Looking Forward to an End to Safety Net Funding

Advocates and provider organization management teams are all tracking state budget problems and what they mean for mental health. A few of my colleagues are breathing a sigh of relief because their state budgets left them 'relatively' unscathed. But, for behavioral health and social services, I think the worst budget cuts are yet to come. In 2010, we will have to deal with the effect of the planned state budgets—and probably some mid-year revisions. But, in many jurisdictions, provider organizations will see county and city budgets for these services unravel. On Saturday, ABC news in El Paso, Texas reported that of the El Paso City Council members, four voted to cut ties with the El Paso Mental Health and Mental Retardation agency. Their rationale is that, by law, those services are the responsibility of the county—not the city. ABC-7 reporter Daniel Marin wrote:

"El Paso City Representative Beto O'Rourke says, by law, MHMR is the responsibility of the county. So he along with special city council committee
members… voted to cut ties with the agency…O'Rourke says MHMR's highly publicized funding issues are the result of the old cliché: too many chefs in the mental health care kitchen…"

"MHMR spokesman Rene Hurtado says while every little bit of funding helps, this is all about more than losing the city's $100,000 yearly contribution. "The mental health care system is very complex," said Hurtado. "The more people we have at the table, the better it is for everyone."

"El Paso County Commissioner Anna Perez says, in her opinion, the city has a direct role in helping the city's mentally ill; adding there's too much at stake for city officials to hide behind a law. "[The law] doesn't mean they don't have a place at the table," she said.

The unfortunate reality? Our current systems for mental health treatment, for addiction treatment, for child welfare, and for other social services are strung together with a hodgepodge of federal, state, county, local, grant, donation, and payer dollars. From my perspective, parity and universal coverage can't come too soon. I'll look forward to a time when Americans with behavioral disorders and disabilities are not begging for safety net funding and charitable donations.