State, county officials talk proposed mental health service funding, present Dennis Marion Impact Award

May 25—A $20 million investment to increase base funding for Pennsylvania counties and provide mental health services is part of Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed budget request, state officials said.

State representatives along with Cumberland and Perry county officials gathered Wednesday at the Dennis Marion Public Services Building at 16 W. High St. in Carlisle to discuss the funding.

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services acting Secretary Val Arkoosh said the proposed funds could help with county programs like Cumberland County's Child and Adolescent Service System Program, a system that provides care for children and teens experiencing severe emotional disturbance.

She said the Shapiro administration has prioritized "equitable, affordable and local access to mental health services" for all Pennsylvanians, and also proposed a commitment to annual mental health service funding increases through the 2027-28 fiscal year.

"The governor's proposed funding will invest in this life-saving system and infrastructure," Arkoosh said. "These investments will bolster our behavioral health systems and can be used to support expanding capacity, addressing workforce shortages and breaking down barriers to service."

Having served as a county commissioner for eight years, she said the investment is "seriously overdue" in Pennsylvania counties.

"These programs can literally save lives and give people the hope and the support and the confidence that they can and will get better," Arkoosh said. "Mental health is integral to our overall health and we must ensure a robust, responsive and behavioral health system to meet Pennsylvanians' needs."

Cumberland and Perry counties have seen flat or decreased state funding for mental health services for the past 13 years and face a $2.5 million budget deficit, according to Cumberland County.

County officials have hosted a series of town hall meetings in Cumberland and Perry counties ahead of the state's June 30 budget deadline to discuss how the lack of state funding and availability of services coupled with a growing population and increased mental health service costs have affected residents.

Dennis Marion Impact Award

Wednesday's event included the presentation of the Dennis Marion Impact Award, a state award named after Dennis Marion, who died in 2017. During his career, Marion served in Cumberland County government for 31 years before moving on to work for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Resources.

The award, which recognizes local and state government employees who have significantly improved the behavioral health service delivery system in Pennsylvania, was presented to Megan Johnston, senior human services program manager with the Cumberland-Perry Mental Health Office.

Johnston also is the Child and Adolescent Service System Program's coordinator and supervisor of the Elementary Student Assistance Program supervisor, and recently helped to implement the student assistance program in all the counties' school districts, state officials said in a news release. The Elementary Student Assistance Program helps remove learning barriers and provide early interventions for students to enhance their mental health and create a safe and healthy environment.

"Megan exemplifies exactly what this aptly named award honors," Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Gary Eichelberger said. "We're so proud of her for earning this and in doing so underlining the service message that Dennis brought to us through his actions. We're so proud of her and the work that she and her staff do to help our children become better students, better children, better adults, better parents."

Maddie Seiler is a news reporter for The Sentinel and cumberlink.com covering Carlisle and Newville. You can contact her at mseiler@cumberlink.com and follow her on Twitter at: @SeilerMadalyn

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