ADMINISTRATOR LASHES OUT AT STATE AUDITORS AFTER REPORT.Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer Ventura County's Behavioral Health Behavioral health was first used in the 1980's to name the combination of the fields mental health and substance abuse. As an example, an organization serving both mental health and substance abuse clients might refer to its practice as behavioral health or director disputed key findings of a scathing state audit of his department, taking issue Wednesday with a range of problems investigators found in the system for the mentally ill. In a report to state auditors State auditors are executive officers of U.S. states. The office usually is created by the state constitution.
v. con·ced·ed, con·ced·ing, con·cedes v.tr. 1. To acknowledge, often reluctantly, as being true, just, or proper; admit. See Synonyms at acknowledge. 2. that the county could improve some areas of mental health care but said the department is a quality one with employees doing good work to help the 8,000 patients it serves every year. ``There are quality improvements that we're happy to make,'' Gudeman said after a meeting between state and county officials. ``I think it's a matter of clarifying the facts and moving ahead.'' Among the issues raised in Gudeman's response: Disputing the state's contention that the county's program for mentally ill adults had ``eroded e·rode v. e·rod·ed, e·rod·ing, e·rodes v.tr. 1. To wear (something) away by or as if by abrasion: Waves eroded the shore. 2. To eat into; corrode. ,'' Gudeman said the county has enhanced those resources with community-based services and crisis teams. The state said the county places a priority on hospital treatment when less restrictive environments are preferred. However, Gudeman said the county prefers placing patients in residential, board-and-care and similar facilities. The state audit said that mental health funds were being used to support unnecessary hospitalizations, a statement Gudeman's report called ``inflammatory.'' While the state cited an 826 percent increase in hospitalizations of the mentally ill over a recent two-year period, Gudeman said the increase is actually only 26 percent. Gudeman said officials agreed Wednesday to work together to ensure the county' Systems of Care - an integrated approach to providing mental health and social services social services Noun, pl welfare services provided by local authorities or a state agency for people with particular social needs social services npl → servicios mpl sociales - would be preserved despite the harsh audit that left the county in jeopardy jeopardy, in law, condition of a person charged with a crime and thus in danger of punishment. At common law a defendant could be exposed to jeopardy for the same offense only once; exposing a person twice is known as double jeopardy. of losing state money for the program. |
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