Loan paves way for mental health

Spokane County will lend its public mental health system about $1.6 million to maintain existing programs for the next six months until revenue from a sales tax begins to arrive next summer.

Mental health officials had mulled the closure of several housing options for people with mental illness but brokered the decision with county commissioners on Wednesday.

The advance will allow the county to collect $2.4 million in matching money from Medicaid, the state-federal program for low-income Americans.

The proposal to close housing had raised concern in the mental health community, particularly because it came just months after the county cut $450,000 a month from a slew of local programs.

“I just can’t stress enough how destabilized the system has been for the past year,” said Christine Barada, the county’s director of community services. “The intention of this budget is just to create some stability in the system.”

In the last year, the county closed its crisis triage center and decreased funding for counseling programs, alternative high schools and mental health staff.

County commissioners have repeatedly stepped in to support social service programs this year after tighter federal restrictions significantly decreased the amount of money available for state mental health programs.

In addition to previously backing a $2.8 million loan to the mental health system earlier this fall, the commission recently provided $45,000 to Care Cars, a program that shuttles elderly residents to physicians’ appointments.

“You can’t do it all, but we are really pro-human services,” said Commissioner Phil Harris.

After the federal cutbacks, state legislators increased funding as well. Earlier this year, the Legislature allocated about $75 million statewide to keep the mental health system afloat.

In November, county voters approved a 0.1 percent sales tax increase to generate money for local mental health programs.

The tax is expected to generate $6.5 million a year, but because money cannot be immediately collected, county officials estimate the tax will bring in only about $3.9 million next year.

That money will not begin arriving until the end of June.

The zero-interest loan allows the public mental health system to immediately receive funding and repay the county’s general fund by the end of 2006.

The county’s newest proposal would also restore some funding for programs for the elderly, as well as for students in the county’s school system.

Nick Beamer, the executive director of Aging and Long Term Care, said the county’s proposal of $300,000 was “a good start” but that it was about $200,000 less than he estimated it would cost to maintain current programs for elderly residents.

The county proposal would not fully pay for case management or for several other aspects of Beamer’s long-standing program.

Those include respite care and training for volunteer “gatekeepers,” who watch for signs of mental illness or substance abuse and help senior citizens access treatment.

“Those are kind of critical to making this thing work,” Beamer said.

Commissioners told Beamer they plan to seek additional money from the state’s supplemental budget early next year.