PACE closing: "Poor policy decision"

By Charles Sowell  

JANUARY 5, 2012 2:35 p.m. (0)

The closing of Spartanburg’s PACE Center has brought the issue of treating mental illness into sharp focus in the Upstate, but statewide the budget ax has fallen harder on South Carolina’s mental patients than in any other state, according to data from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Between 2009 and 2012 South Carolina cut 39.3 percent of the mental health budget, or $73.6 million. In 2009 the state provided $187.3 million. In 2012 the number is $113.7 million.

Shortly before Christmas, PACE announced it would close on Dec. 31. The center actually closed its office one day after the announcement, according to a recorded voice message. PACE’s Web site was also shut down.

PACE blamed the closing on funding shortfalls that have severely impacted the ability to provide services to approximately 200 clients.

“When you stop funding programs like PACE, you’re really making a poor policy decision,” said Ron Honberg, director of policy and legal affairs for NAMI. “The focus (at PACE and programs like it) is on prevention and treatment which are the least expensive ways to deal with mental health issues.”

The small non-profit offered services primarily dealing with crime victims, families and people impacted by various issues, from stress to depression. There were also programs dealing with suicide prevention, individual counseling, married couples and families, veteran’s services, programs for domestic violence batterers, people raising or caring for grandchildren.

With the closing, cash-strapped state providers will have to pick up the slack as much as they can.

Since 2006, South Carolina’s mental health program has been in free fall, NAMI said in a report grading state programs nationwide.

“Your governor, to her credit, has acknowledged the problem in South Carolina on mental health funding,” Honberg said. “Now whether the legislature will do something about it is another matter.”

In 2006, South Carolina’s mental health system received a B grade, one of the few states to reach the B range. In 2009, its grade is a D.

“This precipitous drop reflects the devastation of community mental health care at a point when the state is struggling with a budget crisis,” NAMI said in the report.

By 2009 the national average also was D. Since then, investments in improvement have just about stopped; state systems have been decimated by budget cuts, NAMI said.

Fortunately for South Carolina a number of private organizations have stepped in to fill gaps wherever possible. The Duke Endowment has given several million dollars to make sure every rural hospital emergency room has round-the-clock access to board-certified psychiatrists via telemedicine.

The mental health department is also enlisting psychiatric residents at the state’s two medical schools to do their training at state facilities to help ease the shortfall of mental health professionals.

Clients paid for services at PACE on a sliding scale with fees starting at $15.

Secondary victims of crime, including children, were seen by PACE for free.

“In the last 18 months, the PACE Center faced critical issues. The organization came together to stabilize and refocus its core mission – serving the mental and behavioral health needs of clients many with limited resources,” according to a written statement from PACE.