MOUNT VERNON — At the end of January, Gov. Ted Strickland announced several cuts designed to help Ohio avoid a projected budget deficit of between $733 million and $1.9 billion. Part of these cuts were in the area of mental health, and included the closure of state mental hospitals in Cambridge and Dayton.
Knox Community Hospital formerly had a psychiatric unit, but it was closed in February 2000. According to Chris White, director of marketing and community relations at KCH, there were not enough patients to keep the ward open. The patient volumes were not supportive of the psychiatric unit at KCH, she said.
Mental health support in the county now is provided by Moundbuilders Guidance Center, which offers a wide range of mental health services, from group therapy to a psychiatrist being available. Patrick Evans, chief executive officer, said one of the most important services the center provides is 24-hour-a-day crisis intervention services. These services call staff out to local schools, hospitals, and even to the Knox County Jail.
Evans talked about “one-shot contact” with patients at times, when staff members from Moundbuilders make the initial contact with a patient, but then refer him or her to another institution. In this regard, said Evans, Moundbuilders helps coordinate hospitalization for patients who require it.
Evans said that another crucial service Moundbuilders provides is case management to patients. He explained this generally means that a staff member will visit the home or workplace of a patient to check and see if things are going well. This type of case management is “more hands-on” than traditional therapy, according to Evans.
When asked if the recent budget cuts would affect Moundbuilders, which also operates in Licking County, Evans responded, “yes and no.” Cuts are not passed down to the community level, he said. This means that the imminent cuts would be absorbed at higher levels in the state of Ohio; Moundbuilders, which employs about 30 people in Knox County and around 150 people in Licking County, would not be directly affected.
“I’m not going to have to cut staff,” said Evans.
However, Evans is concerned that the closing of the mental hospital in Cambridge might mean more expenses for not only Moundbuilders, but also for the family of a patient. More patients will be referred to Columbus; this will increase travel times and also fuel costs for his staff, and also the patients’ families.
Evans said The Community Mental Health Recovery Board of Licking and Knox Counties will likely not be affected by the state budget cuts, either. The CMHRB provides the funding for programs such as Moundbuilders. The recent budget cuts are set to reduce the funding of the Ohio Department of Mental Health by $32 million, according to Wendy Williams, executive director of the CMHRB.
Williams also said the cuts will be absorbed at the state department level, not at the local level. However, she said the future is unsure.
“If there are additional funding cuts, who knows?” Williams said.
