Butler County Human Services has big plans for its 2015-2016 state block grant money.

This will be the fourth year human services receive the grant. Joyce Ainsworth, director of human services, said the grant accounts for 30 percent of the department’s budget.

She said a 10 percent cut to human services funding that took place the first year of the block grant’s existence has been promised to be restored by Gov. Tom Wolf.

However, Ainsworth said whether that actually will happen is unknown.

“We don’t know where it’s going to go,” Ainsworth said.

So, human services based its planning on the state grant it received last year, which was $8.9 million.

Mental health services — with a roughly $5 million budget — and intellectual disabilities services — with a roughly $2.5 million budget — are funded almost entirely by the grant.

Departments such as the Area Agency on Aging do not receive any of the grant money. Other departments, like Children and Youth Services (CYS), receive a small amount of the grant.

Ainsworth said a benefit of the grant includes more local determination of where the money should go.

Additionally, leftover funding from the grant is allowed to carry over to the next year, which Ainsworth said has been great. Funds carried over have helped with drug and alcohol programs, physical upgrades and trauma training.

“It’s just been incredibly helpful,” Ainsworth said.

For the upcoming grant, mental health services is planning to add 24/7 mobile capability, as well as an additional psychiatric rehabilitation program. An assertive community treatment team also will begin services in the fall.

Intellectual disability services is planning to use funding to launch a dual diagnosis treatment team this summer. The funds will support activities such as transportation and behavior support for 285 people.

CYS is planning an increased focus to make sure families have access to safe and affordable housing.

Drug and alcohol services plans to use the funds to address increased use of heroin and prescription drugs, including supporting efforts to make the anti-overdose drug Narcan more available and to enhance recovery-oriented services such as the seven recovery houses in the county.

The grant also will be used to match state Act 13 gas drilling impact fees provided by the county to support a pilot project to help people get jobs. The program will partner with the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau to identify hotels where eligible people can work.

Additionally, grant money will be used to buy and renovate 17 housing units to increase affordable housing, and to help control the increasing cost of transportation services.

County residents can submit comments about the plan by mail to Butler County Human Services, P.O. Box 1208, Butler, PA 16003, or send an e-mail to bcmhmr@co.butler.pa.us. The final plan later will be posted to the county’ website, co.butler.pa.us.

The plan will be forwarded to the county commissioners for approval.