It costs about $35,000 a working day to run a mental health center, Lyon County commissioners learned during Wednesday morning’s Lyon County Commission study session.
The total 2009 budget for Lyon County’s mental health center is more than $9 million.
Bill Persinger, executive director of the Mental Health Center of East-Central Kansas, gave Lyon County commissioners a year-end update on the Mental Health Center. Persinger said the center plans on scaling back on its substance abuse program.
“The program is losing quite a bit of money,” he said.
The program likely will be cut down from 5 1/2 counselors to 4 or 4 1/2.
“It’s no one’s fault,” Persinger said. “The fault is it’s a chronically underfunded system. We can no longer afford to lose $150,000 a year funding that program. We’re not going to close the program ... the first step is to downsize the program and minimize the loss.”
Admission rates are down in 2008, Persinger said. Despite the admission rates being down, they are much closer to where they should be for the size of Emporia, Persinger said. Rates are up above from when he started work at the center, he said.
“You can see the general upward kick in admission,” he said.
The center also is facing cuts in grants — about $25,000 worth this fiscal year.
“We’re bracing for impact,” Persinger said. “Things are beginning to turn around in mental health. As soon as we do that, we have grants cut.”
Persinger said bad debt expense also affects the center. The 2009 operating budget lists $150,000 in bad debt expense.
“A very high percentage of our private customers never pay,” Persinger said. “We don’t collect a whole lot of our private pay expenses.”
In other business, commissioners heard from Robert Sullivan, Community Corrections director about a JJA incentive grant. The $18,120 grant will have to be met dollar-for-dollar by Lyon County. Sullivan asked commissioners if they would be willing to fund that grant. It would be used for a community service project that will involve law enforcement in Lyon and Chase County.
“The primary focus is to target graffiti in and around Emporia,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the grant would help implement a program that would involve a restorative justice model, which uses low-risk offenders. The offenders would be asked to re-pay for their crime through graffiti removal.
“We would probably target the most recent graffiti first,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said graffiti removed in the first 24 hours only has a 10 percent chance of coming back. Graffiti that isn’t removed for two weeks or more has a 100 percent chance of coming back.
“This would be a good use of incentive grants in this community and also the restorative justice model,” Sullivan said.
equalrights (anonymous) says...
ouch. This is a much needed program. The mental health center works hard and for little pay. Thanks for all you do!
December 12, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Paccifier (anonymous) says...
The JJA grant is matched dollar for dollar by Lyon County, but involves law enforcement in Lyon and Chase County. Is Lyon County being asked to pay for a two county program?
December 12, 2008 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Happiness08 (anonymous) says...
I have personally had a lot of contact with the Mental Health Center. It takes months to get in their for an appointment. Then when you do it is for an "intake" appointment. After that you are put on a waiting list for a counselor. And....after that you are again put a waiting list for medication clinic. A person in crisis would be dead before you could be seen there. Then....once you do make it through there whole process to get what you need they close your chart out if you are not seen every three months, so you can start all over again with the intake process. Completely stupid!! Like mental illness is going to go away in three months. Their whole system is inefficient.
December 12, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rbmorgan (anonymous) says...
Happiness08
You could not be more wrong!! As a therapist in the Emergency Department of the Mental Health Center, I know that people are seen here on an emergency basis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No one in crisis has to wait months to be seen in the Emergency Department! The "intake" appointment is the initial evaluation and is required by state regulation to be done to assess what mental health care is needed and appropriate in non-crisis situations. While there are times that individuals have to wait for an appointment with a therapist or psychiatrist, no one in crisis has to wait for months to be seen. As for the closing of charts, it is true that charts are closed after three months of no contact, this is also required by state regulation. A client in Individual therapy is usually seen every week, or every other week, so if their chart is closed, it is because the person has not kept appointments and have not responded to letters sent to them asking if they still want/need services. We are required to send at least three letters to a client who has not been seen for their appointments. If you have any questions or need assistance, I would encourage you to call the Mental Health Center and we would be glad to assist you.
