Rhode Island Legislature Considering Proposal to Restructure Health & Human Services Into “Mega-Agency”

OPEN MINDS On-Line News On December 12, 2007, Rhode Island House Finance Chairman, Steven M. Costantino proposed that the state should restructure its five health and human service agencies into one “mega-agency” to realize economies of scale. As of October 1, 2008, The five agencies — the Department of Health; the Department of Human Services; the Department of Elderly Affairs; the Department of Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals; and the Department of Children, Youth and Families — would be merged into the new agency, an Office of Health and Human Services. The OHHS would supervise six divisions: Behavioral health Children . . .