THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 14, 1994 TAG: 9410140589
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARIE JOYCE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Clients and advocates of mental health services said it was an attempt to end local control of their programs.
State officials said they had it all wrong.
It came down to this: a red-faced Del. Harry R. ``Bob'' Purkey, R-Virginia Beach, urgently clutching the arm of Edward L. Williams, fiscal director of the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board, surrounded by a knot of onlookers in a cafeteria at Old Dominion University.
Mental health was an emotional topic Thursday night at a meeting of Gov. George F. Allen's Blue Ribbon Strike Force on government reform.
The 60-member group is charged with suggesting ways to streamline state government. Seventeen members held a public hearing on their proposals at ODU's Webb Center.
The meeting drew roughly 400 people to talk about many parts of the report - motor vehicle inspections, state employee travel expenses, museum programs.
A live llama even made an appearance - a statement about zoo outreach education programs.
But the biggest single demonstration came from advocates of the community services boards. The locally governed boards provide mental health, mental retardation and substance abuse services.
Advocates complained that one of the strike force's proposals would shift control of the mental health programs from local boards to the state.
Several people who receive services stood up to protest.
``If it weren't for community services board, I'd have no place to go but lie in the streets,'' said Robert Crockett of Newport News.
After several protests, commissioners decided to move the mental health advocates into another room and hold a separate hearing chaired by Purkey and another commissioner, Paul Benenati.
Purkey told listeners they were mistaken about the report, and he and Williams ended up facing off.
``We have people here who need to be reassured,'' Purkey said.
``What we want to get out is the intention of your group,'' replied Williams.
Purkey, Benenati and staffers said the commission didn't intend to restructure the boards or reduce services.
``That simply will not happen,'' Purkey said to cheers from the 100 or so advocates.
However, he did say that the community services boards' budgets should be looked at for possible belt-tightening.
The strike force's report does call for the consolidation of some human services agencies and the privatization of state-operated mental health and mental retardation facilities.
The finished report is scheduled to be delivered to the governor next month, after several public hearings. The governor may chose or reject any of the proposals.
Even after commissioners gave their assurances last night, many of the mental health advocates stood up to warn the commission that they would be watching.
Hampton resident Kay Barnes, whose son is mentally retarded, said she's not completely convinced.
``When you live to be 60, you get a little cynical,'' she said.
For details: Computer users can find the complete text of the Blue Ribbon Strike Force report on the Virginia News page of the Pilot Online. See Page A2 for details. by CNB