because … I don't like to just stand on the sidelines and complain about things. And a lot of people like to point out what somebody else is doing wrong. That's really not my personality. I want to be in the middle of trying to help find the solution. So I think what I hope to be able to bring to this position is I have, I think, a skill set. I know I don't have all the answers. And I know I'm not the expert on all things mental health, or developmental disabilities. But just like we did with the Behavioral Health Commission, I know how important it is to bring the right people to the table, to get the right opinions, so that we can listen to those experts. And then from that formulate a process and a pathway to success.
Q. One of the key elements of making the Mental Health Parity initiatives work is to expand and retain the mental health workforce in Georgia. What specifically are you focusing on this year to make that possible?
A. Yeah, that's a very astute observation. Because I will tell you since I've been here in almost every meeting we’re in, whatever problem we're talking about, the solution always goes back to the same thing, and that's workforce. So many of the challenges we're facing right now, of building out the crisis model that we need to be successful in Georgia, the barrier is workforce. And we've recognized that at Behavioral Health Reform Commission level … and we put some things in place and legislation around loan forgiveness [for people pursuing mental health education and training] and some other things. That is a step. But it's definitely not going to fix the problem. And I think all of us have recognized there's not a silver bullet to this issue.
But one of the things that Representative Mary Margaret Oliver [D-Decatur] and Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, who chairs the access subcommittee, one of the things they both jointly have talked about this past year, and it's in the report, is the fact that reimbursements are so low in Georgia. There has not been a behavioral health provider reimbursement increase in I think it's 17 years in Georgia. Our developmental disability provider rates are very low. The department has already released the results of that study and we’re taking public comments on the developmental disability piece of that now.
And that should result in a significant increase in providers. DCH [Department of Community Health] was directed under House Bill 1013 to do the same thing for Medicaid providers for behavioral health. They've gotten their initial results back and they've not released that yet. But I can tell you it will be a significant increase if we're able to implement that.
Q. Now, what's the funding source and mechanism for that? What will make that happen?
A. Well, the way it would work, for instance, the one we're doing public comment on now is, two-thirds of it would be paid for by the federal government and one-third would be state dollars. So it would require the state to commit money in the budget. And then in turn, once that happens, we send that up to the federal government, and they would ultimately approve it. Because obviously, we had to hire a reputable, recognized company [Accenture] that deals with this on a daily basis all across the country. And they've done a very independent professional study that the federal government would adopt. So really the biggest thing would be the General Assembly and appropriators have to appropriate funds.
Q. And what are you requesting as the budget allocation for the workforce increase?
A. We actually have not finalized those numbers. Because we know that on average it would increase the provider payments significantly. But there's so many factors involved in it that we’re waiting on, we're getting some data from DCH, and some other agencies. And then from that, we're going to be able to run those numbers. We hope to have that within the next 45 days.
Q. And do you have a top-line total budget recommendation for the amended budget for this year for your department?
A. Well, the direction received from the governor's office was it is a flat-line budget, so no increases.
Q. There is a big surplus that a number of agencies are looking at, in hopes of increasing budgets.
A. Yes. And obviously we'll be having conversations with the governor's office and others about the needs of the department. One of the things I also think is important that the department needs to do is to lay out a clear plan. We’re getting ready to undertake a bed study because as we build out our crisis network, we need to know so that I can tell the governor's office and the appropriators that five years from now, I'm going to need this many beds — here's where I need those beds, and here's what type of bed I need.
Q. The Mental Health Parity bill is a landmark set of directives on paper but as you say, it must be implemented and it must be funded. What are the key areas that need to be funded at a higher level this year or in following years than they have been in the past for the bill to work as intended?
A. Well, I think it's important, if you look back at Georgia, back to 2010, when the settlement agreement with the Department of Justice was entered into, Georgia has really had to, in a pretty short period of time, create a community-based system of behavioral health. So it's a young system of delivery of services. So we've come so far, but I think we have to build out that crisis system and that network. So right now we're reliant upon private beds to help offset our internal crisis system, and we've got to build that out, we obviously are going to need additional crisis beds across the state, we're going to need some additional other types of beds, for our developmental disability population, and we need additional providers, and additional bed space for home-based care.
