Governor Patrick released his Fiscal Year 2011 budget recommendations today. For those of us interested in community-based behavioral healthcare it appears that the Governor’s budget recommendations contained some fairly good news. Existing community-based services for individuals with mental illness and/or substance use disorders seem to have escaped cuts in the Governor’s budget. This also applies to essential services funded by MassHealth.
Unfortunately, other human service programs were not quite as fortunate. We share the concern of many in our industry about the impact of proposed cuts in services for other vulnerable populations.
We all need to be prepared for a long, tough budget fight as the Legislature reviews and acts on the Governor’s recommendations. In a tough election year, legislators will be under a lot of pressure to limit state spending. Advocates, providers, consumers and family members need to be prepared to remind local legislators about the importance of programs that serve individuals with behavioral health needs. ABH looks forward to working with our members and coalition partners to protect existing funding for DMH, DPH/BSAS, and MassHealth.
On the Issues, People & Organizations in Behavioral Health in the Commonwealth
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