Mental Health Forums

As the State is considering potential budget cuts to deal with its projected revenue losses, many critical services will potentially be affected. One such area relates to mental health services.

An organization called the Tennessee Coalition for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has scheduled a series of 7 forums across the state to discuss the potential impact of these proposed budget cuts. That group has requested that I make information regarding these forums available to you as there is a potential that cuts in state services could impact county health facilities.

During these difficult economic times, both state and county governments are facing severe revenue shortfalls and painful budget cuts. Obviously, because of the interrelated manner in which many services (education, corrections, transportation, etc.) are delivered, cuts to many state programs and funding can impact county governments. For example, changes in ambulance reimbursement rates made last year negatively impacted many county ambulance services as well as private ambulance services serving other counties.

With the potential of up to $1 billion in state budget cuts, it is unreleastic to think no local programs or services will be affected by the state budget crisis. But by keeping aware of these issues, we can be better prepared to handle the cuts or respond to changes in service delivery. These forums will help you be aware of how potential changes to mental health and substance abuse services may impact your community. If you are interested in attending a forum, you can find information about a meeting in your area here:

http://www.tncountycommissioners.org/files/2008_TCMHSAS_Forum_Invitation.pdf