Feb 4, 2017 3 min read

During his push to overhaul America’s approach to mental health treatment, U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy argued persuasively that there was too much duplication within the federal system and there needed to be a streamlining of programs and more collaboration among agencies.

With his announcement last week that he would like to see Pennsylvania’s agencies on aging, health, human services and drug and alcohol programs merged into one department, it would appear that Gov. Tom Wolf has borrowed a page from the Murphy playbook.

By placing these four departments under one umbrella and calling it the Department of Health and Human Services, Wolf argued that it would “streamline government and allow the commonwealth to deliver more effective services to seniors, individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities, and those suffering from a substance use disorder as well as promote the health and well-being of all Pennsylvanians.”

Wolf’s plan will need legislative approval, and it’s been criticized by recently departed Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Gary Tennis, who says it will not save the cash-strapped commonwealth any money. Tennis also said that if the amount of state money devoted to drug and alcohol programs is reduced, there will be a corresponding decrease in federal matching dollars. While Wolf and his team have not yet said if there will be a cost savings as a result of the four departments being merged into one, he has also said there will be few layoffs, no program cuts and a reduction of red tape.

We are eager to hear more details, which will be forthcoming. But it definitely sounds promising.

Since it is dedicated to the health of Pennsylvanians, giving the commonwealth’s residents a “one-stop shopping” option when it comes to accessing services, rather than having them make multiple phone calls or get multiple licenses from different agencies, could help immediately lower blood pressure across the board. In an Associated Press story outlining the proposed merger last week, Wolf administration policy secretary Sarah Galbally pointed out that at least 21 different services for the physically disabled and the elderly are scattered across various departments. Nursing homes, hospitals and child care centers would also not have to undergo multiple inspections and audits, or get licenses from multiple agencies.

Wolf has also emphasized that, given the severity of the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania, a cabinet-level appointee solely dedicated to that problem would remain in place whether the merger happens or not.

The Human Services Department already receives the largest slice of the state budget pie, and if it and the other three agencies merge into one department, its budget would probaly swell to about $40 billion. Considering this would represent almost half the entire budget for the commonwealth, assuring that it is administered in a way that is efficient and effective should be of primary importance.