Brent_Campbell's Blog

As North Carolina pushes a 33 percent cut in funding for Community Services used by patients classified with a mental illness, I wonder just how many people in the Piedmont does this really affect?  As we shot our story with 5 year old Parker Monday, I watched first hand what his sessions with his Community Services Therapist really mean.  Like his mother says, it lieterally gives him the abiltiy to talk.  It means the words like I love you, which she didn't hear until he was almost 4, are there. The therapist spent time with Parker using specialized methods to help bring out and perfect the most basic of skills. They are skills many of us take for granted, but for Parker major accomplishments that can mean the difference in future independence.  It was truely heartwrenching to watch his excitment as he spoke, as he learned. You can't help but wonder where he would be without this therapis.  I think its fair to say without this therapy Parker would not be able to express himself, to ask for things he wanted, tell his parents if something was bothering him, and much more.  It was interesting to me that state officials want to cut this therapy.  I understand the state's concerns about misuse of funds, but I wonder what others think about cutting the funds across the board so drastically?  Should there be a better system of checks and balances? What can we do to ensure these funds are used properly instead of taken away all together?  What do others think about North Carolina lumping Autism funding (Community Service  Funding) in the same pool of money as funding for substance abuse programs? 

     Its a tough debate. I think we all want to eliminate waste from the system, stop people from abusing funds, but where do you draw the line? Is taking away therapy that many families can't afford otherwise the answer?