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County starts work on Children's Plan If the Legislature takes away funding, then the project that would provide mental health and substance abuse treatment will stop By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune In the shadow of Salem budget battles, Jackson County social service providers are preparing to implement the Oregon Children's Plan, Gov. John Kitzhaber's pet project aimed at intervening early in the lives of vulnerable families. Providers are accepting referrals now for 120 area families to receive mental health and substance abuse treatment services as part of an intensive plan to reach first-time parents of kids ages 0 to 8. "They're rolling it out early in four counties and we're one of the lucky ones," said Carin Niebuhr, director of the Jackson County Commission on Children and Families. Her agency is set to disburse about $340,000 through June 2003 for services offered by several providers, including Jackson County Mental Health, OnTrack Inc., Community Works and Southern Oregon Child Study and Treatment Center. The money is part of $11 million in state general funds earmarked by the state Legislature for alcohol and drug treatment for families of very young children. "Of course, if the Legislature in the cuts takes the money away, we'll stop," Niebuhr said. The state Legislature last year approved $60 million for the Oregon Children's Plan, down from Kitzhaber's requested $66 million. Subsequent proposals have pared back that figure as the governor and lawmakers struggle with an estimated $815 million budget shortfall. Although a four-day special session adjourned Monday, Kitzhaber has vowed to veto Republican-backed plans and call lawmakers into another session in March. Consequently, funding for the Children's Plan remains uncertain. "We just decided that we'll do what we can for as long as we can," Niebuhr said. Through the program, first-time families and families of young children to age 8 would receive intensive intervention services. Jackson County is among the first sites in the state because of the success of existing similar programs, such as Healthy Start, said Rita Sullivan, executive director of OnTrack. "As a result of that, we are in a position to show positive effects," Sullivan said. "We know from serving women with children that being able to get them early on, hopefully during pregnancy and hopefully during the first one, we can make a difference." Under the early roll out, 60 families will be targeted now, with 60 more later. Initially, 27 families will receive services through the county's early childhood staffing team, eight Hispanic families will receive mental health services through the county Mental Health Department, 10 families will receive substance abuse treatment through OnTrack and 15 families will receive mental health services through Community Works. Implementing the Children's Plan now fits in with a revised mission for the Commission on Children and Families, said Niebuhr, who recently released the agency's 2001-2003 strategic plan. "We're focusing strongly on juvenile crime, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, child abuse and service integration," Niebuhr said. While those issues have always been grave concerns, the state has asked local commissions to more tightly focus their missions and their outcomes. "The different is we had 15 priorities before," Niebuhr said. "This time, we're being asked to make major priorities to focus on those targets." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.