There’s a capital investment. There’s an ongoing provider investment. But it also goes back to the reimbursements. Because it's very challenging for us as a department to get people to want to be a provider for us when our reimbursement rates have not been changed in so many years. So I always say it's what comes first, the chicken or the egg, you've got to fix the reimbursement rates, so we can get our workforce addressed in order to really build out this crisis system. But I say all of that, to answer your question, to continue to adequately build out the crisis network system in Georgia is the number one thing we have to be able to look at.
Q. And for our readers, can you define what the crisis network is?
A. Yeah, and let me back up and give you an example. You have someone who's reading your article, they themselves are in crisis, or a loved one is in crisis. And they pick up the phone and they call 988. And they access the Georgia Crisis System. They call our GCAL [Georgia Crisis & Action Line] center, and the person who answers the phone is a trained professional, to talk with them, to evaluate what their needs are. And then they can dispatch a crisis mobilization unit. So a trained professional will go out to that person, if that's the need. We're not talking about law enforcement, or an ambulance, we're talking about trained mental health professionals, they go out, provide an assessment, and help get that person into whatever level of care they need at the time. So that's one of the ways that people can come into the system.
And then we have partners and we have community service boards all across Georgia; I think we have 23 boards currently. And many of those run crisis stabilization units. And those units are typically short-term, three-to-seven-day placements of individuals who are in crisis. They can go there, they can receive care and treatment, get regulated on medication, et cetera. And then from there, they're discharged with a treatment plan that may involve follow-up with the right type of clinician with peer support and all the wraparound level of services they need to be successful. And our crisis process is coordinating all of that.
Then there's longer-term care with different types of beds that may be for 30 days. And then of course, we operate five state hospitals for people who need more significant longer-term care in our hospital settings. So that's the crisis network that we have in Georgia and DBHDD is responsible for that.
Q. Housing is such a big area that affects your ability to help people who are having a mental health crisis, including the homeless population. Can you speak to that?
A. Yeah, housing is an issue. And it's specifically an issue for transitional housing, when we have someone that maybe comes out of a crisis center or comes out of a hospital, being able to make sure that we have the right place for that person to go. Good, stable housing is important. We also have community-based housing availability, whether it be a group home or another type of facility. And, again, it's challenging to get those providers right now because of those reimbursement rates. So I sound like a broken record on that. But that's on purpose. Because so many of our problems come back to reimbursements. But long-term housing needs are also obviously an issue. You mentioned the homeless population. There's a pretty good percentage of our homeless population that suffer from behavioral health issues and being able to find ways to address that is important. And obviously, there's a balance because we have a crisis system, but we're not able to force someone to accept treatment and accept help. But all of those things you mentioned are real issues that we’ve got to find ways to solve.
Q. Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Boggs, who serves on the Behavioral Reform Commission’s Courts and Corrections subcommittee, mentioned recently, that before we can do anything else for people in the criminal justice system with behavioral health needs who are reentering society, they need to have a place to live and food to eat, and oftentimes they don't.
A. Yeah, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, right? Food, shelter, safety. And I'll tell you that in Forsyth County, I was county manager there and one of the things they’re working on now, they have an RSAT [Residential Substance Abuse Treatment] program they run through the sheriff's office. We funded it and they also had grant funding for that there, but they're actually looking at meeting this week, with the city of Cumming, and trying to request some opioid funding for transitional housing to be built there in Forsyth. They've already identified a location to build that transitional housing, and part of it would be RSAT, for people who have substance abuse, addiction issues that need transitional housing. So there are examples of good things occurring there.
