Year after year, the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) has deemed mental health funding an overwhelming priority for counties.
Mental health services were recently the subject of discussion across both state chambers in several contexts, not only with DHS and the Department of Health (DOH), but also with the Department of Education, state-related universities, and others.
Many agencies highlighted the need for increased services and emphasized the Governor’s budget request, which includes $20 million for county mental health base funding, the most flexible form of community-based funding for service provision and responding to community mental health needs.
Coordination between counties and schools was also part of the conversations during the House DHS budget hearings.
Gov. Shapiro’s budget includes $100 million annually for mental health services in schools, expanding on the previous one-time allocation of $100 million in last year’s Act 34.
Inmates with mental health issues are a large component of the overall problem for Pennsylvania counties.
The Senate budget hearing with DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh also recognized the reality that county jails have become de-facto mental health providers and discussed the department’s efforts to address a shortage of beds for justice-involved individuals or those with complex behavioral health issues.
Further, Arkoosh noted that the proposed $5.8 million to expand a diversion and discharge program for inmates with behavior health issues would be spent on five regional projects to provide community placements and therefore avoid hospital stays for 150 people.
Source: Adams County Commissioners