Texas to cut costs by 5% at mental health hospitals

From News 8 Austin:

State officials directed the Health and Human Services Commission to find ways to cut costs by five percent in mental health hospitals.

One proposal would cut 200 beds from four of the 11 mental health hospitals in Texas.

It's a plan that Texas parent Leslie Jay isn't happy with. Her adopted son David was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at a young age. He is now 18-years-old, and the condition makes it hard for him to communicate. (Both are pictured.)

Jay's son is what brought her to testify before the Health and Human Services Commission Thursday.

"They're talking about cutting hospital beds and that could be an impact on David because I'm not going to be around forever," she said.

Jay fears by cutting hospital beds, other services like behavioral therapy will suffer as well.

Dr. Lakey is the Commissioner of the Department of State Health Services. He said cutting beds is a last resort.

"It's impossible for us to take a reduction of $134 million without having an impact on mental health services in the state of Texas," Dr. Lakey said.

The commission has already trimmed costs from administration, frozen hiring and cut travel expenses.

"You have to go into services. There's no other methodology for us mathematically to do that," Dr. Lakey said.

Jay said she has started to see progress with David from state-run services like behavioral therapy. She thinks David may be able to eventually live on his own and maintain a job, so the possible budget push back is painful.

"He really wants to live on his own and I see progress in those areas... this is heartbreaking. This is something that's important to my son," she said.

All state agencies have until Feb. 15 to turn in their lists of proposed budget cuts to the governor's budget office.