COUNTYWIDE : County Privatizes Homeless Program

Cutbacks in the county budget have prompted the Orange County Health Care Agency to contract with a private provider for mental health services for the homeless.

The county-staffed Homeless Outreach Program stopped operating on July 1, according to Doug Barton, director of county mental health programs.

The county program included sending workers to places where it was known that mentally ill, homeless people congregated and helping those people make contact with agencies that offer shelter and other mental health services.

With the demise of the outreach program, the Board of Supervisors approved contract negotiations last week with another agency for a reduced level of services.

The Mental Health Assn. of Orange County, which has operated in the county since 1957, will provide three full-time workers and one part-time worker for an outreach program assisting the mentally disabled homeless.

The previous program had six full-time employees, Barton said.

The new program will still provide services on a daily basis, including response to calls from concerned residents who have seen homeless or disoriented people in their neighborhoods.

Other services include placing individuals in homeless shelters and connecting them with other social services.

The Mental Health Assn. of Orange County will also expand its service to South County.

The association already has an established center that serves the central county, Barton said.

At the association centers, counselors are available to work with mentally disabled individuals, helping them receive medical treatment and giving them a stable environment.

Daily living skills workshops and socialization activities are available, according to John Garrett, executive director of the association.

Barton estimates that both services will cost the county about $600,000 annually, netting the county an estimated $200,000 savings annually.

The board will consider a detailed contract for the new services on Aug. 14.