Extra $4.1 Million : Mental Health Funds May Get State Boost

Orange County’s hard-pressed mental health programs could receive an extra $4.1 million next year under a proposal put together by state legislators during the waning days of their budget deliberations.

But the money--part of a $75-million legislative package to bolster mental health programs throughout the state--would still leave the county slightly below the state average in dollars given for care of the mentally ill, preliminary figures show.

And at that rate, services for the mentally ill in Orange County would improve only slightly over the strained level of services currently available, said Timothy Mullins, the county’s director of mental health.

“Orange County is seen as a wealthy county that doesn’t need the scarce state resources,” Mullins said Wednesday. “But the world we provide services to gives us a view that is 180 degrees different from that. We have the same tales of people waiting for services that you hear in Los Angeles.”

Perturbed that its reputation for wealth has left it on the short end of mental health funding, Orange County last month filed suit against the state in an effort to restore lost, state-subsidized hospital beds for mental patients. A hearing on a preliminary injunction is scheduled today in San Diego Superior Court.

By filing suit, Orange County has joined the growing ranks of disgruntled “underfunded” counties that, weary of unsuccessfully politicking to get money from Sacramento, have reverted to legal action to claim what they believe is their fair share of mental health funds.

San Diego County--which ranks substantially lower in mental health funding than Orange--has filed two suits since 1986 to shake loose more money, and in March, 1988, won a preliminary injunction that forced the state to increase the number of psychiatric hospital beds from 32 to 71.

Fresno County, second to the bottom in funding, has also filed suit against the state, and Riverside County is reportedly interested in joining at least one of the legal actions as an intervenor.

The rush to court has sent reverberations through Sacramento, where lawmakers decided this year to bolster a mental health budget that virtually everyone agrees has long been neglected.

In addition to the $760 million set aside as part of the regular budget for the state’s Department of Mental Health, the Legislature also decided to throw in an extra $75 million taken from the state’s general fund and from increases in tobacco taxes.

Underfunded Counties Targeted

Not only was the extra money intended to help a department that has lost financial ground since the early 1980s, when the state’s population began to burgeon, but it also was supposed to be targeted for counties such as Orange, which traditionally have been underfunded.

One plan, approved by the state Senate and endorsed by the Conference of Local Mental Health Directors, would have plowed at least 50% of the excess money into underfunded counties--a formula devised in a bill authored several years ago by state Sen. John Seymour (R-Anaheim). That formula would have given Orange County $6.2 million.

But that plan was revised considerably in a budgetary conference committee, which is convened each year to reconcile differences between the Assembly and Senate versions of the budget. On the committee sit Assemblywoman Maxine Waters and Sen. Alan Robbins, both powerful Democrats from Los Angeles County.

By the time the new figures came out Wednesday, Orange County had lost a portion of the new funding.

Orange County’s share was cut to $4.1 million in extra funds, which when combined with the rest of the mental health budget would translate into $28.40 per county resident, or 26th among the 57 county agencies receiving funds (Sutter and Yuba counties are combined). The state average with the excess funding is $29.80.

In comparison, the compromise would give Los Angeles $22.4 million in new funds, or $32.41 per person. At the top of the list is Marin County, which would receive a total of $66.27 per person under the proposed legislative compromise.

Doubling of Caseworkers

Mullins said he already has plans for the $4.1 million in extra money if approved. Part of it will go toward a 36-bed, 90-day treatment program for adults. Other chunks of money will help pay for treatment of adolescents with serious emotional disturbances, as well as doubling--from four to eight--the number of caseworkers for the geriatric outpatient program, he said.

The mental health budget will go before the Senate today, where it is expected to be approved and be sent to Gov. George Deukmejian for final consideration.

Seymour, a member of the conference committee, said Wednesday that he will urge the governor to use his veto power to thwart Los Angeles interests and redistribute the excess funds as intended under the 50% plan first approved by the Senate.

PROPOSED STATE MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING Listed below is the proposed per capita mental health spending by county in the 1989-90 state budget. The base funding represents $760 million distributed via normal channels by the State Department of Mental Health. Additional funds were taken from Prop. 99 (the tobacco tax) and from the state’s general fund.

Base Additional County Funding Funding Total 1.Marin 63.07 3.20 66.27 2.Napa 60.00 2.33 62.33 3.San Francisco 59.82 2.29 62.11 4.San Mateo 52.77 2.79 55.56 5.Mono 51.67 2.70 54.37 6.Inyo 49.53 1.77 51.30 7.Alpine 46.10 2.68 48.78 8.Colusa 37.16 1.74 38.90 9.Sierra 35.52 2.35 37.87 10.Solano 35.52 1.08 36.60 11.Contra Costa 34.53 1.32 35.85 12.Alameda 33.23 1.70 34.93 13.Santa Barbara 32.00 1.72 33.72 14.Santa Cruz 32.15 1.48 33.63 15.Modoc 31.74 1.74 33.48 16.Yolo 29.60 2.83 32.43 17.Los Angeles 29.89 2.52 32.41 18.Mendocino 29.05 3.06 32.11 19.Sonoma 28.29 2.79 31.08 20.Mariposa 28.14 2.85 30.99 21.Trinity 28.04 2.89 30.93 22.Santa Clara 27.23 2.93 30.16 23.Ventura 27.25 2.83 30.08 STATE AVERAGE 29.80 24.Monterey 26.06 2.83 28.89 25.Humboldt 25.90 2.95 28.85 26.Orange 25.79 2.61 28.40 27.San Luis Obispo 25.46 2.90 28.36 28.Placer 25.00 2.79 27.79 29.Tehama 24.11 2.75 26.86 30.Glenn 23.66 3.06 26.72 31.Nevada 24.05 2.64 26.69 32.San Benito 22.92 2.51 25.43 33.El Dorado 22.30 3.02 25.32 34.Tuolumne 22.14 2.62 24.76 35.Riverside 22.00 2.64 24.64 36.Calaveras 21.51 2.85 24.36 37.Amador 21.12 2.91 24.03 38.Kern 21.12 2.61 23.73 39.Del Norte 20.67 2.87 23.54 40.San Diego 20.19 2.84 23.03 41.Shasta 20.22 2.59 22.81 42.Plumas 19.70 3.01 22.71 43.Sacramento 19.37 2.78 22.15 44.Sutter/Yuba 19.22 2.88 22.10 45 Kings 19.17 2.88 22.05 46.Siskiyou 19.22 2.83 22.05 47.Lake 18.67 2.71 21.38 48.Stanislaus 18.50 2.69 21.19 49.San Joaquin 18.03 2.95 20.98 50.Imperial 17.94 2.80 20.74 51.Lassen 16.18 4.46 20.64 52.Butte 15.90 4.62 20.52 53.Madera 16.20 4.23 20.43 54.San Bernardino 17.65 2.76 20.41 55.Merced 15.80 4.21 20.01 56.Fresno 15.71 4.27 19.98 57.Tulare 15.16 4.65 19.81