According to an article from the Tennessean, the state Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities will see additional cuts under the proposed state budget. Counties felt the impact of some of last year's cuts when the department adopted policies to begin billing local governments for some of the services provided by the department for mental health evaluations of misdemeanants. In addition, the potential backlogs at state mental health facilities create challenges for local law enforcement agencies that may be the point of first contact between the government and an individual suffering from mental illness.
For the full article, click here.
Showing posts with label mental health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mental health. Show all posts
Monday, February 8, 2010
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
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
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
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