Cumberland County officials this week described major shortages of mental health services, saying the “ripple effects” include children and families going without badly needed help, people ending up in jail and homelessness.
Services such as therapy or residential treatment often aren’t quickly available, said Annie Strite, the director of mental health services for Cumberland and Perry counties.
“So literally they sit on a waiting list for months until we can get to them,” she said.
Strite further warned county commissioners of an expected $2.5 million budget deficit for the fiscal year that ends in June, saying it will force hard decisions about cutting services.
County commissioners seemed to share her concerns, with Commissioner Jean Foschi saying, “This will be such a lack of service to so many people I think it will be catastrophic.”
The discussion came a day after Gov. Josh Shapiro released his first proposed state budget — one he said puts high priority on mental health needs. That includes more access to school counselors, increased funding for counties -- which are the main providers of mental health services -- and crisis intervention aimed at farmers and the agricultural community.
Still, Cumberland officials questioned whether the $20 million in new funding for counties will be enough.
Strite stressed to commissioners that Cumberland is the fastest-growing county in the state, with its population increasing by 13.3% since 2009.
However, the level of state funding for Cumberland has been the same since 2010, she said.
During a presentation during a county finance meeting, Strite was backed by heads of county departments including children and youth, the prison and public safety who detailed increases in need that have outpaced population growth, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
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