Ongoing state budget cuts continue to impact health care services in California

Ongoing state budget cuts continue to negatively impact health care services in California. The latest round of budget cuts has eliminated additional health-services programs, including a prominent program for incarcerated women who suffer from drug and alcohol abuse. The program, Forever Free, is operated by San Diego-headquartered Mental Health Systems, Inc. (MHS), a non-profit agency founded in 1978 to improve the lives of individuals, families and communities facing substance abuse and behavioral health challenges.

“Without this program, we will see higher recidivism rates among women who are trying to recover and the cost to California will be significantly higher than the cost of treatment.”

Forever Free was the first prison program designed for incarcerated women in California and is funded by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. MHS operates more than 90 mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation programs in 100 locations throughout southern and central California and Utah.

“It is unfortunate that a nationally recognized, researched and effective program has fallen victim to state budget cuts,” said Kim Bond, president of Mental Health Systems, Inc.

The Forever Free program is notable as the only prison program registered on the National Registry of Evidence-based and Promising Practices (NREPP), published by the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The NREPP identifies approaches to preventing and treating mental and/or substance abuse disorders that have been scientifically tested. The NREPP works to improve access to information on tested interventions and reduce the lag time between the creation of scientific knowledge and its practical application in the field.

Beginning January 2010, the number of openings allotted for substance abuse treatment at the California Institute for Women (CIW) detention center will be reduced from 752 to 175, and will be operated by a different agency that has not previously operated an in-prison program.

“We need to continue to provide proven treatment for individuals suffering from drug abuse,” said Bond. “Without this program, we will see higher recidivism rates among women who are trying to recover and the cost to California will be significantly higher than the cost of treatment.”