Governor Looks to Slash $15 Million from Behavior Health Aid

By Gordon HopkinsNebraska Governor Jim Pillen has recommended a $15 million cut to the behavioral health aid base in fiscal year 2024 and 2025 as part of the biennial budget adjustment.Jefferson County Board Commission chairman Gale Pohlmann spoke in opposition to the proposed cut at the Appropriations Committee of the Nebraska Legislature.Pohlmann said, “The $15 million is directly and permanently being removed from Program 38, Behavioral Health Aid.”Program 38 is responsible for distributing state aid for behavioral health services, including mental health, substance abuse and addiction services.“This reduction of funds for behavioral services is in direct contrast with what we know is a behavioral health crisis occurring statewide. As a county commissioner, we see it in our jail population with individuals waiting in our county jails for spots to open up at the Lincoln Regional Center (LRC). Last week, Brad Johnson, Director of Lancaster County Corrections, testified before the Judiciary Committee that there are 14 individuals waiting an average of 74 days to be admitted to the LRC. We are all too familiar with hearing from our local hospitals, about the number of individuals admitting to our hospitals and taking up beds when they need to be in the LRC,” said Pohlmann. “Every day I see Nebraskans across our community who are experiencing significant mental health and severe substance use issues, and we know there are access issues. This budget reduction would be a significant setback in the regional behavioral health authorities effort to make improvements, cover gaps and needs, improve access and sustain capacity in the recovery oriented system of care.”Pohlmann is also chair of the Region V System Behavioral Health Authority regional governing board. Region V Systems contracts with a network of behavioral health community providers who offer a broad array of services in 16 counties, including Jefferson, Gage, Thayer and Saline.Pohlmann noted, “At Region V Systems, we are projected to lose $3.5 plus million in our annual budget for behavioral health services. The loss of these funds in the behavioral health system has serious consequences.”Pohlmann gave a long list of projects at risk by the funding cut, including crisis response in rural areas, intensive case management for adults who have severe, persistent mental illness (SPMI), rental assistance for adults with SPMI, same day risk assessments for people presenting with suicide ideation and the professional partner program serving youth with serious emotional disturbances.Pohlmann explained that these safety net programs, “Offer them someone to respond, somewhere to go when experiencing behavioral health crisis versus going to emergency rooms, waiting for hours to learn that they will not be admitted or else filling up our jail.”Other individuals who testified in opposition to Pillen's proposed cut were Don Lease, county commissioner for Banner County and a member of the Regional One Advisory Committee; Patty Jurjevich, administrator for Region Six Behavioral Health Care; and Tiffany Gressley, regional administrator for Region Three Behavioral Health Services.

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