Human Resources highlights in Nevada budget

Tuesday, June 5, 2007 | 12:56 p.m.

Highlights of Nevada's human resources budget:

OVERALL FUNDING - Nearly a third, or $2.24 billion, of the budget goes to human services, including Medicaid and mental health services. The biggest element in that category is Medicaid, which gets $908.5 million.

PROBLEM GAMBLING - The budget includes $3.4 million in slot license fee revenues to support the problem gambling program started by the 2005 Legislature.

MENTAL HEALTH - The human resources spending includes $721 million for various mental health services programs, up 28 percent over the current budget. That includes $18 million to continue expanded mental health court programs, community triage programs and other services.

HEALTH DIVISION - The state Health Division gets nearly $317 million of the human services budget. Nearly $91 million goes to the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.

WELFARE - The welfare services budget totals $364.8 million. Of that, $2.3 million will be used for a 10 percent, or $35 per month, increase in the cash grants for welfare recipients.

AGING SERVICES - Aging services programs are funded at nearly $84 million, including about $62 million in federal funds, tobacco settlement funds and other sources. The funding will cover increased caseloads for the Community Home-based Initiatives program and other services.

CHILD-FAMILY SERVICES - The budget includes $215.7 million for the Child and Family Services Division. That includes $4.5 million to increase the daily foster care rate paid by the state from $21 now to $28 in 2009. The budget provides for 34 new staffers to help with foster care recruiting.

NEVADA CHECK-UP - The budget includes funding to allow enrollment in the Nevada Check-Up program to increase to about 30,300 children per month in 2008 and to 31,900 children in the following year.