December 12, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mylife (anonymous) says...
Happiness08, your statement is horribly inaccurate and damaging. I've had personal experience with the center and know many, many people who also have. Nobody ever has to wait for emergencies!! Are you kidding me?! They work their butts off there and do not deserve people like you trashing them. I have never even heard of such a thing as having to wait for emergencies!!
How long ago did you try to get in happiness08? There is no such wait right now. Perhaps you can try again? Maybe you can get the help you need. I did. And I'm much happier for it.
December 12, 2008 at 2:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rbmorgan (anonymous) says...
mylife,
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate the positive support for the Mental Health Center.
December 12, 2008 at 2:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
Happiness08 is mostly correct. It takes a long time to get in just for the "evaluation". Then they make you wait a month so they can "discuss your case". What defines an "emergency" in regards to mental health anyway?
-Henry
December 12, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rbmorgan (anonymous) says...
Henry,
You are mistaken. The initial assessment or "intake" is scheduled within 10 days of your first contact. If you decline the appt time offerred to you, it could take longer, but the offer of an appt is always made within 10 days. Do you really not understand what an emergency is?
December 12, 2008 at 3:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
What I mean is how does the staff know when it is a mental health emergency? Do they rely on the patient saying, "this is an emergency"? If the staff doesn't recognize an emergency over the phone, 10 days later might be too late in some cases.
December 12, 2008 at 4:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
billfromkansas (anonymous) says...
Hi, all. This is Bill Persinger. I am the executive director at the Center. I just typed a long message for this blog, but I think I hit the wrong button on my keyboard, and lost it all!! So, I'll try again. Sorry.
I've been the director here since July of 2006. Did my internship here in 1978, after getting my masters degree at ESU, left for 28 years, and was then fortunate enough to be selected as the executive in '06.
To those of you with positive comments, your successes inspire us! Thank you for your trust in the great people who work here. We learn from you, and we grow from having known you.
To those of you with concerns, please call me at 343-2211, and I will respond. I promise.
Those in crisis (or in an emergency) are given access to immediate help, any time of day or night, and such has been true for many years.
The most common crisis situation or emergency that we see is when someone is suicidal or having suicidal thoughts. Our emergency services staff are licensed and highly trained professionals who know how to recognize the signs of an emergency. In fact, our intake staff and reception staff are also vigilant for signs that the caller on the other end might have a crisis. Sometimes the callers themselves do state that they have an emergency, so we take them at face value and respond accordingly.
In the past two years or so, we have dramatically reduced the wait time for non-crisis counseling and medication appointments. There was a time when some people did experience too long of a wait time for non-crisis help, but we've fixed that by adding more psychiatrists, psych nurses, and therapists.
We don't discuss cases for a month before taking action. We review cases right away, and then take the proper steps without delay.
No one has to wait months for their intake. Some get in right away, others may wait a week or so, and, in some rare instances, some may wait several weeks. After the intake, the client is assigned to a therapist, and generally the counseling begins shortly thereafter. Again, crisis help is given right away, 24/7.
We now have 3 fulltime psychiatrists, a fulltime ARNP, two part-time ARNPs, and another fulltime ARNP coming in a few weeks; all of whom can prescribe psychiatric meds. This is a substantial increase in that staff that has occurred over the past 2 years, and which has greatly reduced the wait time for medications. People are not waiting months for medication. Some a few days, others a few weeks, depending on the gravity of their situation, but none are waiting months.
In certain crisis situations, we now have access to immediate psychiatric medication services.
We have had some inefficiencies in the past, and though we can always improve, we've successfully addressed these inefficiencies.
Many blessings to each of you and yours this holiday season and beyond.
December 12, 2008 at 5:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mylife (anonymous) says...
Mr. Persinger,
Thank you very much for your explanation. Also, thank you to rbmorgan.
You all do really good work there at the center. My life has changed for the better and I couldn't have done it w/out the center. So, thank you for being there for the community. It's so so important!
December 12, 2008 at 6:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )