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Mental‑health providers and families urge Legislature to block proposed DMH cuts; cite Pappas, Pocasset and case‑management losses
Summary
Families, clinicians and union representatives warned that proposed FY‑26 reductions at the Department of Mental Health — including plans discussed to close or down‑size Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children and cuts to DMH case management — would displace medically complex children, increase ER boarding and raise costs elsewhere in state
Caregivers, clinical staff and unions told the Joint Committee on Ways and Means that proposed reductions to Massachusetts Department of Mental Health services pose immediate risks to medically complex children and adults and would likely increase hospital and public‑safety costs.
Multiple witnesses described the treatment role played by Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton and Pappas‑style services in other regions. “Pappas is like the human body — nurses are the heart, therapists are the muscles,” said patient Louis Bellos, who has lived at Pappas for three years and told lawmakers the facility “taught me to be defined by my abilities, not my disabilities.” Pappas staff and family members said the administration’s proposal to close or relocate services would force children and families to travel long distances, break essential therapeutic relationships and, in some cases, remove the only available residential or intensive treatment option for particular diagnoses.
Union leaders, clinicians and case managers described additional proposed cuts to DMH’s statewide case‑management network. “When case managers are stretched thin, the ability to deliver quality individualized supervision drastically declines,” said a witness who has worked for parole and parole‑like supervision; DMH case managers said reductions of 50% would create wait lists, disrupt relationships built over years and shift costs to emergency departments, jails and hospitals. “Flexibility is code for fewer services, fewer staff, and lower standards,” one DMH case manager told the committee.
Several witnesses recommended alternatives: pause any closures until a multi‑agency working group completes a public review; restore FY25 funding levels for DMH Children, Youth and Families; prohibit involuntary rapid discharges; and protect at least the capacity of Pappas and Picasset while the review takes place. The committee heard repeated practical examples, including children who had waited months for an IRTP (intensive residential treatment program) bed even when beds existed, and families forced to travel out‑of‑state to find care.
Why it matters: Testimony argued the cuts would not save money once downstream effects are included — emergency room boarding, jails, homelessness and the cost of out‑of‑state placements are likely to rise. Committee members asked for written documentation, utilization data and clarification of the working‑group schedule; the first meeting was described in testimony as scheduled for April 16.
Ending: Parents and staff urged immediate legislative action to restore funding and to keep specialized pediatric rehabilitation and state inpatient resources available while an independent review identifies options. "Please listen to the families living this reality every day, not just the theories of policy makers," a parent said.
