“At a time when more services are being asked of schools than ever before, we will be providing fewer services to schools and with fewer staffing,” said Shannon Cox with the Montgomery County Educational Service Center.
The funding cuts are a result of multiple factors, which is why it took agencies extra time to figure out all of their contract amounts for 2024. The Dayton Daily News previously reported that ADAMHS is cutting spending by 38% and making some changes to its funding cycle.
“Some of these agencies are going to have to make some decisions about what services they provide and what services they provide, but they shouldn’t rely solely on human services levy funding because that’s not what the levy was designed for in the first place,” said Montgomery County ADAMHS Executive Director Helen Jones Kelly.
The biggest cut in funding, more than $2 million, would come at Eastway Behavioral Healthcare for residential services.
Eastway was awarded the largest contract for the full year 2024 at $4,391,203, while the 2023 contract was for $6,566,794, according to ADAMHS records.
Eastway President and CEO John Strahm said the number of people it can serve will be “significantly reduced.”
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“We serve 238 people in subsidized housing, 50 people in group homes, 29 people renting scattered sites and 44 people in four residential programs that have had their funding severely reduced or eliminated,” Strum said.
There are more than 600 people on the waiting list, he said.
“Without a place to live, mentally ill people who we are unable to serve will put additional strain on local resources, including shelters, emergency rooms, police, jails and the patients’ own families, who are often unable to provide the care they need,” Strum said.
Reducing group home housing and staff
Agencies such as Place, which serves homeless adults with diagnosed mental illnesses, will cut back on housing for certain clients.
According to ADAMHS, Places, Inc.’s total funding is scheduled to be $861,161 in 2024. Places, Inc.’s 2023 funding was $1,266,512 from ADAMHS.
Place plans to give group home residents a 30-day notice on Monday, Place CEO Laura Ferrell said.
“Within 30 days, the 36 beds that we have will be closed off from the community,” Ferrell said.
Some residents have been living in group homes for nearly 30 years, she said.
Ferrell said affected staff may be relocated to other positions, but there may still be layoffs.
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Samaritan Behavioral Health, Inc. (SBHI) will have a total funding of $240,748 in 2024, down from its 2023 contract amount of $378,527, according to ADAMHS records.
“We are evaluating how the Montgomery County ADAMHS Board’s proposed funding changes will impact the services we are able to provide,” said Beth Esposito, president and CEO of SBHI.
Programming halts, signs of layoffs
South Community Behavioral Health’s 2024 contract value is $1,232,868, down from the 2023 contract value of $2,844,368, according to ADAMHS records.
South Community CEO Lisa Carter said the $1.6 million cut comes as ADAMHS will no longer fund South Community’s Children Matter program, which will be eliminated on Dec. 31, 2023.
Youth and families who were participating in the program have transitioned to other services at South Community and other organizations in the area.
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“For our staff, it meant losing the jobs they love,” Carter said.
Some staff were transferred to other positions within South Community, while others were not.
“Unfortunately, there have been some layoffs,” Carter said.
Preventive services are reduced
There have also been adjustments to how ADAMHS funds preventive services, at the same time the organisation has been reducing spending, with significant cuts expected over the next six months.
The Montgomery County Educational Service Center will see the biggest cuts in K-12 prevention programs: ADAMHS records show the center received $140,833 in funding from ADAMHS for the last six months of the year, compared with $1,857,470 for the prior 12-month contract.
The center warned staff in the spring that funding cuts were coming.
“We have had some staff leave to find work in other industries or elsewhere and we don’t blame them,” Cox said.
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Dayton Children’s Hospital is set to receive $171,852 over the next six months of 2024 for its student recovery coordinator program, down from the $2,737,627 contracted over the past 12 months, according to ADAMHS records.
“We work closely with community partners like ADAMHS to operate and balance programs to meet the needs of students in our area,” Dayton Children’s Hospital said in a statement.
The full funding picture for the program will be revealed when the ADAMHS Board meets later this year to determine funding for 2025.
