Policy Matters

Much has been discussed about the state’s successive budget cuts in total or as an ever-increasing percentage of an agency’s budget. Not much has been discussed about how the cuts are affecting specific programs and services. This budget spotlight shows how the cuts are affecting the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.

The budget for the Department of Mental Health in Mississippi has decreased by almost $59 million from FY 2009 to FY 2011. The Department has not only dealt with decreases in its appropriation between years, but has also endured mid-year cuts in both FY 2009 and FY 2010. The figures below show how the Department of Mental Health’s budget has changed in the last two years.

Comparison of Department of Mental Health General Fund Budget FY 2009-2011

So, what does this mean for Department of Mental Health services?  Among the cuts, one area effected is respite care for caregivers of persons with a mental illness. The respite care program provided a modest eight hours a month of relief for caregivers. 

Respite care is critical to preventing caregiver burnout and less costly than the costs of placing someone with a mental illness in the state hospital. In the absence of respite care, the likelihood that a person with a mental illness will end up in the hospital increases – along with the  cost to the state for that service.