MINUTES SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE March 16, 2000 8:32 AM TAPES SFC-00 # 51, Side A CALL TO ORDER Co-Chair Sean Parnell convened the meeting at approximately 8:32 AM PRESENT Co-Chair Sean Parnell, Co-Chair Torgerson, Senator Dave Donley, Senator Loren Leman, Senator Randy Phillips, Senator Gary Wilken and Senator Green Also Attending: JAN MCGILLIVARY, President, Mental Health Association in Alaska; JAN GUERTIN; ED HILL; SHERRI MCCROY; LILY NANN HOLTEN; DONA RULE, Fairbanks Community Mental Health Center's board of directors, board member, Alaska Mental Health Association, student, University of Alaska- Fairbanks SUMMARY INFORMATION Building Bridges Mental Health Campaign Presentation JAN MCGILLIVARY, President, Mental Health Association in Alaska testified that the campaign is a consortium of organizations that serve the mental health services in the community. She said the campaign members are advocates and consumers of these services either for themselves or family members. She spoke of the efforts made by members of the campaign to raise funds from bake sales to car washes. Ms. McGillivary told the Committee that her charge is to empower the campaign members to speak for themselves before the legislators. JAN GUERTIN from Juneau read testimony telling of her work as a mother and parent advocate for Parents Incorporated. She stated that the agency is federally mandated by the US Department of Education to provide training and education to parents of special needs students so they can receive the services their children need under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDA). Ms. Guertin addressed SB 205 and its companion, HB 301 that would update the state special education statute to conform to the IDA law of 1997. SB 198, she continued, would raise the base program for student allocations within schools from $3,940 per student to $3,990 per student. She then spoke in favor of SB 244 and HB 366, companion bills that would increase the grant funding to school districts to assure in implementation of the state's Quality Schools Initiative. Ms. Guertin supported funding for the Denali KidCare program at the current level of 200 percent of the federal guideline. Ms. Guertin concluded by stressing that these programs would support the lives of children in "the life domain" and help them to have a greater quality of life. Co-Chair Parnell commented that sometimes the Administration encourages testifiers to legislative committees to mention certain bills on the Governor's behalf. He asked the witness to give her personal assessment of what the Quality Schools Initiative and the Denali KidCare would do for her and others in her situation. Ms. Guertin told of a woman with a disabled child. This woman worked full time but was barely able to make ends meet and depended upon Denali Kidcare because she could not otherwise provide medical care to her child. She told of the other services the mother received through the school system to meet the child's extensive needs, but noted that other needs go unmet. Ms. Guertin understood that the Denali Kidcare program's funding level was reduced to 100 percent and then raised to 130 percent. She stressed the importance of utilizing the federally approved guidelines to fund the program at 200 percent, which would allow for Alaska's higher cost of living expenses. Co-Chair Parnell corrected that the proposed operating budget considered by both the Senate and the House of Representatives currently had agreement for funding at the 200 percent level. The reduction, he explained was contained in a house bill that was stagnant in a committee and would not pass into law. He was concerned that she was led to believe the legislature was contributing less. ED HILL, from Anchorage testified in regards to SB 73, which addressed assisted living. He also touched upon the $2.8 million in cuts to the Department of Health and Social Services budget planned for this year. He told of why he did not believe there should be any more cuts to mental health care. He realized that the initial savings seemed good, but warned that the whenever a mental health patient was denied services, the long-term cost rose to a seven-to-one ratio. He explained that the patients in need of services travel through the police system, then into the Alaska Psychiatric Institute, where the cost is $1,000 per day. He urged the Committee to make the least amount of cuts as possible. Senator Phillips stressed the top priority of the people living in his district was to cut the budget and not spend the permanent fund for government services. He asked the witness's interpretation of the Permanent Fund Advisory vote held on September 14, 1999. Mr. Hill countered saying the people he talked to about the state's budget situation all agreed that a fair state tax was acceptable. He spoke of the need to explain the need for these services to the public. He stressed the common belief of those who understood the situation was that the neediest should not be forced to carry the burden. SHERRI MCCROY, from Fairbanks read testimony in regards to information, intervention and assistance and its importance in her family. She spoke of her two teenage sons who suffer from Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED) and the "constant battle" every day between the sons. She said the boys fight constantly and that her health has suffered as a result. Although she and her husband hold full-time jobs, they have been called away to come to the school to intervene with the behavior problems. She then learned about a program in Fairbanks that has helped her oldest son immensely. The second son, she said is also showing progress in this program. She stressed that without these services and the knowledge they provided her about her sons' illness, she would not have been able to treat the boys. She mentioned HB 149, insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse and encouraged its passage. Without Denali KidCare, she said she would not have been able to access the services. LILY NANN HOLTEN, from Homer thanked the members for funding mental health agencies that made it possible for her to attend this meeting. She gave a brief description of her multiple medical problems and a chronic mental illness. She told of having two adult sons who were productive members of society. She said that when "their lives were collapsing around us" her son was able to access the mental health services he needed. She told of how her counselor told her she had to apply for public assistance in order to become eligible for services. She talked about the negative affects of poverty on a young person. She suggested that people who earn enough money that they must pay taxes should be proud of their contribution. DONA RULE, from Fairbanks, told the Committee that he serves on Fairbanks Community Mental Health Center's board of directors, is a board member of the Alaska Mental Health Association, a University of Alaska-Fairbanks student, who works part time and suffers from schizophrenia. He stated that the location of services was critical to him and his peers in Fairbanks. He spoke of the importance of the services he receives and thanked the members for their much- needed support. ADJOURNED Senator Parnell adjourned the meeting at 8:57 AM. SFC-00 (1) 03/16/00