Help to Save Mental Health Services in Sacramento County

The residents of Sacramento County we are greatly concerned about the proposed budget cuts of mental health services because the reductions will undoubtedly cost the taxpayers far more; increased costs in public hospitals, emergency police calls, inappropriate utilization of emergency room services, involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations, the criminal justice system and Child Protection Services (CPS). If the goal of Sacramento County is to do more with less during times of economic hardship, cutting funds for mental health services during difficult economic times is counterproductive.

This petition urges Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to abandon plans to cut funding to people who receive community-based mental health services through the Sacramento County Department of Mental Health. Short-term savings from budget cuts of mental health will lay the seeds for long-term crises. We clearly understand that something must be done to solve the the budget problem, but this does not mean the County needs to turn its back on individuals and family members affected by the disabling effects of mental illness. We implore you to do everything in your power to stop the budget cuts of mental health services.