State mental health chief wants 400 more employees

Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005 | 11:09 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Nevada's mental health chief is asking for an estimated 400 employees, and 350 of them would be assigned to Clark County.

But Carlos Brandenburg, administrator of the state Division of Mental Health and Disability Services, also told a Senate-Assembly budget committee today that he will have trouble filling some of the positions.

For example, there are 99 new psychiatric nurses in Gov. Kenny Guinn's budget. "We will be challenged" trying to find enough people to fill the vacancies, Brandenburg said.

"There is a nationwide and statewide shortage," he said.

In addition, the budget calls for 20 new psychiatrists. There are currently 23 psychiatrists working for Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services, which translates into a patient-doctor ratio of about 700-to-1, and Brandenburg said he wants to reduce that to a 345-1 ratio.

It likely would only be a temporary reduction, however, Brandenburg said.

"If the Las Vegas Valley continues to grow" the ration will rise back up to from 400 to 600 patients for every state psychiatrist, he said.

"We will continue to have patients waiting for services," Brandenburg said.

With the new employees, the division plans to open a clinic in the "homeless corridor" in downtown Las Vegas near Bridger Street, he said.

For the mental health project in Clark County, Brandenburg said there is a 58.2 percent increase in funding with 356 new employees. One important part of the budget, Brandenburg said was the increase in the rates paid by the state to homes in the community to take care of the mentally ill. "The whole idea is to keep the consumer out of the hospital."

There is $6.5 million set aside to give these homes a 3 percent increase next fiscal year and 5 percent the following fiscal year. There are currently 765 people in the homes in Clark County.

To treat a patient in the hospital costs $505 a day. But the cost for those in the homes ranges from $437 a month to $4,800, depending on the severity of the case, officials said.

Brandenburg also said the budget calls for a 26 percent increase to cover the cost of drugs next fiscal year and a 40 percent jump in the 2007 fiscal year. "The steep inflation is due to the cost of prescription drugs," he told the committee. Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno called it a "pretty steep" increase.