Mental Health Services Face More Cuts

Mental Health Services Face More Cuts

by Judy Brown

   ANN ARBOR- On March 6, the Michigan Mental Health Coalition (MHC) held 'Town Hall Meetings" in 35 communities throughout the state to review Gov. James Blanchard's 1989-90 Mental Health Budget recommendations. In Ann Arbor, about 50 people met in the Scarlett School cafeteria to discuss how the proposed budget will affect local mental health services.

   The meetings were also intended to provide a forum for citizens to offer public comment on the public mental health system and to increase awareness regarding inadequate financing of state mental health services. Concerned with the low level of mental health services presently available and the threat of further cuts, the MHC recorded public comment at the statewide meetings, then forwarded those records to the governor and the state Office of Management and Budget for their review.

   The Ann Arbor meeting was chaired by Don Hoyle, executive director of the Washtenaw Association for Retarded Citizens (WARC). The majority of participants were mental health services consumers and iheir families. Mental health direct service workers and administrators of several local agencies were also present.

   Many different viewpoints were represented at the meeting but everyone seemed to agree that the proposed 7.5% increase in the mental health services budget was inadequate and would result in the curtailment of existing mental health services. According to the MHC, a 14.4% increase in funding would be necessary in order to maintain current mental healthservices. Even a 14.4% increase, according to MHC, would not account for new money needed to expand services throughout the state.     

   As a result of the shortfall, the following are among some of the cuts proposed: elimination of dental services to persons with developmental disabilities; reductions in residential and residential support services such as occupational and physical therapy, nursing and other in-home services; and reductions in the family support subsidy which provides financial assistance to families keeping their children at home and out of institutions. The proposed budget would entail other reductions as well. Community Mental Health (CMH) services would suffer a net loss of $19.1 million.

   Many clients of the mental health system suffer from chronic and debilitating mental illness throughout their lives. When they are treated in the community they need ongoing support to assure their functioning. County CMH services are already overburdened at present funding levels. These services include: Assessment, with an approximate three week wait followed by a three to six week wait to be assigned to a medication clinic and a doctor; Case Management wherein B. A. level workers are assigned to monitor and advocate for caseloads of 55 clients each but are not to provide therapy or treatment; Counseling wherein one and a half to two fulltime therapists provide counseling to 840 clients; Nursing wherein one nurse, assisted by student nurses, is assigned to 840 clients to give injections, review charts and identify medical problems; and the Acute Services House, a ten bed facility which serves as the county 's altemative to psychiatric hospitalization.

   There have been no CMH day treatment or activity programs since 1984. There are some contractual agencies funded through CMH which do provide daytime programming. These organizations all rely heavily on the services of volunteers. Cuts to their programs would eliminate hundreds of hours of free services.

   Call WARC at 662-1256 for information about the Mental Health Coalltlon and the Michigan Health Budget committees. Get on committees' mailing lists by calling Barbara Fuller at Senator Pollack's office at 517-373-2406.