Mental-health cuts will have devastating, deadly impacts

To the Editor:

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and the General Assembly are making state budget decisions that will affect millions of lives.

Ohioans without access to mental-health care or substance-abuse services are experiencing the state budget cuts, as they are passed onto the local communities, in a profound way. While the cuts have led to thousands more jobs lost, they've also led to long waiting lists, which means that people have nowhere to turn for help. People are dying in Ohio at never before seen rates because of this. By the end of May, 47 children and adults had died violently and needlessly.

With increased pressures caused by the economic crisis, accidental overdose deaths have climbed to more than 1,300 a year. That's like crashing three 747 jumbo jets, one in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus with EVERYONE DYING. Cutting funding to the Ohio Departments of Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services is cutting the lifeline for men, women and young people desperate for care.

In announcing his budget framework on June 19, Gov. Strickland stated, "We must minimize the impact on our most vulnerable, especially children, the elderly and disabled."

However, based on the Governor's numbers the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services will be cut by an unbelievable 28 percent, all of which will come from dollars that were to go to the community to care for Ohioans with substance abuse.

The Department of Mental Health (ODMH) will receive an overall cut of 17 percent, and it must be noted that with this cut and the ODMH plan to hold money back for state hospitals, funds for community-based mental-health services will be cut by an astounding 34 percent. That means thousands of people will go without services, and hundreds, if not thousands, more jobs lost in Ohio as well.

How can the governor say he is minimizing the impact on our most vulnerable and disabled citizens and then make huge cuts to community-based services for people with mental illness or addiction? These cuts make no sense when faced with fewer dollars to balance a budget. INVEST WISELY OHIO. Behavioral health care is health care that keeps people working, paying taxes and caring for their families.

My request is that Ohio's House and Senate will continue to stand by Ohioans with a mental illness or addiction and appropriately fund alcohol, drug addiction and mental-health services.

Earl L. Cecil, Executive Director
Athens-Hocking-Vinton 317 Board