Outpatient Behavioral Health Program Closures

Highlighted the hands-on work of complex care and community health workers in supporting homeless and high-need patients.

Shared that participating in the Fairmont Outpatient Psych program for over 22 years has kept him out of psychiatric hospitals.

Credited the Fairmont Behavioral Health program with providing life-saving structure, purpose, and community support.

Explained how the Fairmont PHP/IOP program helped her process trauma and maintain stability.

Expressed deep concern over proposed cuts to wellness and mental health services, sharing personal family experiences.

Read from an op-ed emphasizing that outpatient mental health programs prevent homelessness, incarceration, and psychiatric hospitalization.

Shared through an interpreter how the Highland psychiatric group program saved her life after personal tragedies.

Stated that participating in the outpatient psych program for three years kept him out of the hospital and urged preservation of mental health services.

Shared that the mental health program at Highland saved his life and suggested revisiting the board of trustees.

Clinical manager at Fairmont outpatient behavioral health noted that alternative programs lack capacity, transportation, and appropriate care for Medi-Cal clients.

Highlighted that frontline staff successfully reduced program deficits and expressed frustration over management's refusal to collaborate.

Manager of Fairmont outpatient behavioral health requested a seat at the table to review budget details and protect patient care.

President of NAMI County affiliate urged fiscal responsibility and warned that cutting prevention services leads to higher costs elsewhere.

Fairmont therapist emphasized that IOP closure will increase homelessness, incarceration, and avoidable suffering.

Outlined systemic barriers patients face when trying to access alternative mental health resources.

Expressed willingness of staff to collaborate on solutions rather than having programs closed.

Highlighted the healing community built over 25 years and warned against breaking patient attachments.

Fairmont therapist stated that program elimination would cause unnecessary death and suffering.

Credited the PHP/IOP program with saving her life from suicide and teaching her coping skills.

Manager of outpatient psych services at Highland emphasized the 30-year history of comprehensive care and asked for collaboration.

Expressed deep personal reliance on mental health programs for stability and happiness.

Attending Highland for 11 years without psychiatric hospitalization, praised peer support for helping avoid crisis.

Highland MFT urged the board to uphold mental health as a fundamental right and stop the death by a thousand cuts.

Highland MFT with 24 years of service noted that expanding IOP could increase revenues and criticized lack of administrative support.

Patient shared that the Highland program kept him out of mental hospitals since 2000.

Fairmont clinician noted recent revenue increases and urged the board to give the program a chance to become sustainable.

Fairmont SLP described the cascading operational failures across ED, housekeeping, and dietary resulting from staff cuts.

Fairmont occupational therapist warned that cutting staff leads to dangerous delays in patient care and increased mortality.