AHCCCS cuts impact Yuma's behavioral health services

Many area behavioral health service centers are experiencing the repercussions of budget cuts and the AHCCCS freeze and are responding by laying off employees and restructuring management and staff.

In April, the governor and Legislature cut $500 million from primarily higher education and health care to balance the state's budget.

Hardest hit are the health centers that service childless adults or offer substance abuse counseling and treatment.

According to Cenpatico Arizona, the company that manages AHCCCS funds for service providers in Yuma and other counties, every center that offers substance abuse programs received an approximate 40 percent reduction in funds, amounting to a combined $7 million decrease in available service dollars for Yuma and La Paz counties.

Arizona Counseling and Treatment Centers, one of the largest providers in Yuma County, expects to lay off approximately 40 employees and restructure its management system, said Autumn Morga, ACTC director of marketing and business development.

Crossroads Mission was forced to eliminate 23 positions, a third of its work force, and to reduce education center hours and counseling services.

Chicanos por la Causa's Yuma branch experienced a 22 percent reduction and must refer all behavioral health patients to other local intake agencies as a result, said Maria Jesus Cervantes, the agency's director of media and communications.

Achieve Human Services had to reduce its respite services by 50 percent after the Legislature slashed funding for the program.

Providence Behavioral Health Services of Yuma received a 40 percent cut to their overall budget and had to lay off five of its 12-employee staff.

“It wasn't an easy decision, but it was one we had to make,” said Dave Hedgcock, executive director of Arizona for Providence Inc. “The other choice was to turn out the lights (on the Yuma branch) and go home.”

The layoffs and service reductions exacerbate Yuma's economic problems as it continues to lead the nation in unemployment rates.

“It comes down to the fact that we need jobs,” said state Rep. Lynne Pancrazi, D-Yuma. “We need businesses to come to the state to provide jobs for residents. We are not doing the state justice if we don't start creating jobs.”

Pancrazi said the across-the-board cuts represent a vicious circle that many people have a hard time surmounting.

“People keep saying if you want a job, you can get one. But the jobs I've seen available need specific certifications and qualifications while at the same time we are cutting job training and education. People just can't get ahead.”

The large reductions are necessary, according to state Rep. Russ Jones, R-Yuma, because Arizona refused for years to address its economic needs.

“We knew four years ago what the shortfall would be, yet we just kept spending money under (former Gov.) Napolitano for two years. Because of the prior administration's willingness to get to the edge of an economic precipice is why the cuts were so draconian.”

Jones said a provision in the Arizona Constitution prevents the state from borrowing in excess of $110,000 and, unlike the federal government, it cannot print money so cuts are the only recourse to balance the budget.

“We have to settle our debts. There has been a need over the last three years to try to be as equitable as possible so it's not just education and not just the other branches of state government being cut. Everybody's got to have their share of the pain. No one's immune to (cuts).”

After years of lease/purchasing government buildings, pledging lottery revenues for lump sums of cash and slashing budgets, Jones said next year's budget may have a surplus.

“The good news is because of 10 successive of months of increases of state revenues ... if you look at our 2012 budget, we are probably going to end up having a $300-$500 million surplus. Now, you have to take that with a grain of salt.”

The caveat, according to Jones, is that in 2013 the federal government's health care mandates to the states begin and the sunset clause in Proposition 100 will end the 1 percent sales tax enacted in 2010, costing the state around $500 million, an amount equal to any surplus in 2012.

Jones said if Proposition 100 can be renewed and the Legislature continues to be conservative on the budget, Arizona could emerge from its economic troubles around 2015.