Wisdom of Mental Health Merger

Re “Decision on Merger Was Reasoned and Rational,” by Supervisor Kathy Long, Oct. 11.

Of the DeLoitte & Touche L.L.P. report on the wisdom of merging the Public Social Services Agency with the Behavioral Health Department, Supervisor Long said, “The merger report concluded under various options, including merging PSSA with BHD, there would be no negative financial impacts.”

The Board of Supervisors hired one of the best legal firms to study two prior investigative reports. That so far has cost the taxpayers $32,000 for just their outside legal fees. Showing that great minds travel in the same direction, all of the paid experts more or less agreed.

It is summed up in the report dated April 7, 1998, which was not introduced at the meeting: “Without clearly defined benefits for the county or BHD clients, any restructuring or reorganization should not occur at this time.”

Supervisor Susan Lacy’s motion on April 7 shut off discussion of the above reports. It changed the discussion from “should we do this?” to “how can we do this?”

It’s six months later and they still have not done it. If Long, Lacy and company had selected one of the recommended options in the various studies and delayed the merger until they had received state and federal approval, we would not be in this mess.

It seems to be a case of spending thousands and thousands of dollars to lose millions and millions of taxpayers’ money.

Long said board members spent large amounts of time speaking to a wide variety of groups. Lou Matthews is president of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill in Ventura. She--along with the state and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill--strongly opposes this merger and says, “They have told us nothing!” and, “They aggressively react to dissenting opinions.”

Supervisor Judy Mikels said the consultant’s report validated her concern from the start: that county leaders had acted irresponsibly in voting for the merger before gathering more information.

No one in their right mind would go to a social worker instead of a psychiatrist for treatment of a mental disease. When they do, the number of ill people shot by police and walking into trains increases dramatically.

Unless this confused management is sensibly stopped, the taxpayers could stand to lose well over $30 million. A panel composed of both sides of this merger should be put together right now to solve this problem. The meter is running and no one is in the taxi.

RICHARD CLEMENCE, Ventura