‘Lack of Mental Health Funds’

Our organization receives numerous calls from families here in Orange County wanting health care for their mentally ill son or daughter. Many ask why Orange County has so few beds and services contrasted with other counties. The Times article (“Officials Decry Lack of Mental Health Funds,” Nov. 29) aptly described the issues for a situation in which (using fiscal 1986-87 figures) San Francisco, with a population of about 700,000, received $54.08 in state mental health funds per person and Orange County, with a population of 2.2 million, received only $17.56.

The enormity of the problem for Orange County amounts to a $180-million loss of state funds over the last 10 years. This helps to explain the calls our organization receives from families unable to have their young person admitted into a psychiatric treatment facility. Twelve county emergency patient beds for a population of 2.2 million is incomprehensible when one considers the life-threatening nature of the mental illnesses suffered by thousands of Orange County residents.

This helps to explain why there are no halfway houses, no 24-hour mobile crisis services and no well-established rehabilitation services to assist in employing those who are able.

How can this be when Orange County seems so affluent? If one is rich when afflicted with a mental illness, the money will run out quickly. Since few with brain diseases have health insurance--and insurance rarely covers mental health care in any event--these people are left to state- or county-funded board-and-care homes, nursing facilities or hospital beds.

Orange was one of the last counties to join the state-county program, getting the small share that was left.

State Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach) is to be congratulated for helping to align the counties that are under-funded to rectify a scandalous funding arrangement. I also acknowledge state Sen. Ruben S. Ayala (D-Chino) and Assemblyman Nolan Frizzelle (R-Huntington Beach) for their foresight in participating in the Bergeson-sponsored meeting. State Sen. John Seymour (R-Anaheim) has sponsored legislation to fairly distribute state mental health dollars.

Also to be acknowledged are our county supervisors who, with their peers in San Diego in November, passed 2 resolutions calling for new funds for counties that have for so many years received less money than counties that have been in the system longer.

The job to be done by all of us is to enthusiastically support our supervisors and legislators in creating a funding formula that will equitably serve Californians with brain diseases, whether they are in Butte County or Orange County.

WENDY KELLEY

Laguna Hills

Wendy Kelley is president of the South Coast Alliance for the Mentally Ill.