County union defends suit over mental health services

Local advocate says contracting may be better

Ukiah Daily Journal

While the union that represents over 700 of the county of Mendocino's employees elaborated on its reasoning for suing the county over its efforts to contract out all of the county's mental health services, a local woman with first-hand knowledge of the current system says the changes are overdue.

"There is no crisis unit to speak of, and it's inexcusable," said Diane Zucker, who has a loved one who deals with mental illness, giving an example of the holes in the current system.

The county in October released a request for proposals in its effort to find a contractor to provide the mental health services that aren't already contracted out.

"I never want to lose government services to a private entity, but I think it's necessary," said Zucker, a self-described "union person" who is also involved with the boards of several local non-profit organizations that are working to step up and put in a bid.

The county, she noted, would still have oversight of the services.

Service Employees International Union, Local 1021, filed suit Feb. 11, four months after the county released the RFP, claiming the county can't contract out services it can provide on its own.

"The wheels of justice often grind slowly," wrote SEIU spokeswoman Sandi Madrigal in a Tuesday e-mail responding to a question from the Daily Journal about the lawsuit and why it took so long for the union to object to the contracting

process. "Certainly anyone will understand this if they have dealt with lawyers who are busy. SEIU Local 1021 wanted to make sure our lawyers had the opportunity to complete all the research correctly the first time before moving forward."

The union's lawsuit alleges that the county's bid to privatize its mental health services is an "illegal attempt to funnel public dollars to a private entity, and to improperly shed its responsibility for the welfare of its residents," according to a Tuesday press release from SEIU.

Before the request for proposals was released last year, Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency Director Stacey Cryer estimated between 60 and 70 percent of the county's mental health budget goes to 78 contractors to serve the county's mental health clients.

Madrigal said the fact that at least two-thirds of the county's mental health services are already contracted out "just shows that the county has a tendency to shed itself of responsibilities for its residents and to funnel public funds to private entities."

Responding to a common criticism that the county's mental health services are underfunded, understaffed and aren't adequate, Madrigal wrote, "The county has given up on trying to deliver the proper services. It's not a matter of money -- the county is paying private companies to do the work. It's a matter of have (sic) the will to do it right."

The lawsuit aims to stop the county from awarding a contract with a private company for the services, according to the Tuesday press release from SEIU, which notes that the county has "qualified and experienced mental health workers already doing the job who have a proven commitment to their community."

Asked if the lawsuit is about preserving jobs, Madrigal wrote, "State law says these services are the responsibility of the county. The union has the standing and concern to carry the lawsuit certainly, and someone has to make sure the county carries out its responsibilities to the community. We are of and for the community, we can do it, and it's the right thing to do."

Do county mental health workers believe the county is providing adequate mental health services?

"County mental health employees know their community and clientele and are committed to doing the best for them," Madrigal wrote. "They do not have the pressure of making sure their services turn a profit, which even non-profit organizations have to be concerned with."

Zucker's comments were more to the point, while she was careful to add that blame should not be pinned on county employees.

"I think the county's doing very poorly," she said of the current mental health system. "There are very, very few services and it's gotten worse. There's got to be a way to do it better."

Zucker said a group of local non-profits is working on a way "to deliver services that haven't been available," including crisis response, supportive housing that would include case management and an employment program.

"I have a lot of confidence in the non-profits locally that are trying to develop wrap-around services," she said. Regarding SEIU's comment that private entities are under pressure to turn a profit, Zucker said, "I know that the local non-profits dealing with mental health issues don't make a profit."

Asked if it is SEIU's policy to oppose any effort toward privatization, Madrigal wrote, "SEIU's policy is to serve the community in accordance to state law. In this case, fee for service is not necessarily the best model for mental health services. It has the pressure to keep a client coming back for more services rather than seeking to find a solution."

Zucker agrees that government jobs should be preserved, "but the important thing is that the services are there for the people that need them."

Meanwhile, Mendocino County Counsel Tom Parker's office opted not to release a public statement on the lawsuit that was expected by the close of business Tuesday. In a Tuesday afternoon phone conversation, Parker's only comment was that the statement essentially said that "the county disagrees with the position of SEIU."

Tiffany Revelle can be reached at udjtr@ukiahdj.com, on Twitter @TiffanyRevelle or at 468-3523.

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