Q. So on a statewide level, how could that translate?
A. Well, we have to do something, right? We've talked a lot about these issues, but there has to be a stake put in the ground and we have to try something. And I think what's happening in Forsyth is going to be a good test model to see if this can work, how does it work? And if it works well, those things need to be duplicated. That’s one of the things that I pushed for, and we received ARPA [American Rescue Plan Act] funds in Forsyth. And we used almost all of those funds to design — and they're about to go out to bid on building a whole health facility. So it's going to be a 64,000-square-foot, $35 million complex. It’s going to be a health department and a mental health facility in one building, and the mental health side is going to have 30 crisis beds. And it's also going to have a 24-hour emergency room with a prescriber on duty 24 hours a day. So if someone's in crisis, they can go there instead of the local ER, but also it helps with the stigma, because then if they may be going to get their physical health or their mental health they can go into the same facility. So there's some pretty exciting things happening. And I think some of those things can be duplicated around the state.
Have questions, comments or tips about Georgia’s behavioral health system? Contact Jill Jordan Sieder on Twitter @journalistajill or at [email protected].
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House speaker Jon Burns hires new communications director
House speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, announced today that he has hired a new communications director. Kayla Roberson, who has served as press secretary at the Georgia Chamber for the past year or so, will now oversee all external communications, media relations and strategic messaging for Burns.
“I’m excited to welcome Kayla to our team,” Burns said in a statement. “Kayla has an excellent background, deep skill set and strong work ethic, and we’re excited to have her on board to continue getting our message out and sharing the House’s priorities ahead of and into the next session.”
A double major in political science and journalism at the University of Georgia, where she graduated in 2022, Roberson interned for U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Republican in north Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, and worked as a consultant for GOP political candidates before joining the Georgia Chamber.
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to work under the leadership of speaker Burns,” Roberson told State Affairs. “Whether it’s improving education opportunities, putting money back in the pockets of hardworking Georgians, creating jobs or supporting our rural communities, speaker Burns always prioritizes doing what is best, and what is right, for Georgia.”
Political strategist Stephen Lawson, who has held the top communications role for the speaker since last December, announced he’s joining Dentons, where starting today he’ll lead the global law firm’s public affairs efforts.
Have questions or comments? Contact Jill Jordan Sieder on X @journalistajill or at [email protected].
Global bird flu disrupts Georgia exports, costing chicken producers millions
ATLANTA — A global bird flu that has rapidly spread from birds to dairy cows, milk supplies and humans has cost untold millions of dollars in lost export business in Georgia, the nation’s leading poultry producer, officials with the state Department of Agriculture and poultry industry said.
Georgia has had only three reported cases of H5N1 avian influenza since it reemerged in 2022. The last of those cases was resolved in November 2023 but ramifications of those outbreaks continue to have a big effect on the state’s ability to export chicken and chicken parts, such as chicken feet, to different countries, including China, one of Georgia’s biggest export markets for chicken feet.
In 2022, frozen chicken feet, for example, accounted for more than 85% of all U.S. poultry exported to China, according to Farm Progress, publisher of 22 farming and ranching magazines.
The $30 billion poultry industry is Georgia’s largest segment in its No. 1 industry — agriculture.
China has also placed a ban on the import of chicken products from 41 other American states. The ban on Georgia products went into effect Nov. 21, 2023. Efforts to reach the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. were unsuccessful.
Georgia Poultry Federation President Mike Giles estimates the state’s loss at “well into the millions of dollars.”
“It’s a significant amount in a significant export market for us,” he said. “Poultry paws [feet] immediately lose value because of the loss of demand.”
The ban has forced Georgia poultry producers to find alternative markets for their products that would normally be headed to China.
“Some are sold domestically, some are frozen and stored, hopefully to find markets later on, and some go to other countries,” Giles said.
This isn’t the first time China has banned U.S.-produced poultry products due to a bird flu outbreak. The country instituted a ban in January 2015 which lasted until November 2019 — even though U.S. poultry products were deemed free of the disease by August 2017.
After that ban was lifted, China’s appetite for American-produced chicken products became voracious.
In 2022, U.S. producers shipped nearly $6 billion in poultry meat and related products (excluding eggs) to over 130 countries. China has emerged as the second largest destination for U.S. poultry exports, increasing from $10 million in 2019 to a record $1.1 billion in 2022, according to Southern Ag Today.
Chicken paws, for instance, are eaten in many Asian countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Korea.They can also be found on Chinese dim sum menus throughout the U.S. and are also popular in Jamaica, Trinidad, Russia and Ukraine in everything from soups and curries to fried snacks.
