As Shasta County Health and Human Services scrambles to reduce costs to absorb state funding cuts, mental health services are taking a hit. “Circle of Friends Wellness Center”, a mental health program based in Burney, will close at the end of the month and leave a serious gap in mental health care for the Intermountain area. The facility is apparently not eligible for funding under the State Behavioral Services Act, which replaced the previous funding model. Circle of Friends operates under the umbrella of the non-profit “Hill Country Community Clinic”. Proponents point to the preventive effects of programs like Circle of Friends to keep patients from deteriorating to the point of needing more expensive services and having negative impacts on society in various ways. Another highly praised mental health program the county is suspending is the “Stand Against Stigma” campaign. For 20 years “Stand Against Stigma” has worked to remove shame, fear and other barriers that keep people from seeking the help they need for mental health and substance abuse treatment.
-Steve Gibson