November 4, 2003

Re: The letter “MHMR Budget Reduction” (A-J, 11-2)

Dear Editor,

The author draws inaccurate conclusions from an 8-19-03 A-J article “Budget Cuts Sap MHMR Resources.”  The article noted an overall 4% reduction in budget, a total employee base of 482 people and projections that 700 adults and 350 children would lose services while 985 adults and 101 children would receive services.  The author draws conclusions as though these facts present a complete picture of MHMR’s service system.

In fact, MHMR cut 10 administrative positions to absorb the overall reduction in funds and reduce the impact on services.  In fact, reductions in services are primarily the result of recent legislation that directs us to focus mental health services more intensively on a narrowed population and not the result of overall budget cuts.  In fact, MHMR employs 482 people and serves more than 7700 people a year through mental health, mental retardation, substance abuse and HIV programs.  The 1100 figure used by the author to draw his conclusions relates to mental health services only.

We invite you to join a Community Forum co-sponsored by MHMR and NAMI Lubbock designed to address concerns and questions related to violence and mental illness and changes in the mental health service delivery system.  The forum will be held in the Estacado High School auditorium (1504 East Itasca) on November 18, 2003 at 5:30 p.m.  

For more information, call (806) 767-1648. 

Beth A. Moore,                                   
Public Information Officer
Lubbock Regional MHMR Center