Mental health, drug programs to get additional funds

Monday, May 3, 1999 | 11:38 a.m.

The committee has voted to pump an additional $500,000 a year into the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse for treatment of adolescents.

A recent state Department of Education survey of Nevada students showed that use of cocaine and tranquilizers is increasing at all grade levels but that use of alcohol and other illicit drugs, including marijuana, appears to be leveling off.

The availability of the extra money, however, depends on Maximus, a company hired by the state Department of Human Resources two years ago to track down millions of dollars that may be hidden in the federal budget and bring the money to Nevada.

In its first contract Maximus shook loose $7 million extra for the state and $3 million more for Nevada counties. It is paid 9 percent of the extra money it is able to collect from the federal government.

If there's no extra federal money, there won't be any added funds for the treatment of adolescents.

The commission also approved the overall budget for the Division of Mental Health and Mental Retardation for an estimated $214 million for the next two years. The big change will be in the treatment of those with mental illness and other conditions, such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism.

The state is now required by a court ruling to provide services for such patients.

Assemblywoman Jan Evans, D-Sparks, who headed a subcommittee that constructed the budget, said Gov. Kenny Guinn's budget proposed a program that took care of only 25 percent of the estimated 184 people in the category.

The rest would be put on a waiting list with delays from eight to 14 months.

"That's unacceptable," Evans told the full committee.

The state division initially proposed to spend $10,500 per month per bed to serve 54 new clients in intermediate care facilities. Evans said they can be placed in group care homes at lower rates. Then all the patients would be served within 90 days, rather than some waiting up to 14 months.