Font ResizeParents and caregivers implored legislators Tuesday to protect dollars for the mentally ill, addicted, abused and disabled as officials begin considering how to shrink the current year's budget by 4 percent.
"Our clients, while we may cut them out of services, don't disappear," said Ronald Stromberg, the CEO of Davis Behavioral Health, which serves people with mental health and substance abuse problems. "If we don't treat them and serve them, they will be in your community -- they will be in your hospitals they will be in your jails."
The budget target could mean losing services for the mentally ill at the county level and the closure of a unit at the main state facility, and a decrease in autism programs.
Rates for private businesses with state contracts to serve people with disabilities could be cut by more than 15 percent. As many as 33 employees at the Division of Services for People with Disabilities could lose their jobs. The state developmental center, which is home to some of the state's most severely disabled citizens, could lose as many as 160 workers.
Those changes would exacerbate challenges for a program that has been essentially stagnant for more than a year and seen its wait list grow by the hundreds.
"You're seeing a lot more people are waiting for services and fewer people are in services," said Lisa-Michele Church, executive director of the Utah Department of Human Services. "So that's kind of a collision
Her department faces a potential $10.5 million cut. A hiring freeze began in December and the Division of Child and Family Services may give up $56,300 from its "rainy day" account -- an amount that leaves sufficient reserves to draw on if a proposed $18 million cut in federal funds materializes.
Deeper cuts could force the division to cut 44 caseworkers, which might cause delays in giving children services. It also could reduce services to at least 250 foster children and decrease assistance to families adopting children from foster care.
Already, cuts passed along to providers are causing group homes to reduce services and turn to clients from out-of-state, which pay better, and are making it difficult to recruit foster families despite an increased need.
"Once again, no more cuts please," said Margaret Peterson of the Youth Providers Association, whose members contract with DCFS to serve at-risk youth.