Three Georgia counties have reported H5N1 outbreaks since 2022. The most recent case was late last year. Henry, Sumter and Toombs counties each reported one case of H5N1 bird flu. Those outbreaks are resolved, poultry and state agriculture officials say.
“When HPAI cases are found in any state, that state is given a designation that could lead to foreign countries halting trade on poultry products from that state,” Georgia Department of Agriculture spokesman Matthew Agvent told State Affairs.
Not since 2016 has the United States experienced such a fast-moving case of the H5N1 avian influenza. In the last two months, the virus has spread in parts of the United States from birds to dairy cows, some milk supplies and humans. Two people — a Texas dairy worker and a prison inmate in Colorado who was killing infected birds at a poultry farm — are reported to have caught the virus, according to news reports. The outbreak is the largest in recent history, impacting both domestic poultry and livestock as well as wild birds and some mammal species.
State officials are continuing to monitor the national outbreak and its impact on Georgia.
Georgia’s poultry & egg industry: At A Glance
Annual economic impact: $30.2 billion
Percentage of the Agriculture industry: 58% *
Jobs: 87,900
Counties involved in poultry & egg production: 3 out of 4
National ranking in chicken broiler production: No. 1
Daily production of table eggs: 7.8 million
Daily production of hatching eggs: 6.5 million
Pounds of chicken produced daily: 30.2 million
Pounds of chicken produced annually: 8 billion
Number of chicken broilers processed each day: 5 million
Counties involved in poultry & egg production: 3 out of 4
Source: Georgia Poultry Federation; The Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development, University of Georgia, Ag Snapshots 2024; Georgia Poultry Federation.
Have questions? Contact Tammy Joyner on X @lvjoyner or at [email protected].
Is it safe to eat chicken and eggs and drink milk? Answers to your most pressing questions about the latest bird flu outbreak
A two-year-old strain of bird flu has heightened concerns in Georgia and the rest of the country after the virus recently spread to dairy cows. Here’s what you need to know about the virus and its impact on Georgia and the rest of the country. What are the symptoms of this flu in humans? Eye …
Kemp signs bills on education, health care, taxes
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a slew of bills over the past week or so, including the private school voucher bill long sought by Republicans and a bill that will ease regulations over the construction and expansion of medical facilities in rural areas.
His bill-signing events were clustered into themes: education, health care, military members, human trafficking and Georgia’s coastal communities.
Education
Among the education-related bills Kemp signed was Senate Bill 233, also known as the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, which provides the families of Georgia students enrolled in underperforming school districts with $6,500 scholarships that can be used toward private school or homeschooling expenses, including tuition, fees, textbooks and tutoring.
“Georgia is affording greater choice to families as to how and where they receive their education, while also continuing our efforts to strengthen public schools, support teachers, and secure our classrooms,” Kemp said, and thanked leadership in the House and Senate for prioritizing passage of the bill, which had failed in a close vote in 2023.
Democrats and many public education advocates who opposed the bill argued it will drain resources from public schools and primarily benefit students from wealthy families.
Kemp also signed Senate Bill 351, sponsored by nine Republican senators, which will require social media companies, as of July 1, 2025, to verify their users are at least 16 years old unless they receive approval from a parent.
House Bill 409, sponsored by Rep. Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove, directs school systems to consider not having bus stops where a student would have to cross a roadway with a speed limit of 40 mph or greater. The bill also increases the penalty for passing a stopped school bus to $1,000 from $250.
Kemp noted that Ashley Pierce, the mother of Addy Pierce, an 8-year-old who was fatally struck by a motorist as she boarded her school bus, “passionately advocated for and was instrumental in the passage of this legislation.”
Senate Bill 395, sponsored by Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Gwinnett, states that no school visitor or personnel can be prohibited from possessing an opioid reversal drug such as Narcan and directs schools to maintain a supply. It also allows opioid antagonists to be sold in vending machines and directs certain government buildings to maintain a supply of at least three doses.
