Valley Alcohol Abuse Programs to Get a Fairer Share of Funds

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to channel more funds into alcohol abuse programs in the San Fernando Valley and other areas where, a study showed, those programs have been shortchanged.

According to the study, the West Valley was the most seriously underfunded area in the county.

The appropriation came when the board on Jan. 8 approved a 37-page report by the county’s Department of Health Services that examined the distribution of funds for alcoholism programs throughout the county.

Half Get More Than Share

The department studied each of the county’s 18 planning regions and arrived at an equitable funding level based on population, poverty, alcohol-related deaths and liquor outlets.

Half the regions were found to be receiving more than their fair share of funding, while the other half were operating with deficient resources, the study concluded. However, because two new sources of revenue have been discovered to bring the underfinanced areas up to par, funds will not be taken away from any region, according to Ronald Yielding, the department’s deputy director for substance abuse and contracts.

The additional monies will bring the underfinanced areas to within 92.2% of their needed funding levels by July 1, 1986.

The study concluded that the West Valley will receive only $59,226 during the current fiscal year, despite a need for $323,660 to adequately treat the region’s problem drinkers. That funding level--18% of the desirable goal--is the lowest in the county, the report showed The mid-Valley is operating at 74% of its needed level, while the Santa Clarita Valley is at 59%. Areas receiving more than adequate funding include Pasadena (175%), South-Central Los Angeles (149%), East Los Angeles (142%) and Glendale-Burbank (103%).

However, Yielding said it would be unfair to conclude that the areas with more than 100% of their target level should be cut back.

Older parts of the county, particularly Los Angeles’ inner city, have been well funded over the years because of high population concentrations, Yielding said. As the county’s demographics changed and the suburban areas grew, the funding failed to catch up, he said.

Now, the county is able to correct the disparity because of two new funding sources that will bring in $2.1 million annually, Yielding said.

The first comes from an Assembly bill that became law Jan. 1. It shifts much of the responsibility for alcohol treatment from the state to the county and provides for block grant funding of $777,000 a year. In addition, on July 1 the county will cancel its contract for alcohol treatment services at Camarillo State Hospital and spend the $1.4 million on less expensive, community-based programs.

The additional funds will be used to expand existing treatment programs and establish new facilities in the underfunded regions, Yielding said.