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Dozens protest closing of West Haven Mental Health Clinic

New Haven Register (CT) - 7/17/2016

July 17--WEST HAVEN -- Susan Gallagher always knew something was wrong with her 27-year-old son. For years, doctors said it was social anxiety or depression, and prescribed him with medication to treat his symptoms. But his illness was so much more, Gallagher said. It wasn't until 2011 that her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

"It was years in the making. (Doctors) don't want to put that label on them too early," Gallagher said.

Fast-forward five years after her son's diagnosis, and Gallagher is still fighting to ensure those who are battling a mental illness are able to receive the proper course of treatment. On Saturday, Gallagher was just one of 50 people who rallied at Shingle Hill Park after the West Haven Mental Health Clinic shut down its adult services program due to state budget cuts.

After closing its adult services program, the 210 people who sought mental health care at WHMHC were forced to find treatment elsewhere. The department referred all 210 clients to the Connecticut Mental Health Center and Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center in New Haven and the Bridges program in Milford.

The clinic, which was established in 1971 and is a satellite location of the Connecticut Mental Health Center, offers a myriad of psychological and psychopharmacological services to adults, families and children.

But after the clinic closed its program, many were left without the proper course of treatment. For Gallagher, she knows all too well the demands of caring for those battling mental illness. "People have a hard time understanding the illness. ... The hardest thing for them -- number one -- is change, when their whole lives are abrupted," she said.

Those who struggle with mental illness have trouble adjusting to new environments and counselors, and when their routine is disrupted, Gallagher said it often leads to a digress in treatment. For many patients, without the proper care, there is an increased potential for danger, Gallagher said. "Lack of treatment leads to violent behavior and more hospitalizations," she said.

For over 20 years, Jonathan Bober, has been utilizing WHMHC's services. But the closure of the institution's program has left many clients with lapses in their care.

The clinic -- which was originally scheduled to close its program on July 1 -- shut down its adult services program in the beginning of June, Bober said. Because of this, many patients were left without enough time to transition properly and adjust to a new environment.

For many, the change in clinics has caused many patients to digress in their care, Bober said. Since the closure, Bober said he has been sicker more often and struggles more throughout the night.

"Society as a whole needs to lend a hand. People can't do this on their own. It wears down on you," he said.

Since the clinic closed its program in early June, one patient has been hospitalized after she stopped taking her proper medication, Bober said.

For those who are battling mental illness, it is not only vital to have resources readily available, but to receive treatment in a safe environment where people can express their struggles without fear.

"It's important to have a place where you can speak openly and not be ridiculed," Bober said.

However, if state legislators continue to cut mental health funding, Bober said he believes society as a whole will begin to take steps backward. By allocating more funding to mental illness, Bober said it can help ensure that those who are battling mental illness do not fall through the cracks. "Things need to change locally and nationally," he said.

According to Lisa, who preferred to be identified only by her first name, staff and clients were notified on April 19 that WHMHC would stop offering the adult services program. The caseworkers at West Haven Mental Health Clinic were given 30 days to arrange for treatment at the other facilities.

However after its closure, facilities had trouble accommodating the influx of patients, leaving some clients without care and a replenished supply of medication, Lisa said.

And while some clients are still able to receive treatment from the same counselor, others are not, and many have nowhere to go, Lisa said.

"This is a recipe for disaster. People do not understand the population," Gallagher said.

According to state Rep. Charles Ferraro, R-West Haven, there are other services the state could have cut from the budget before mental health was affected. For many of these clients, predictability and stability are two elements that aid clients in their treatment, Ferraro said. But due to the sudden closure of the WHMHC, there have been breaks in follow-up and service.

"Changing a caseworker is traumatic for them to deal with," Ferraro said. "The way (the government) did it was they took a scalpel to the budget and they didn't think it through about the consequences."

For Councilman David Riccio, R-At Large, there are cuts that could have been made at the state level that did not directly affect families.

"This is such an important issue that it gets swept under the rug," Riccio said. "(WHMHC) has been an institution for so many decades. There are so many mental health issues affecting children or adults and we need to address these issues," Riccio said.

Sam Norton can be reached at 203-680-9906.

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