Mental health woes spike
CHICO » While facing increased needs during the coronavirus pandemic, Butte County’s Behavioral Health says it expect dramatic budget cuts.
Rises in domestic violence and child abuse were predicted in April as immediate results of an emergency lockdown order. In Butte County, where mental health issues are higher than the average in the state, calls for help have increased in home environments, mainly among adults.
Behavioral Health Director Scott Kennelly said although the center has had a 9% reduction in number of calls regarding youth issues, there’s been an increase in crisis calls by 21% for adults. The center continues to receive domestic violence calls and requests for substance use services needs as “people who remain home in isolation, they have more challenges.”
The overall usage of telehealth services has increased about 11% as well. Kennelly said fewer youth than adults use them and the center has seen challenges with no-show rates and patients saying they do not feel as connected using telehealth.
“We have seen an increase in the mobile crisis team partnered with (local) police ,” Kennelly said — an increase in calls totaling 9% in Chico and 15% in south Butte County. The team works 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week and has seen an overall rise in home incidents as opposed to those taking place outdoors or among the un
sheltered.
These increases are not surprising given “The longer it goes on and the more restrictions, the more anxious, depressed and lonely people get,” he said. “People say the hopelessness and despair seems to never end; it just keeps getting worse.”
However, Kennelly said he is “surprised there hasn’t been as big an uptick (in calls) as expected.” Reports of crisis calls for people coming in in person for services is down 19%, and he said the current anecdotal feedback from the public is a fear of coming in to get services.
People already suffering from mental health issues are particularly vulnerable to the “long-lasting chronic effect on people” that coronavirus has, in part due to stress which “can affect your mental health status and physical health,” Kennelly added. He added statewide data shows ongoing stress during an infectious disease event can cause “predictable things” like fear for one’s health or the heath of loved ones, as well of financial struggles, which can cause changes in sleep or eating.
While he described the county’s youth-focused services in schools as “pretty robust” before the pandemic, with schools shut down, most of those challenges are now at home, he said. And while some students might do better studying at home with “school-based” issues removed, those with difficult home environments are not faring as well.
In addition, “Longstanding systemic health issues for minority groups are at increased risk with added stress, which increases their need for services,” he said — the center has experienced a rise in calls from Black, Asian and Hmong individuals in the community.
Funding cuts
Kennelly said the drawback to fewer patients reaching out than expected is that as the center provides services billed to MediCal, it takes “significant revenue hits due to this drop” along with having concern for people who may need the service “who are not willing to come in or call.”
The county is facing “pretty significant budget cuts” after years of difficulty gaining funding from the state.
After the original deadline of June 30 to transfer remaining Mental Health Services Act funds into funds for program spending, the deadline was extended to July 1 and the service’s budget has been submitted to the Butte County Board of Supervisors for hopeful approval July 21.
“We have substantial reductions in revenue, and we are going to have to make cuts in county and contract services,” Kennelly said. Expecting “no additional funding from the state for mental health issues,” he said the provider is “advocating to address what we see as the wave of people that are becoming eligible for mental health cervices and what will happen if there’s no additional funding.”
More information about current services provided is available at Butte County Behavioral Health’s website or by calling the access line at 891-2810.