The head of the California Mental Health Commission traveled to London this summer, courtesy of a state vendor, to try to block $360 million in budget cuts that would cut funding for the company’s contract.
Emails and calendars reviewed by KFF Health News show Toby Ewing, executive director of the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Board, was in London, where the state hired him to develop virtual tools to assist Koos. It has been shown that he went to great lengths to protect the funds of his home-based digital mental health company Koos. Tackling the youth mental health crisis. In the face of California’s $45 billion budget deficit, Ewing pressured key legislative staff to keep their contracts, even as Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers proposed cuts.
Ewing and the three commissioners, along with Chair Mara Madrigal-Weiss, were sworn in. Bill Brown; and Steve Carnevale left for London in June, but Ewing was unsure whether he could have saved money for Koos. On the second day of the trip, staff told him that the congressman had gotten his money back.
A few days later, he emailed Koos Chief Operating Officer Kate Newhouse the suggestions he had shared with Congressional and Senate staff to improve Koos’ youth telemedicine app. In a separate email, Mr. Ewing wrote to Mr. Newhouse, “I hope you will be involved in what we envision.”
It’s unclear why Mr. Koos accepted $15,000 for a state employee’s trip to London. It’s also unclear why Ewing wanted to protect the app from spending cuts. The commission consists of 16 people appointed by various elected officials to ensure that funds from millionaire taxes are used appropriately and effectively by the county for mental health services. It is an independent organization made up of members. Mr. Koos’ contract is with the Department of Health Services and is separate from the commission.
Last year, Koos signed a four-year, $271 million deal to develop Soluna, a free mental health app for users ages 13 to 25 in California. The app launched in January, along with an app by Brightline aimed at younger users. California youth and their families should have free access to professional telehealth. It’s part of Newsom’s $4.7 billion youth mental health plan.
Ewing, who reports to the committee, joined the company in 2015 and will earn $175,026 in 2023, according to the Sacramento Bee. He was placed on paid administrative leave in September pending an investigation. Sandra Gallardo, the commission’s chief legal counsel, said the commission does not comment on personnel matters. Mr. Ewing did not respond to requests for comment.
Three commission officials filed a whistleblower complaint against Ewing with the California Comptroller in September. They spoke to KFF Health News on condition that their names not be published for fear of workplace retaliation. They argue that Ewing’s actions as a public official pushing a private company agenda crossed the line.
The agenda for Thursday’s committee meeting listed personnel issues to be discussed in closed session. The whistleblowers said Ewing was the subject of controversy.
Madrigal-Weiss said she could not comment on Ewing’s actions. However, she said the commission supports virtual mental health resources for youth.
Madrigal Weiss, executive director of student wellness and school culture at the University of San Diego, said, “These resources are inexpensive and useful for young people, especially those who struggle to access typical brick-and-mortar services. It has proven to be valuable.” County Education Department.
Mr. Brown and Mr. Carnevale did not respond to requests for comment.
Caroline Curran of the public relations firm Metis Communications, which represents Mr. Koos, said Mr. Koos is committed to promoting access to behavioral health services for youth.
“As a leader in youth behavioral health services with over 20 years’ experience in the UK and US, we regularly convene leading organizations in the field to share their expertise and diverse perspectives on youth behavioral health. It promotes learning,” Curran said.
As KFF Health News reported in April, the rollout of the Kooth and Brightline apps has been slow and few children are using them. Newsom proposed $140 million in budget cuts in May. DHCS Director Michelle Barth said during the hearing that low utilization is to blame, but the state expects more people to join over time.
He told lawmakers on May 16 that about 20,000 of the state’s more than 12.6 million children and youth are registered with the app, which has only been used for about 2,800 coaching sessions. spoke.
State Sen. Caroline Menjivar (D-Van Nuys) asked Barth during the hearing whether there was “room to back out” of the contract altogether. Senators then unanimously voted to cut the entire platform budget, saving the state $360 million.
Mr. Ewing emailed a colleague on June 3: “Kos is acting crazy. Is his salary coming from the administration or the Department of Justice? Do we know if the deal is done or not?” sent.
Koos paid Capital Advocacy about $100,000 this year, according to state lobbying records. At the same time, Mr. Ewing’s emails and calendar show that he was pushing for Mr. Koos to maintain funding. For example, his calendar for June 4th showed him scheduled to meet Koos USA executive Laura Talley at a coffee shop near the Capitol.
The next day, the whistleblower said, Ewing met with key Senate staff, including Scott Augus, deputy chief of staff for the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, and Marjorie Swartz, an adviser to Senate President pro tempore Mike McGuire. They said Ewing also discussed Koos’ contract that week with Rosilyn Pulmano, a health policy consultant to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas.
“Toby kept saying, ‘California has to have a digital strategy,'” recalled a whistleblower who attended both meetings. “He said he would continue to push Marjorie and Scott and give them ideas to make the platform better.”
Mr. Ewing emailed his ideas to legislative aides on June 10 and 12.
About two weeks later, Mr. Koos and the commissioners departed on a seven-day trip to England. Koos paid for his stay at the four-star hotel, according to documents filed with the state Fair Political Practices Commission, receipts and emails reviewed by KFF Health News. , meals, train tickets, international flights.
Public documents show that Mr. Koos paid expenses to Mr. Ewing, Mr. Madrigal-Weiss and Mr. Brown. The documents do not show that the company paid for Carnevale’s travel expenses.
Under California law, state agencies generally must report travel expense payments to the FPPC, and Ewing and his fellow commissioners did so.
Mr. Koos postponed a June mental health investment conference in London, but instead planned a new event for California commissioners to attend, according to emails and documents.
On May 23, Newhouse emailed Carnevale and Ewing that Koos needed to postpone an event scheduled for June. Venture capitalist Carnevale called the news “disappointing for everyone,” especially “including the members of the committee members’ families who were planning on making this a vacation and have already booked trips.”
Acknowledging the confusion, Newhouse told Carnevale, “I would like to think creatively about organizing a conference where we can discuss CYBHI,” referring to Newsom’s Child and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative.
“But from our conversations, I know that you need to cover the ‘purpose’ of your trip, but I don’t know what is or is not possible,” she wrote.
Mr. Curran, the Koos spokeswoman, said the company “adapted by engaging in knowledge exchange among representatives from international policy institutions, research foundations, and nonprofit organizations.”
Madrigal-Weiss defended the trip, which included meetings with “government, service provider, education and financial stakeholders,” and through private and philanthropic partnerships to “inspire the public spirit.” He said he shared ideas on how to “strengthen funding for global health needs.”
One whistleblower said many of the commissioners in California didn’t know about the trip until their colleagues arrived on the other side of the world. California Health and Human Services Agency spokesperson Sami Gallegos said the Department of Health Services was not involved in the trip.
Mr. Ewing was placed on leave before Mr. Koos’ meeting scheduled for this month in London.
Sean McMorris, a government ethics expert at California Common Cause, a nonprofit government watchdog group, said it’s not unusual for state employees to travel overseas, but in many cases, private organizations do so. points out that it is not good.
“There appears to be undue influence,” McMorris said. “I think a lot of people see something like this as a way to garner goodwill. You can connect the dots.”
Koos similarly gifted the trip to state officials in Pennsylvania, which had a $3 million contract with 30 school districts. In each case, Mr. Koos invited officials to give speeches highlighting their efforts. Penn State informed Koos of its intention to terminate his contract.
This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
This article is republished from khn.org. khn.org is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism on health issues and is one of KFF’s core operating programs, providing independent information for health policy research, polling, and journalism. It is the source.
