Supervisors Propose 2 Ways to Keep Hospital Open

With pressure mounting on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to take a position on Gov. Pete Wilson’s plan to close Camarillo State Hospital, board members are proposing at least two ways to keep the facility open.

Supervisor Frank Schillo wants to convert the hospital into a mental health center jointly run by the state and Ventura County.

Supervisor John K. Flynn backs efforts to keep the place open by bringing in mentally ill patients who have been found not guilty of crimes because they are insane, or other criminal suspects who are unfit to stand trial.

The board is expected to take a formal position on the issue next month.

Meanwhile, hospital workers and patients’ advocates are writing and telephoning individual board members, asking for their help in persuading the governor not to close the 60-year-old hospital.

“We expect the same thing from the supervisors as we expect from the [Camarillo] City Council,” said Brian Bowley, president of the Camarillo chapter of the California Assn. of Psychiatric Technicians, which represents about 600 hospital workers. “We want them to support us.”

Hospital workers are passing out handbills the size of business cards each time they spend money with Camarillo merchants. “This money earned at Camarillo State Hospital,” the cards read. “Contact your local representative.”

Camarillo State psychologist Elliot Brener said county supervisors should do all they can to support the hospital and its employees.

“They’re in a position to help, and anyone who’s in a position to help has an obligation to help,” Brener said. “This is an important issue, and it affects the local economy.”

Supervisor Susan K. Lacey agrees that the issue is important, but says she is not convinced that accepting mentally ill criminals is the only solution.

Supervisor Judy Mikels was unavailable for comment Monday, because she was on a mission to Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Southern California Assn. of Governments, an aide said. Supervisor Maggie Kildee, who represents the district where Camarillo State is located, could not be reached for comment.

But Schillo said his office has received more than a dozen calls from hospital workers asking for help keeping Camarillo State open.

One way to do that may be to consolidate county- and state-provided mental health services into a jointly operated facility on the grounds of Camarillo State.

“We don’t want to lose such a valuable asset,” said Schillo, who asked county Mental Health Director Randall Feltman to investigate the idea’s merit.

“We could make that a more cost-effective situation if we did other kinds of programs,” Schillo said. “That would help reduce the per-bed costs.”

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Feltman said he is studying the possibility raised by Schillo, but it may not be so simple.

“I don’t think the future of Camarillo is going to be influenced by something Ventura County does,” Feltman said. “The primary issue is the low patient census for 24-hour care and the high patient cost.”

Wilson said in his budget plan for the upcoming year that because fewer than 900 patients remain at Camarillo State, the facility should be closed.

Patients would be moved to group homes in the community or other facilities, and Ventura County would lose the 1,500 jobs and $80-million payroll the hospital generates.

The governor is preparing a report for state lawmakers on how to dismantle the institution. The closure plan is due by April 1.

But state Mental Health Director Stephen Mayberg said he could begin sending more mentally ill criminals to Camarillo State, which would reduce the per-patient treatment cost and allow the hospital to stay open.

That plan is favored by Flynn, who said that taking care of mentally ill people is his primary objective and safeguarding the hospital’s jobs and payroll is his second goal.

“My basic concern is with the people who are ill,” Flynn said. “We can’t keep turning really ill people out into the community, and that’s what is happening.”

Flynn said he would bring a resolution before the board in February, asking his colleagues to support keeping Camarillo State open by bringing in more mentally ill criminals.

“They are there already,” Flynn said, “so it’s not a big change at all.”

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But Lacey said she is not ready to support that plan. She doesn’t rule it out, but prefers to dig up more information before settling on just one alternative to closing the facility.

“I would consider all options to save the hospital,” Lacey said. “But I’m not going to tie my hands before I’ve had a chance to look into them all.”