I am very concerned that the population that is served through this service is going to suffer greatly if DMAS is successful in making the cuts and changes they are proposing. 

Severely mentally ill individuals greatly benefit from receiving MHSS and the taxpayers of Virginia benefit from the service as well.  MHSS is in place to reduce inpatient psychiatric hospitalization and time spent in the jail system.  The severely mentally ill can spend a lot of tax payer dollars by having repeated hospitalizations that can range from $766-$1,091 per day.  Severely mentally ill individuals receiving MHSS greatly reduce the frequency and need for hospitalization with the average cost of MHSS per week of $277.  A severely mentally ill individual who spends a year in the jail system costs an estimated $26,000 per year, whereas a year of consistent MHSS costs an estimated $ 14,200. 

The severely mentally ill population often lacks any consistent positive social supports and lean on MHSS to assist them to be more productive members of society. The changes that are proposed will leave a lot of clients in the dark with no one to assist them.  This will undoubtedly place the burden back on the hospitals and judicial system.  The clients that are being served will endure high rates of homelessness and emotional turmoil without the continuation of MHSS in the capacity in which it is currently. 

These clients do not always have their voices heard and I would like to urge you to consider what these changes will do to the severely mentally ill people.  They are not just numbers, facts and figures.  They are people that have their lives changed and improved by the consistent support from MHSS.  I urge that you pay close attention to how much of a tax burden severely mentally ill clients without MHSS place on the hospitals and jails versus what having programs in place, such as MHSS,  that prevent them from enduring  repeated hospitalizations and incarcerations.

I would also like to encourage you to consider the employees that are working to serve the severely mentally ill population and the repercussions of such deep cuts.  Employees will be laid off and many will struggle to find other means of employment because the jobs for this field will be cut tremendously.  This will place undue financial burden on this group of taxpayers and hurt the local and state economy.