Mental health officials eager for stimulus aid

By William k. Alcorn

YOUNGSTOWN — Local mental health officials hope that ample federal stimulus package money will find its way to Mahoning County quickly enough to offset budget cuts and prevent imminent program reductions.

The Mahoning County Board of Mental Health made official Thursday cuts for fiscal year 2009 (July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009) that were recommended by its staff and Ways and Means Committee two weeks ago.

The budget reductions for fiscal 2009, totaling $448,755, were made necessary by two state department of mental health subsidy cuts during fiscal year 2009 totaling $687,021, officials said.

Ronald A. Marian, executive director, said the budget cuts could be lessened if new money is received in time through the federal stimulus program.

“We can’t depend on that, but if it comes, we’ll restore the agencies’ budget to the extent that we can,” he said.

An advisory Marian received Wednesday from the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities said Gov. Ted Strickland is expecting Ohio to receive $8.2 billion from the federal stimulus package over the next two years. It would include $3 billion in Medicaid reimbursements; $1.5 billion for education; and $326 million in general government operations to be allocated for health and human services.

Marian said he understands that $100 million of Ohio’s stimulus money has been set aside for mental health, but that it could go to hospitals. He urged board members and agencies affected to contact their elected representatives and ask them to protect that money for community mental health.

Turning Point Counseling Services, one of the mental health board’s core agencies, took the biggest financial hit, $172,030, between now and June 30.

“We are going to look first at what we can do with programs that doesn’t involve employee layoffs. Maybe we can identify ways of attracting more Medicaid clients. We might have to limit the number of indigent clients that we treat,” said Turning Point Director Joseph A. Sylvester.

alcorn@vindy.com