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Mental health officials seek to stave off county cuts

News Courier (Athens, AL) - 9/3/2015

Sept. 02--Officials with the Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama predict dire consequences for Limestone County's indigent mentally ill if the County Commission decreases its annual allocation.

Representatives from the MHCNCA addressed the commission during its Wednesday work session, and asked commissioners to reconsider their proposal to cut $25,000 from the agency's annual budget. The commission will vote on the fiscal year 2016 budget on Sept. 21.

"If you can prevent (the mentally ill) from getting into the jails, it would save the county money all the way around and could help prevent a tragedy," said Marie Hood, director of the agency.

Commission Chairman Mark Yarbrough told Hood and Mental Health Officer Bill Giguere that the commission's decision to decrease funding was based on what appeared to be a disproportionate amount being allocated by the county in comparison to other city and county governments.

Information provided to the commission based on data from March 2015 denotes Limestone has allocated $55,000 to MHCNCA since fiscal years 2010-2011. Meanwhile, other county governments have decreased funding, or in some cases cut funding entirely.

Yarbrough pointed out that the city of Decatur gives MHCNCA no funding, but the agency served 499 people in the city in March 2015. Limestone County, on the other hand, provided $55,000 but only 120 people were served, according to the figures.

Giguere said those numbers, however, reflect people who have some type of insurance, whether Blue Cross, Medicare or Medicaid. He added only two people in the city of Decatur were served by the MHCNCA because they were admitted to the hospital for mental health issues. He said those patients were deemed indigent because they receive an income of less than $7,000 per year and had no access to insurance.

Giguere told commissioners that funding received by county and municipal governments is used to help the indigent mentally ill with no access to insurance, and that 67 people in Limestone County received assistance from the agency last year. He said if the county decides to reduce its mental health allocation, MHCNA would be able to help only 32 people in the next fiscal year.

Yarbrough told agency officials their literature was "very, very misleading," and that commissioners would need to see specific dollar amounts on how the county's money is being spent.

"We're responsible to the taxpayers to make sure they're getting the most bang for their buck," he told Giguere. "I do have a greater understanding now."

Giguere said mental health centers across the state have already seen drastic reductions in services and staff. The MHCNCA recently had to discontinue its Quest drug and alcohol program and PEACE anger management programs because of funding cuts.

"The more critical are getting more and more critical," he said. "The folks in our system are very, very sick. They have schizophrenia, bipolar or schizoaffective disorder. ... Don't get mad at us if you start getting calls."

Commissioners also heard an impassioned plea from Don Osborne, who serves on MHCNCA's board of directors. He tearfully told commissioners it was one of the most enjoyable things he's ever been associated with, and thanked county leaders for helping the agency when other governments have reduced their support.

He also evoked the memory of Athens Police Sgt. Larry Russell and Officer Tony Mims, who were killed in 2004 by a mentally ill man. He said people with mental illness committed recent incidents of violence across the country.

"I think about those two (Athens) police officers, and if we had gotten to the (mentally ill) fella, if it could have been avoided," Osborne said. "I became a consumer because outside forces got into my loved ones. I give my time because I'm thankful for what this mental health organization has done."

Other allocations

District 4 Commissioner Ben Harrison again reiterated the need to defund Athens-Limestone Hospital completely, citing the recent 40-year lease agreement signed between ALH and Huntsville Hospital.

The commission has given a little more than $1.5 million per year to the local hospital, though it has committed to give only $1 million for fiscal years 2016 and 2017. That equates to a savings of more than $1 million over the two-year period.

The county would also continue to provide the hospital its TVA-in-lieu-of-tax allocation, which is roughly $366,000 per year.

Yarbrough told Harrison that hospital officials said if the county committed to giving $1 million over the next two years, it would proceed with its plans to build a surgery center in its Medical East campus off U.S. 72 in Athens. Harrison, however, said the county's $1 million per year allocation amounted to "just a blip" in terms of the hospital's overall budget, and doubted officials would pull the plug on the surgery center without the county funds.

"I think we need to take the opportunity to get out," Harrison said, adding the money saved could be put toward other county health concerns like mental health. "I think we need to put this on (Monday's) agenda, and make a budget revision."

Yarbrough said he agreed with Harrison's assessment, but told commissioners they needed to ask hospital officials if the surgery center would be in jeopardy if the county nixed all its allocations.

The commission will hold its next regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Clinton Street annex. County offices will be closed Monday for Labor Day.

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