Community behavioral healthcare providers recently claimed that Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposal to slash state mental health and substance abuse treatment funding by
$26 million and $12 million, respectively, in next year’s budget will translate to substandard services for more than 46,000 patients.
In a survey released April 20, the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association
of Illinois reports that agencies could be forced to eliminate care for 7,000
adults and 9,600 children by June 30, 2010. The Springfield-based nonprofit
organization, which represents 95 mental health, substance abuse and youth
service providers, estimates that nearly 30,000 additional Illinois residents
face reduced mental health care and drug treatment due to state funding cuts.
Frank Anselmo, the organization’s chief executive officer, says fewer healthcare options could push patients to
seek more expensive treatment in hospital emergency rooms. More patients might
go on waiting lists, he says — not usually recommended in mental health situations. Untreated stress or
depression could lead to more dysfunctional problems, especially with children
and families.
“We’ll have less professionals doing the work that they do with interventions,” Anselmo says. “Less people working with the schools, less people working with the families.”
Anselmo and other behavioral health advocates say that Illinois offers a
solution in its Community Mental Health Medicaid Trust Fund. This fund was
created in June 2002 to support Department of Human Services payments to
community health providers. Tom Green, DHS spokesman, says the organization has
paid $40 million to providers so far in fiscal year 2009.
The Community Mental Health Medicaid Trust Fund will benefit from the recent
increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, jumping from 50 to 60
percent and allocating more money for state mental health services.
Senate Joint Resolution 31 calls on Quinn’s administration to use funds from both the Community Mental Health Medicaid
Trust Fund and the Health and Human Services Medicaid Trust Fund to maintain
current appropriation levels to support mental health and substance abuse
treatment. Last week the resolution was adopted by the Senate and forwarded for
consideration by the House.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2009.
