2018 News Releases

The Missouri Department of Mental Health (Department) is in the process of notifying 8,848 individuals that their personal information was disclosed by a previous private contractor of the state. Upon discovery, the Department took immediate steps to secure the information. No medical or financial information was disclosed. The Department does not have any reason to believe the information was actually read or used by anyone intending harm.

The Department was notified on August 31, 2018, of a consumer list that was not password protected by a previous private contractor stored on March 17, 2018. The list contained first and last names, addresses, birthdates, department client numbers and Social Security numbers.

In compliance with federal and state privacy laws, the Department is mailing written notices to individuals whose information was affected. Individuals who receive a notification from the Department may address concerns by emailing privacyofficer@dmh.mo.gov or calling toll-free 1-855-270-4430. Individuals receiving notification may also choose to access the following resources to protect their credit:

Free Fraud Alerts

Contact one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit. The credit bureau you contact will automatically contact the other two credit bureaus to inform them to place a fraud alert for you. You do not need to contact all three credit bureaus. Each of the credit bureaus will send you a credit report free of charge. Here is the contact information:

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241.

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013.

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790.

Free Credit Freeze

A credit freeze allows you to restrict access to your credit reports making it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. You can freeze your credit by contacting each of the major credit bureaus. Unlike the fraud alerts, you must contact each credit bureau separately. This service is free. Each credit bureau will provide you a personal identification number (PIN). You must have this PIN to unfreeze your credit so it is important to keep each PIN in a safe, but accessible, location.

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241.

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013.

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; https://freeze.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790.

Additionally, you should consider placing a freeze on these lesser-known credit bureaus:

Innovis Consumer Assistance: https://www.innovis.com/securityFreeze/index

ChexSystems: https://www.chexsystems.com/web/chexsystems/consumerdebit/page/security…

The Missouri Department of Mental Health is in the process of notifying 1,000 individuals that their personal information may have been mailed to an incorrect address by the Department. The disclosure was caused by a clerical error in printing mailing labels.

The type of information released only included participant name. No medical or financial information was released as a result of the inadvertent mailing.

The clerical error impacted the mailing labels on survey questionnaires mailed on January 16, 2018. The Department has since identified and corrected the error.

In compliance with federal and state privacy laws, the Department has sent written notices to individuals affected by the mailing. Individuals who receive a notification from the Department may email privacyofficer@dmh.mo.gov or call toll-free 1-800-207-9329 to address any concerns.

Missouri was recently selected as one of 18 states to participate in the Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program (EFSLMP) for FY 2018. The national Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) selected Core and Vision Quest states to receive intensive onsite and virtual technical assistance to further their efforts to increase competitive, integrated employment outcomes for all individuals with disabilities.

Selected as a Vision Quest state, representatives from DMH, other state departments and veterans’ facilities will engage in a series of small working groups, consisting of three to four states per team, to focus on analyzing, developing and implementing policy recommendations related to Employment First systems-change efforts for veterans with disabilities. As a CORE state, department representatives will work with national experts to develop techniques for staff to improve employment opportunities for individuals with significant disabilities. The workgroups began their efforts in December 2017.

Missouri’s teams consist of staff members from DMH Divisions of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Department of Social Services – MoHealthNet Division and Rehabilitation Services for the Blind, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – Vocational Rehabilitation, and Department of Economic Development – Workforce Development. The Harry S. Truman VA Hospital and the VA St. Louis Health Care System are also represented on the Vision Quest group.

The ODEP chose the following 18 states:

Vision Quest States: Missouri (Mental Health and Employment); Georgia (Mental Health and Employment); Illinois (Mental Health and Employment); Louisiana(Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act [WIOA] Implementation); Michigan (WIOA Implementation); Ohio (WIOA Implementation); Tennessee (Mental Health and Employment); and Utah (WIOA Implementation).

Core States: Missouri (Capacity Building); Arkansas (Employer Engagement); District of Columbia (Capacity Building); Iowa (Capacity Building); Maryland (Capacity Building and Provider Transformation); Michigan (Capacity Building); Ohio (Capacity Building and Provider Transformation); Pennsylvania (Employer Engagement and Provider Transformation); Tennessee (Employer Engagement and Provider Transformation); and Utah (Capacity Building and Provider Transformation).