RIDGWAY – Local social service providers came together on
Tuesday morning to explain what the lack of a state budget is doing
to them and how it ultimately affects everyone in the
Commonwealth.
“This is the worst budget impasse I have ever experienced,”
Billie Jo Weyant, director of Citizens Against Physical, Sexual and
Emotional Abuse Inc. (CAPSEA), said.
Weyant said the organization serves Elk and Cameron counties and
operates on a ,526,000 annual budget. Right now, ,326,000 of that
is on hold from the state.
“Right now, we don’t know how we are going to make that up,”
Weyant said. “We are desperate at CAPSEA.”
CAPSEA is an organization that victims of physical, emotional
and sexual abuse turn to in their time of need. Last year, they
provided more than 1,000 days of emergency shelter to 70 abused
women and children in the Elk County area; more than 4,000 hours of
counseling; and helped more than 1,700 new victims of crime among
other services.
In other support, CAPSEA provided more than 300 families with
rental and utility assistance.
“Right now, folks in Elk County have no gas or electricity and
are about to be evicted,” Weyant said.
For her part, Cyndi Zembryki, director of Cameron Elk Mental
Health & Mental Retardation, said that agency hasn’t received
any funding from the state since the last fiscal year.
“We have not paid our providers since the end of June,” Zembryki
said. “God bless our providers who continue to work without getting
paid because they trust us. How will this affect the clients? How
many people are touched?”
Zembryki said everybody is touched by mental health/mental
retardation and early intervention.
“Everyone in this community is impacted,” Zembryki said. “I
think we are being held hostage (by the state Legislature). The
mental health side is currently being held hostage.”
Zembryki provided figures on many of the programs and how many
people are being impacted.
In the recovery program, 75 people are affected; medication
monitoring, 20 people; housing support, 20 people; respite care, 21
people; drop-in center, 15-20 people; vocational services, 23
people; supporting employment, 24 people; CHIPP group at ELCAM, 24
people; transportation, 13 people; family based services, 9 people;
LIFE in school program, 91 students; student assistance program,
256 students with Drug and Alcohol program; incredible years, 295
people, with the total directly impacting of 1,200 men, women and
children.
Without these programs, Zembryki said people are at risk of
being placed in nursing homes or other permanent placements.
“We keep on, keeping on,” Zembryki said. “I don’t know how to
get the message across to the Legislature. These are real people
that deserve better.”
Meanwhile, Pam Cousins, director of Elk County Children and
Youth Services, explained that unlike other social services, her
service is mandated by both the state and federal government.
“Our mission is to take care of children and families with
issues of abuse and neglect,” Cousins said. “When we run out of
money, the government mandates the services continue. I go to the
county commissioners and I am going to add to them (budget
concerns).”
Cousins said it costs ,220 a day to place a child in a
facility.
“We spend far less on the front end services to keep families
together,” Cousins said. “It’s never been this bad.”
Lindie Gnan, prevention supervisor for Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Services, said that agency isn’t discontinuing any services right
now. They are responsible for programs in Elk, Cameron, Potter and
McKean counties.
Gnan said what has been impacted is classroom and small groups
for school-age children.
“Right from the beginning, we will not be hitting those kids who
need that direct service,” Gnan said, including 1,600 students from
Elk County alone.
Gnan said the agency’s federal funds are being put on hold
because they come through state funding. They currently have two
staff members on furlough in Elk County, a Bradford therapist
position is not being filled, merit increments are frozen, staff
travel and housekeeping reimbursements are being withheld until the
budget passes, the majority of landlords have agreed to accept
July-Sepember rent late, outside trainings have been stopped and
meetings attended have been reduced. The prevention staff has also
been furloughed and this will affect all the schools in Elk,
Cameron and McKean counties.
“As we keep hearing about this stalemate, we hear that
Pennsylvanians don’t want to pay more in taxes,” Abbey Peters,
director of the Elk County Council on the Arts, said. “I have no
problem paying more if we are still provided with the services
necessary. We are being held hostage and it’s ridiculous. We do
have voices and we just keep trying to use them.”
Peters added that it would only cost five cents a day per person
to keep state level arts funding.
For his part, Greg Bauer, chief executive officer of Elk
Regional Health Center in St. Marys, said though the hospital is
not being directly impacted at this point, it is indirectly.
Bauer said the hospital’s emergency room is open 24/7 and sees
the impact.
“When those people are admitted and the hospital’s case managers
reach out to the local social service agencies, they won’t be
receiving the same level of response because the agencies don’t
have the funding,” Bauer said. “They represent the fabric, the
backbone of our three-county area.
“Remember, as many of these agencies are the safety net, so is
our hospital and we rely on these agencies and the funding they are
not receiving is eroding our health care system day by day, week by
week, month by month,” Bauer said.
Kelly Valdez, executive director of Life and Independence For
Today (LIFT), said the agency covers six counties and a total of
5,091-square-miles with nine staff, which includes only three
full-time people in the field. They were completely “zeroed out” of
the proposed budget.
“If that money is not put back in, we cease to exist,” Valdez
said. “If that money is not put back in the budget, the counties we
operate in will have to pay for the services whether we are there
or not. What the Legislature is not thinking about is they are
going to pay in triplicate at least.”
LIFT helps provide housing modification for accessibility for
the handicapped as well as support that allows many to stay in
their homes. Another service LIFT provides is housekeeping help for
those who would otherwise lose their housing because of a “hoarder”
problem. Very low income people are used to do the work.
Ken Straub, executive director of Northern Tier Community
Action, said its goal is to enable everyone to become sufficient
economically. They work with approximately 2,000 residents in Elk
and Cameron counties on an annual basis as well as residents in
McKean and Potter counties.
Northern Tier Community Action helps provide work ready
training, youth development, child care information services,
energy conservation, low income energy program, housing programs as
well as emergency food programs. Because of the budget impasse,
they are currently ,500,000 in debt.
“We have exhausted our line of credit and savings,” Straub said.
“The next bank loan will need collateral. How long can we last?
Maybe another month.”
One program that is directly affected is the headstart program
in Fox Township and Bennetts Valley. Because of ,64,000, those 12
pre-school children will not have a program and the three staff
will not have a job. The loans will have to be paid back with
interest and the interest will be charged to the programs. That
will be cut from services.
