Mental health officials warn of cuts

The state's Commission on Mental Health and Developmental Services plans to urge Gov. Jim Gibbons to consider the needs of the mentally ill and developmentally disabled before axing percentages off upcoming budgets.

Dr. Harold Cook, administrator of the Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services, told the commission on Thursday that the agency is preparing for cuts of 24 percent to 34 percent for fiscal years 2010 and 2011.

"That's a fairly hefty reduction,'' Cook told the commission during a meeting at Desert Regional Center on Jones Boulevard.

Cook said he couldn't go into more detail about the proposed cuts because the deliberations between the governor and state agencies is confidential. However, he said, the division lost $43 million because of cuts for fiscal year 2009.

So far none of those cuts has resulted in major services being lost, but there's still six months in the fiscal year.

"There's still ongoing discussions,'' he said, referring to Nevada's continual revenue losses.

As for the upcoming budgets, Cook said it is uncertain whether services will be cut. He said if additional cuts are imposed to Medicaid reimbursements it could affect mental health and developmental services.

"This is a cascading series of events,'' he said.

Gretchen Greiner, chair of the commission, said she would be drafting a letter to send to the governor. She said the letter will also include some positive news, such as lower wait times in emergency rooms for mental health patients.

This week the number of mental health patients in emergency rooms who were awaiting transfer to a psychiatric facility was in the single digits, Cook said.

A few years ago, when there was a crisis, nearly 100 such patients were in emergency rooms waiting for transfer.

"At least right now that situation is well under control,'' Cook said.

Contact reporter Annette Wells at awells@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.