Senate Bill 464, also sponsored by Dixon, creates the School Supplies for Teachers Program to financially and technically support teachers purchasing school supplies online. It also creates an executive committee of five voting members within the Georgia Council on Literacy and limits the number of approved literacy screeners to five, one of whom must be available to schools for free.
Health care
The governor chose his hometown of Athens as the venue to sign several bills aimed at improving health care in rural and underserved communities.
Among them was House Bill 1339, sponsored by Rep. Butch Parrish, R-Swainsboro, which revises the Certificate of Need process by which the state determines if and how new medical facilities can be built or expanded. The bill provides for several new exemptions, including psychiatric or substance abuse inpatient programs, basic perinatal services in rural counties, birthing centers and new general acute hospitals in rural counties. It also raises the total limit on tax credits for donations to rural hospital organizations to $100 million from $75 million.
Senate Bill 480, sponsored by Sen. Mike Hodges, R-Brunswick, establishes student loan repayments for mental health and substance use professionals serving underserved youth in the state or in unserved geographic areas disproportionately impacted by social determinants of health.
House Bill 872, sponsored by Rep. Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville, chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, expands cancelable loans for certain health care professionals to dental students who agree to practice in rural areas.
Senate Bill 293, sponsored by Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah, chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, reorganizes county boards of public health and opens the qualifications for the CEO of each county board of health to include either licensed physicians or people with a master’s degree in public health or a related field.
Military members and veterans
Kemp on Wednesday focused on bills to improve military recruitment and provide more work opportunities for veterans and military family members.
House Bill 880, sponsored by Rep. Bethany Ballard, R-Warner Robins, allows spouses of military service members to work under a license they hold in good standing in another state while under the supervision of an existing Georgia medical facility or provider.
Senate Bill 449, sponsored by Sen. Larry Walker, allows military medical personnel to practice for 12 months while a license application is pending, including working as a certified nursing aide, certified emergency medical technician, paramedic or licensed practical nurse. The bill also creates a new advanced practice registered nurse license and makes it a misdemeanor to practice advanced nursing without a license.
Human trafficking
The governor on Wednesday was accompanied by first lady Marty Kemp and other members of the GRACE Commission for the signing of an anti-human trafficking package. It includes Senate Bill 370, which adds certain businesses to the list of organizations that must post human trafficking notices, including convenience stores, body art studios, businesses that employ licensed massage therapists and manufacturing facilities.
Sponsored by Sen. Mike Hodges, R-Brunswick, the bill also allows the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy to initiate inspections of massage therapy businesses and educational programs without notice and requires massage therapy board members to complete yearly human trafficking awareness training.
House Bill 993, sponsored by Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, creates the felony offense of grooming of a minor and creates new penalties for offenses relating to visual mediums depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
House Bill 1201, sponsored by Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, allows human trafficking survivors who received first offender or conditional discharge status to vacate that status for certain crimes, as long as the crime was a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking.
Coastal communities
Earlier today in Brunswick, Kemp signed legislation impacting Georgia coastal communities, including House Bill 244, which amends the laws around how wild game can be hunted and how seafood dealers operate, and House Bill 1341, which designates white shrimp as the state’s official crustacean.
Taxes
Earlier this month Kemp signed several bills related to taxation, including House Bill 1015, sponsored by Rep. Lauren McDonald, R-Cumming, which lowers the state income tax for tax year 2024 to 5.39%, accelerating a multiyear drop in state income taxes that started at 5.75% in 2023 and will continue through 2029.
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget estimates the tax cut acceleration will save Georgia taxpayers approximately $1.1 billion in calendar year 2024 and about $3 billion over the next 10 years.
Kemp also signed House Bill 1021, sponsored by Rep. Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove, which increases the state’s income tax dependent exemption to $4,000 from $3,000.
House Bill 581, sponsored by Reps. Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, and Clint Crowe, R-Jackson, enables a constitutional amendment (House Resolution 1022) to let voters decide whether counties can provide a statewide homestead valuation freeze, which limits the increase in property values to the inflation rate.
The governor has until May 7 to sign or veto bills passed during the legislative session that ended on March 28. Those he takes no action on will automatically become law.
Legislation signed by Kemp is posted on the governor’s website.
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