Mental Health Funding Troubles
January 27, 2003
For at least seven months, people with serious mental health problems in Cuyahoga County have not been getting the help they need. The situation may only get worse as state funding cutbacks could mean fewer dollars at the local level. Ohio's constitution mandates that the state shall care for people with Mental Illness. For several years now, local communities have been under enormous pressure to pick up the slack. ideastream's April Baer reports.Mental Health Board Profile
January 28, 2003
This year voters in Cuyahoga County will be asked to approve a tax levy to support health and human services. It's meant to fund the care provided at Metrohealth Medical Center, the County Department of Children's Services, and other places. It would also provide much-needed funding for the county's Community Board of Mental Health, which is trying to turn around after years of mismanagement. ideastream's April Baer produced this profile of the new local leaders selected to steer the board.Political Sparks Fly as Levy Vote Set For May 6th
February 19, 2003
A special election has been called for Cuyahoga County. Voters will be asked on May 6th to support a tax increase for Health and Human Service programs. While county leaders acknowledge that tax hikes are a tough sell, they're trying to head off voters concerns and avoid a few political land mines along the way. ideastream's April Baer has the story.The State of Mental Health in Ohio:
An Interview with State Senator Eric Fingerhut
Web Exclusive - February 25, 2003
Eric Fingerhut is widely known as one of the legislature’s most informed members when it comes to mental health issues. ideastream’s April Baer sat down with him recently.Mental Health - A Funding Overview
February 25, 2003
A special commission appointed by President Bush is taking a hard look at the plight of people with mental illness. The commission, led by the head of Ohio's Mental Health department, will deliver a final report at the end of April. The group's preliminary findings indicate serious systemic problems - chief among them - funding. Even though eighty billion dollars is spent each year on treatment and services, about half of all people with mental illness are not getting the treatment they need. ideastream's April Baer reports.Funding Community Mental Health: An Interview With Tim Hagan
February 26, 2003
Since local funding for mental health services is a relatively new thing, county leaders are still working out the best way to handle it. In some places, like Lorain County, separate levies have been constructed just for mental health services. Other counties, like Cuyahoga, divert money from omnibus health and human service funds. In fact, Cuyahoga County's commissioners will ask voters to approve 4.9 mils for health and Human Services May 6th, 2003. From time to time, consumers and providers have wondered why Cuyahoga County never gave mental health its own levy. With such a large caseload, and many people with serious disturbances, some believe the mental health board would be better served by a stable, separate funding source. Recently, ideastream’s April Baer called former Cuyahoga County commissioner Tim Hagan to talk about why this hasn’t been done.Mental Health Funding: Winners and Losers
February 26, 2003
This month at the statehouse, Ohio's leaders are making budget decisions that will affect millions of people - including those who rely on the state for mental health. Those most seriously afflicted often have no choice but to look to the state for coverage through Medicaid. But at the same time, Medicaid rules have limited local agencies in what kind of services they can use state dollars to pay for. ideastream's April Baer explains who's winning and who's losing under the current system.Budget Cuts and Mental Health
March 26, 2003
Ohio is on a collision course with a three billion dollar budget deficit. Hard times have taken a toll on the state's savings, revenues, and investments, and drastic measures are being considered to balance the 2004-2005 state budget. The proposed cuts are threatening a number of different services, among them, mental health. ideastream's April Baer reports on what the cuts are going to mean.Local Services - Slipping Out of Balance
March 27, 2003
State and federal budget reductions are putting heavy strains on community mental health services. Overall spending cuts in Governor Taft's budget proposal are estimated to reach one and a half billion dollars over the next two years. Yesterday, we looked into the kinds of cuts the state is considering. In the meantime, local leaders are trying to do more with less. In some places, like Cleveland, they have asked for levy support from voters. But since levies are a tough sell in weak economic times, cuts in basic mental health services are becoming more likely. ideastream's April Baer reports on how cuts have shaped the local menu of services.Who's Taking Care of Children's Mental Health?
