Budget cuts hurt

Amid several budget cuts made by the state government to the Department of Health and Human Services throughout 2009, budget cuts to Mental Health, Child Welfare services, and In-Home Supportive Services top the concerns of the Director of Shasta County Department of Health and Human Services Marta McKenzie, she said last week.

"I'm a 30-year county (employee), and this is the most unpredictable budget environment I've been asked to work in."

Most drastically, McKenzie said the budget for managed care through the Department of Mental Health was cut in half, about $1.1 million.

"We've been operating without a contract since June 30," McKenzie said, indicating the end of the department's 3-year agreement with the state Department of Mental Health.

"We are going to have to turn folks away who are not seriously ill enough," McKenzie said.

The department would continue to support the most serious and persistent mental health clients first, McKenzie said, indicating those with schizophrenia.

Child welfare services are to receive a 10 percent cut, but administrators at the county level do not know where the cuts are to be made.

"We don't have any clear direction," Director of Business and Support Services for HHS Leanne Link said. "We're fully one quarter into the year, and we don't know what we can spend money on. We're navigating in the dark."

Three child welfare programs Link guessed that could be cut include support for foster children to transition out of foster care into self reliance, investigations of abuse and neglect, and monthly home visits to group homes.

Third on McKenzie's list was In-Home Support Services (IHSS), which includes compensation for disabled people to receive care in their own home.

"Based on what the governor signed, over 500 people are now not eligible out of 2800 eligibles," said Jim Livingston, program manager for Shasta County Adult Services.

An additional 500 would be allowed a reduced number of hours of care, Livingston added.

While the change was set to start on Sept. 1, Livingston said he has not received an explanation of how to perform the change in policy.

While various programs function without budgets, care continues. This leads to defeat the point of the cuts in the first place, which is saving money, Link said.

"The state has once again made smoke and mirror changes by projecting savings that are not attainable," Link said, predicting a future budget gap.

Nonprofit group North Valley Catholic Social Services has undertaken the beginnings of the CASA program, or Court Appointed Special Advocates.

"CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don't get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home," according to the CASA Web site.

Anderson City Councilwoman Melissa Hunt will raise funds for CASA on Oct. 8 and 9 with Melissa on the Roof. The funds will help launch CASA.