Killing program unhealthy, unwise
Today in Boise, the state of Idaho is considering the option of eliminating Adult PSR services. Most citizens in Idaho have little idea what PSR services actually are, or what's really at risk.
I am a PSR (Psycho-Social Rehabilitator) servicing the greater Kootenai County area. Currently, as I write this, discussions are starting in Boise, with respect to whether PSR and other services should be eliminated.
The specific reason that has been forwarded to justify the elimination of these services is that PSR service has not been proven, according to some, to have a beneficial impact on those serviced. As a PSR service worker, more specifically an ACT Crisis PSR worker, I strongly disagree. I believe the benefits of our services are complex and misunderstood, or not comprehended at all by most citizens. Not only do the clients we serve benefit, but every citizen of Kootenai County does as well.
The first misnomer comes from our actual title. Although a large component of our job is related to the psycho-social, that is only a fraction of what we do. Our duties include working with clients in all of the following areas: psychological, medical, social, vocational/educational, basic living skills, legal, community, financial and family.
Most of the clients I see would either have to be institutionalized or incarcerated were they not receiving our services. The average cost of hospitalizing an individual in the state of Idaho, currently exceeds $1,000 a day. The cost of providing outpatient PSR services to that same client costs the state around $80 a day. I am proud to say that my team saves the state of Idaho hundreds of thousands of dollars a month, servicing over 30 clients in Kootenai County. This is a small fraction of those actually being serviced in this area.
Therefore, should the state of Idaho eliminate PSR services, we are going to have a much bigger problem than the state budget. I currently see over 30 clients a week. Among those are violent offenders, sex offenders, burglars, arsonists and many multiple offender drug addicts as well as others with various mental disorders. Under our care, in conjunction with Kootenai County Courts, Kootenai County Probation, NAMI, Region one, as well as many others, these individuals are kept in check, their mental health is stabilized, and society is able to function without having to deal with the crimes these individuals would likely be committing against others, or themselves. Eventually most of these individuals are able to be fully re-integrated back into society, to go on to lead healthy prosperous lives. The incidence of re-criminalization of these individuals is almost non-existent while receiving services.
Should the state of Idaho eliminate adult PSR services, there would be one of two scenarios. The first would be to simply allow these individuals to become un-medicated, as they would without PSR supervision. The alternative would be to immediately incarcerate these people, likely resulting in a mass overcrowding of the detention system.
I don't know about you, but the idea of hundreds of potentially unsupervised mentally and criminally ill people meandering the streets of Coeur d'Alene gives me the willys.
Ed Mueller is a Kootenai County Area Crisis Team PSR worker.