MENTAL HEALTH CONTRACTS EXTENDED.

Byline: Krystn Shrieve Staff Writer

VENTURA - Despite a $5 million budget shortfall and mandate to cut costs, county supervisors on Tuesday voted to maintain contracts with lock-down facilities for the severely mentally ill, rather than discharging the patients.

But the supervisors were unable to promise the $1 million funding needed to keep the programs running through the end of the fiscal year - though Supervisor Frank Schillo said he was inclined to grant the Behavioral Health Department's request for the additional money.

``Other department heads aren't going to think this is fair,'' Schillo said. ``But none of them has a case this strong. We've got human tragedy going on here.''

Behavioral Health Department Director David Gudeman said the county spends between $40,000 and $50,000 a day on lock-down facilities outside the county because these types of services are not available in Ventura County.

The department anticipated at the beginning of the fiscal year that it would need $885,000 to send 12 patients outside the county, but realized in recent months that the number is actually 40 - bringing an increased cost of $1 million through the end of the fiscal year, Gudeman said.

``We can't control who walks in our doors for services,'' Gudeman said. ``As more people walk through the door the chances are that more people who have severe mental illnesses will be among them.''

The decision to maintain the contracts comes at a time when the county has implemented a hiring freeze and is looking at slashing the $556 million general fund budget because of a $5 million shortfall - mostly due to $15.3 million in penalties over fraudulent Medicare billing the county must begin paying.

Schillo said the actual funding won't be discussed until next month, when the supervisors hold their midyear budget review.

But Tuesday's action allows the department to continue contracts and pay bills now due.

Supervisor John Flynn said the funding will probably come out of the $9 million tobacco settlement money the county anticipates receiving in April.

``We have people out there who are very ill and they have to have a place to live,'' Flynn said. ``There's no question that this has to be a priority. This is a moral issue and despite funding problems we have to have a moral answer.''

Psychiatric social worker Patricia Kosich, who is spearheading efforts to increase county housing for the mentally ill, said since Gudeman was hired last year he has reviewed each patient's case to make sure they are living in the most appropriate setting available.

Some people in the system, who needed specialized housing at lock-down facilities like those offered outside the county, weren't getting it, she said.

Gudeman said the county could handle severely mentally ill patients without reliance on outside facilities if it supported a $4 million proposal by Schillo that includes spending tobacco settlement money to pay for turning the county's old inpatient unit into a lock-down facility.