Funds for mental health have been cut

Taking care of its mentally ill adults is becoming increasingly difficult for cash-strapped counties especially now that the funding rug has been pulled on more state-mandated programs, officials said Tuesday.

Beth Meyerson, Colusa County Health and Human Services Director, said state funding for medical treatment and prescription medications for individuals in mental health institutions has been cut, as the state continues to battle its budget crisis.

"It's just getting ridiculous," Meyerson said.

Meyerson said the county has only two or three people confined to locked mental facilities that are under conservatorship with the county, but that their medical bills could pile up.

"These individuals were covered by Medi-Cal, but the program has been stopped," she said.

The county recently received a bill for $1,200 for psychiatric drugs for one individual, but county officials fear major health problems, such as a heart attack or stroke, could break the bank.

"I don't know where this money is suppose to come from," Meyerson said. "These people are not our employees and they have no insurance."

Colusa County Supervisor Mark Marshall said the National Association of Counties directors have discussed the problem — a situation similar to the county's requirement to provide medical care for individuals incarcerated in jail.

"It's possible that there is an insurance program," Marshall said.

The county is also hopeful that larger counties will challenge the state in court, which could force the state to continue payments.

"In the meantime, it's our problem," Meyerson said.

Chairwoman Kim Dolbow Vann called for county staff to compile a list of all unfunded state-mandated programs before budget hearings convene at the state capital in about 10 days.

"I want to know what we're looking at," Dolbow Vann said. "I've heard rumors that things are worse than they originally thought."

State officials recently announced a $19.9 billion deficit for the remaining five months of this fiscal year and all of the next.

Contact Susan Meeker at 458-2121 or smeeker@tcnpress.com.