Calif. May End Mental-Health Program

California could terminate a program aimed at helping the state’s mentally ill population break the vicious cycle of hospitals, jails and homelessness.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to to pull the $55 million spent annually on the Integrated Services for Homeless Adults With Serious Mental Illness program to help close a $3 billion budget shortfall.

The Los Angeles Times said Saturday the program has received national acclaim as a new approach to homelessness in California, which has a large mental-illness component. The program addresses the full gamut of problems faced by the mentally ill homeless, including medical treatment, drug counseling and job training. The Times said the impact has been significant savings for counties that have to pay for psychiatric hospitalizations and jail time.

The governor’s office said while no final decisions had been made, the program was one of relatively few in the state without mandated funding levels. It also stressed overall state funding for mental health was not being reduced.