How state, federal budget delays sent crisis center into contingency planning
Before both the federal and state governments resolved impasses Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Center for Community Resources and its crisis center were nearly facing their own emergency.
The Butler-based nonprofit, which takes about 16,000 mental health related calls per year from 24 counties, would have needed a line of credit to fund its crisis operations in the next 30 days — but likely will be able to make ends meet now, until the funds from the state budget arrive.
The center’s CEO, Brandon Savachka, said Thursday, Nov. 13, he is more optimistic about the funding being available, but he’s left with another question: When will the funds come through?
“It would probably take at least six weeks before we would start to receive payments from some of our funders,” Savachka previously said. “(The) reconciliation process will take some time, and then some money will start to be disbursed, and then payments will start to get made by the funders.”
An end to the federal impasse alone would still have left the organization in trouble, as state legislators must allocate federal funds in the state budget before they are dispersed to Community Resources.
Without the funding, Savachka was preparing for the center to take on a line of credit to fund its crisis services.
“We’re a fragile system to begin with,” Savachka said. “Butler County has done a nice job building a continuum of care, but any significant (delay in) funding will impact that continuum.”
Annually, the organization’s 24-hour crisis center receives about 16,000 calls, takes about 600 walk-ins, goes on about 960 mobile calls and serves 250 people with its interim housing program.
Savachka said mobile calls may respond with law enforcement and emergency services to any type of incident where the patient may be experiencing a mental health crisis. A crisis worker may help divert the patient from prison into the care they need, Savachka said.
The crisis center also doubles as a center for 988, which is the national phone number people can call when experiencing a mental health crisis.
According to Katie Doerr, chief program officer at the Center for Community Resources, Butler’s 988 center is the primary call center for 40 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. It also covers about 15 additional counties as the backup call center and receives 988 text chats from all 67 counties.
For the 988 center, the entirety of its funding comes from the state, Savachka said. He previously anticipated a significant impact on the 14 call centers in the state for 988 without the budget in place by the end of the year.
The state began transitioning to the 988 system in July 2022 and the volume of calls and texts has increased each year since. Savachka said call centers in the state take about 130,000 calls per year and the Butler 988 center received about 85,000 text chats in 2024, which was an increase of about 50% from the previous year.
“There needs to be a mechanism for ongoing funding of this,” Savachka said at an earlier time. “I don’t know how all 14 of these call centers will be able to survive.”
The crisis center needs about $2 million annually to operate its crisis services, Savachka said. The $2 million funds 21 full-time employees for its crisis staff and an additional 24 full-time staff for its interim housing program.
Butler County funds about 57% of the crisis services in the county and Medicaid reimburses the county for 43% of the overall costs for crisis services in the county. Savachka said they are two separate funding streams.
“The county is responsible to fund all of crisis services for everyone that is not covered by Medicaid,” Savachka said. “This will include anyone that is not insured or covered by commercial insurance.”
Butler County Commissioners had committed to funding human services without state and federal help, but not without impedance to taxpayers. Savachka said the county had to use money that was collecting interest in bank accounts to fund human services.
“We had a healthy fund balance with cash on hand that was invested well by the treasurer, earning significant interest,” said Commissioner Leslie Osche.
The Center for Community Resources also dipped into its reserves to avoid taking a line of credit, Savachka said.
While Butler County weathered the funding drought, human services providers in other counties weren’t so fortunate.
“As far as other counties go, we understand that we are one of only a few counties paying human services providers,” Osche said in a previous interview. “Some surrounding counties have implemented hiring freezes and layoffs, and others are borrowing to pay Children and Youth Services staff, as well as other human services staff. Some have closed senior centers.”
