Mental health providers ask for budget increase

Lacey Jacobs

Ledger staff writer

Representatives of organizations that provide mental health services and services to those with developmental disabilities met with the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors Monday to request an increase in the mental health budget.

?Right now it looks like the budget is set at 82 percent of the levy, which is roughly $500,000. We are asking that you consider moving that up to 100 percent, and that would increase by about $110,000 the cost to the taxpayer,? said Boyd Lord, director of finance with Nurse In The Home, a subsidiary of ResCare Inc.

By budgeting 100 percent of the funds available for mental health, Lord said the county could potentially gain access to three more sources of state funding. It also would allow the county to wait-list consumers, instead of being forced to provide services even if there?s not enough money in the budget, he said.

Supervisor Steve Burgmeier explained the county has made a conscious effort to lower the mental health fund?s ending balance to qualify for state funding, and as of yet, the state has not changed the way it funds mental health.

If the county increases its spending to gain access to other state funds, Reed said it?s possible those funds may not be there when the time comes. He also questioned how the supervisors can boost the mental health budget when they are asking other departments to make cuts in their budgets.

?I think we have always thought of it as our highest priority to make sure we are doing the right thing, but along with that priority, we have to represent all 16,000 people [in the county],? Reed said. ?We think that you have enough dollars to take care of the people you need to take care of, and that?s the bottom line.?

Burgmeier said the supervisors looked at past and projected mental health expenses to determine the budget, and he would not be in favor of a change. If the entire $497,860 in the budget does get spent, $119,000 is still left in the fund and could be transferred into the budget, he explained.

Supervisor Lee Dimmitt recommended the group lobby at the Capitol for changes in funding across the state.

The supervisors will discuss mental health funding with other supervisors in this district during a meeting Friday.

For the complete article, see the Tuesday, February 24, 2009, Fairfield Ledger.