Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's proposal to cut state grants to community mental health and substance abuse providers is prompting an outcry from advocates and some families of Newtown massacre victims in Connecticut.
Advocates say the Democratic governor's spending plan for next fiscal year reduces the grants by $25.5 million.
That money is used by private agencies to help cover patients without medical insurance and the gap between how much it costs to provide mental health services and the state's reimbursement for Medicaid patients. They're predicting layoffs and program closures.
One Newtown parent wrote a letter to Malloy and legislators, asking if the deaths "mean nothing" to them now.
Despite the proposed reduction, Malloy's budget still spends more on the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services than last year.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
