Cuts affect behavioral services Budget situation lengthens waiting list of people needing help

DOVER-FOXCROFT – If you’re on the waiting list for behavioral or developmental services, you may want to get comfortable. Due to state budget cuts, your wait may be extended.

“At least in terms of the first round of cuts, we think we’ve really limited the impact to programs,” Lynn Duby, commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Development Services, said Thursday. “The worry is that the situation looks like it’s going to continue to deteriorate.”

For now, the majority of cuts have not been to the current budget, but rather to projected increases in future funding. Present services have been minimally affected. However, the waiting list of people hoping to receive those services is getting longer.

“That will definitely get worse,” Duby said.

When the budget decreases were first announced, agencies were asked for suggestions on what would lessen the effect of cuts and for ideas of alternative resources, according to Duby. She said 150 recommendations came in from several state agencies and bureaus. Almost all of the suggestions were good, and officials are looking into many possibilities for alternate resources in the future.

The Revenue Forecast Committee will meet twice in August to look at state revenue and decide the amount of money that will be available for budgeting. After those meetings, officials will be better prepared to determine what effects the funding cuts will have on services.

Commissioner Duby was in Dover-Foxcroft Thursday to visit the Charlotte White Center and spend some time at the agency’s third annual Back to School Sale. The Charlotte White Center assists children and adults with mental health issues.

The sale is sponsored by an anonymous mother-daughter duo. Children involved in the program, as well as children of Charlotte White Center staff members, are given the opportunity during the summer to earn up to $10 in coupons. To earn the coupons, worth $1 apiece, the children must be “caught” by a parent or worker doing good things such as completing chores without being asked, helping others, or learning special skills.

The children can then use their coupons to buy school supplies at the center at a “wicked cut rate” said Dick Brown, CEO of Charlotte White Center.

“You can see the benefit just by looking around,” Brown said as he glanced at the dozen or so young “customers” buying school supplies with their coupons. Last year, 190 children benefited from the sale and Brown expects at least that many this year.

“These programs are just tremendous in the effect they have on kids and families,” Duby said.