Tuesday, December 31, 2002

By TAMARIA L. LIDDELL

The Eagle-Gazette Staff

Sexual offenders and violent individuals with have to travel out of the county to receive psychological help after the first of the year.

Mid-Ohio Psychological Services will terminate its adult sex offender and adult anger management programs on Wednesday. The announcement comes after budget cuts were made by the Fairfield County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Board.

On Dec 17 the ADAMH boards Executive Committee voted 8-6 to withdraw funds for these programs in an attempt to ensure that other community services are maintained

The budget cuts left the agency with no other choice, said Brad Hedges, Executive director of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services.

"We attempted to negotiate continued funding by the board with no success," Hedges said. ‘All other potential funding sources were explored prior to the termination of these programs.

The approximate $35,000 cost for the sex offender program and $18,000 cost for the anger management program represented less than one percent of the board’s total budget, Hedges said.

Terminating these programs will take its toll on the community, agree local law enforcement.

Seventeen adult and two juvenile sex offenders and eight mentally ill, violent individuals will be affected

"The community should be concerned," said Fairfield County Sheriff Dave Phalen. "There will be some adverse impact, but as to what effect well have to wait and see. Time will tell as to the total impact this will have on the community.

Lancaster Deputy Police Chief David Bailey also expressed concern.

"I don’t know what the effect will be, but it can’t be good." Bailey said. "It will make our jobs and the job of the court a lot more difficult."

We have tried to use (other) locations in the past and we find that attendance drops off." said John Baus, chief probation officer for the Fairfield County Common Pleas Probation Department. "Many (offenders) don’t have transportation or their license might be suspended. Without a local resource, many are unable to attend or they tend to drop out and quit"

"This is why I wrote a letter of concern to the ADAMH Board. Baus said. "Because we just haven’t had good success when we send them to another community for treatment.’

If offenders don’t attend treatment, they will end up back in the prison system. Baus said.

‘lt’s a requirement of their probation to successfully complete the treatment we send them to," Baus said. ‘Its a double-edged sword. instead of having a productive offender working in the community they will end up back in prison

And this takes more money out of the pocketbooks of taxpayers, Baus said

There has to be some type of intervention Bailey said.

The ADAMH Board’s cuts follow the defeat of Issue 15, a 1-mill levy voted down in the general election Nov. 5. The levy would’ve cost the owner of a $100,000 home $30.62 per year, or $2.55 per month

The board made cuts for all of its contracting agencies: New Horizons, The Recovery Center. The Lighthouse, The Fairfield Mental Health Consumer Group and Fairfield Medical Center, including the temporary removal of one administrative staff position from the Board.