Save S.L.O. County Mental Health Services

Dear San Luis Obispo County Administration and Board of Supervisors:

We, the undersigned, petition the County of San Luis Obispo the following:

Since 1979, the Transitions Mental Health Association (TMHA) has been providing social rehabilitation day programs and vocational programs, including the Growing Grounds Farm and Nursery. During the past 25 years these programs have served over a thousand mentally ill adults providing independent living skills and self-advocacy training, social support, mental health education, vocational training and paid employment. This year these programs will serve over 250 disabled people county-wide.
We believe the socialization and vocational programs provided by TMHA are an essential part of the treatment and rehabilitation for the mentally ill adults of our community. San Luis Obispo County has made great strides over the past 20 years in developing a continuum of cost-effective services that allow this population to live more productive and safe lives. Without a day program to attend, or a regular paid job in a supportive, healthy environment, the disenfranchised mentally ill of our County will be in grave risk of destabilizing, which statistically results in crisis and costly institutionalization.
The Growing Grounds Farm and Nursery has established itself as an integral part of our community. Nationally recognized for its innovative and effective horticulture therapy program, the Farm works collaboratively with countless civic groups, schools, businesses, volunteer organizations, and health and human service agencies. San Luis Obispo County has greatly benefitted from the mental health and agribusiness education and exposure provided by the Farm to young and old alike. Closure of this farm would not only eliminate vocational opportunities to 70 disabled adults annually, it would remove a unique and vital thread from the fabric of our community.
The closure of these crucial programs will certainly increase the cost of providing mental health services to the County. Whatever short-term savings realized by eliminating all socialization and vocational programs for the mentally ill will quickly be negated by $800 a day in-patient stays and $130 a day out-of-county placements; the socialization day programs cost the County $15 a day. In addition, these programs historically use County funding to leverage additional revenues through grants, donations and fund-raising, business revenues, and Medi-Cal reimbursement to the County. For every dollar the County spends an additional dollar is leveraged by these programs.
As concerned community members, we the undersigned hereby request that the funding to these effective and crucial cost-saving programs be continued.