A Conversation with Dr. Robert Findling
April 7, 2003
The welfare of Ohio's most vulnerable populations is being called into question, as Ohio and its counties try to mend their ailing budgets. Among groups believed most at risk - children struggling with mental illness. The Federation for Community Planning recently commissioned a survey on mental health care. Its preliminary results suggest that only 16% of Cuyahoga County's children in need are being served. There is growing concern that the health care system is failing to provide overall psychiatric facilities for people under eighteen. In an interview aired Monday, April 7th 2003, ideastream's April Baer recently spoke about the problem with Dr Robert Findling, director of child and adolescent psychiatry for University Hospitals Health System.Going Only Halfway:
Covering the Costs of Mental Health Care for Ohio's Children
April 7, 2003
There are 23 agencies that receive money from Cuyahoga County to provide services for children. However, each has a different mandate, and a different way of navigating the complicated web of funding. Beech Brook began as an orphanage 150 years ago. Today its staff cares for children with a variety of needs, from those in foster care to kids living in risky situations at home. In an interview first aired Monday, April 7th, ideastream's April Baer spoke with Beech Brook's executive director Mario Tonti about the demand for services.Consumers Struggling For Independence
April 29, 2003
Studies have suggested that poverty can increase your risk for developing mental illness. It's also true that mental illness can increase your risk of poverty. Every day, people from all walks of life are diagnosed with mental illness. The one thing they all have in common is a fear of becoming less independent. According to the Ohio Department of Mental Health, seventy eight percent of people receiving government assistance for mental disabilities are living below the poverty level. Ironically, some choose not to work, having found they simply can not afford to become more independent. ideastream's April Baer reports.Also, Wednesday morning's story dealt with some of the pressures in mental health work. Any case worker can tell you that one of the hardest things about the job is the avalanche of paperwork that must be filled out for each case. For every state and federal dollar that is spent, pages and pages of forms must be filled out. ideastream contacted Recovery Resources, an agency based in Cleveland that provides help for mental illness and substance abuse, to find out exactly how bad the paperwork burden is. What they sent us is a fifteen page file that represents some, but not all the forms that might be part of a single day's work for a single client - view the PDF here.
A Visit to the Near West Woodworks
April 29, 2003
There are a number of program throughout the city of Cleveland that provide special support to people trying to work while they deal with with mental illness. One of these is a woodshop perched on the corner of West 25th Street. It's run by Spectrum of Support Services. Near West Woodworks employs up to twenty five people with mental illness, helping them develop job and social skills to get back on track. We visited Near West Woodworks and spoke to clients about their lives, work, and the subtleties of using a staple gun. (Special thanks to ideastream intern Liz Walker for production work on this story.)Are the Bases Covered? Staffing in Community Mental Health
April 30, 2003
As Cuyahoga County's Health and Human Services levy draws near, people who work in mental health have a lot on their minds. Funding for their field is in shaky condition. Many are concerned about whether staffing levels are adequate to meet demand. ideastream's April Baer reports.A Conversation with William Harper
May 12, 2003
The executive director of Lorain County’s Community Mental Health Board has a broad range of experience. A native of Cleveland, William Harper worked for several years in southwestern Ohio before coming home to the northeast. ideastream’s April Baer talked with him earlier this year about some of the funding and policy challenges facing the region.Hopewell Plants Seeds of Healing
May 27, 2003
What does a treatment center look like? Most of us picture big-city buildings with long white corridors and industrial-scale kitchens. This is sometimes the best the community mental health system can offer to people with brain disorders. But in the heart of Ohio's Amish country, Hopewell Farm has created a new model for treatment. It's a working farm, where people with severe mental illness spend their days in a pastoral setting, working the land - with therapeutic results. We sent ideastream intern Elizabeth Walker to check it out.The Free Clinic Tries to Pick Up the Slack
May 27, 2003
People with severe mental illness can count on at least one thing: the federal government's Medicaid program will be there to cover their doctor's visits and medication. But those who are living just above the poverty line - or who suffer from certain less severe conditions - are NOT assured of getting help. For them, Cleveland's Free Clinic has become an important resource. The Clinic's picking up slack in a number of other ways as well. Since budget cuts have forced the countywide Mobile Crisis Line to limit its hours, the Clinic's hotline gives people a trained professional to talk to between 8:00 PM and morning. We visited with the Free Clinic's Medical Director, Dr. Steve Wyrick, to see what else is going on.A Visit to 2100 Lakeside
May 27, 2003
It's not uncommon for people with a severe psychiatric disorder to lose their ability to support themselves, and become alienated from family. Too often, the road to recovery takes people to the streets. ideastream paid a visit to Cleveland's emergency homeless shelter, at 2100 Lakeside Avenue, where the Salvation Army provides beds and a meal on a night-by-night basis. We spoke with the man in charge of this considerable job, and with a former shelter client who's now helping administer mental health services on site.The Mental Health Safety Net - or Lack Thereof!
May 27, 2003
Last year some 250,000 people across Ohio sought and received help for mental health problems. But there is evidence that others are slipping through the cracks. In Cuyahoga County, suicides outnumber homicides three to two. While there are many different agencies designed to catch mental illness before it becomes devastating, critics find the safety net lacking. ideastream's April Baer reports.Mental Health Wrap-Up
May 27, 2003
May is Mental Health Month. Many people are reluctant to believe that mental illness will touch their lives. But clinical experts say the longer you live, the more likely you are to deal with it - either for yourself or a family member. Researchers are building their knowledge base on life-long wellness. Meanwhile, the local mental health system has been on a roller-coaster ride over the past five months. The battle to fund local services continues at the Statehouse-and here. Cuyahoga County passed a Health and Human Services Levy which will raise millions of dollars for services. But these campaigns have opened political wounds that have yet to heal. Our observance of mental health month concludes today with this update from ideastream's April Baer.
Support for mental health issues coverage comes from the Woodruff Foundation and Saint Lukes Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio.