Section
A. A Message from the Board of Trustees
of MHMRA of Harris County
We the Board of Trustees have looked upon the process of strategic
planning as an opportunity for reflection upon and refocusing
of mission, goals, and priorities of the Mental Health Mental
Retardation Authority (MHMRA) of Harris County. Unfortunately,
the planning process must take into account an imminent reduction
of MHMRA resources.
The necessity for undertaking strategic planning has been
made more urgent by the budgetary crisis declared by the Governor.
Members of the 78th Texas Legislature currently deliberating
in Austin must come to grips with a projected budgetary shortfall
of at least 10 billion dollars, the largest deficit in state
history.
Appropriations for most publicly funded entities in Texas
are expected to contract, by at least ten percent, for the
current fiscal year. This means that one year’s worth
of dramatic cutbacks must be accommodated during the next
six months. Appropriations for the next fiscal year will also
reflect the effects of the current crisis.
These cutbacks will be especially hard for the MHMRA of Harris
County to absorb. Historically, MHMRA has not been allocated
an equitable share of the state budget. This has resulted
in the chronic under-funding of services in Harris County.
Before the statewide shortfall was recognized, moreover, the
Authority had been experiencing deficits.
Clearly, due to the chronic and acute constraints on the Authority’s
budget, deficits of any kind are intolerable. If any item
cannot clearly be justified by the value it adds to the community,
it will have to be reduced, suspended, or eliminated. As a
result, some services and supports may be delayed, disrupted,
or even discontinued.
These hard choices about budget priorities are made more difficult
because they must be implemented at once. If and when changes
to available services occur, however, we want to be confident—and
we want to instill confidence in the community—that none
of the program changes are arbitrary, that none of the proposed
cuts are simply across-the-board actions taken without reference
to impact. Thus, instead of simply announcing cuts and changes,
this plan sets forth a disciplined approach to making such
difficult decisions.
Ideally, an organization undertakes strategic planning when
resources are stable, perhaps even poised to expand, so that
the process can account for hopes rather than fears. In such
circumstances, a plan can reflect a vision of where leaders
want an organization to go. Unfortunately, the process of
strategic planning for MHMRA of Harris County comes at a time
when public resources for mental health and disability services
are contracting, perhaps permanently. Therefore, this strategic
plan indicates our estimation of where MHMRA must go within
the next one to three years.
Among the major intended results of this strategic planning
process is to streamline administrative overhead, in order
to fully utilize and maximize each dollar for services. The
main object of this planning process is to fully identify
key issues, in order to achieve our goal of a dynamic, flexible
agency that can adapt to meet the needs of its consumers.
In addition to reflecting the views of the Board, this strategic
plan incorporates opinions of Authority administrators and
recommendations from knowledgeable consumers, families, and
advocates, as represented by the members of advisory councils.
MHMRA is committed to act in a partnership of consumers and
family members, service providers, and policy makers to maintain
service options responsive to individual needs and preferences.
Yet, we the Board take seriously our responsibility to review
the mission, goals, and priorities of the Authority and, if
necessary, to set a new course. To achieve our goals, MHMRA
will continue to refine our infrastructure and internal support
systems and to establish external links with providers and
the community. Our work is the more urgent because of the
budgetary realities that affect us all. Choices about budgetary
priorities are always difficult. Yet, the fact remains that
public resources for mental health and disability services
are shrinking. We are committed to insuring that the Authority
uses all its resources creatively, to seek out opportunities
and to implement approaches that will increase the effectiveness
with which it serves the people of Harris County. Thus, we
are redoubling our efforts to seek out new funding sources
and to husband those currently available.
Make no mistake: the MHMRA of Harris County will continue
to provide quality services to its consumers. Indeed, by undertaking
this strategic planning process now, the Authority will be
better poised to improve services and increase effectiveness.
Signed,
MHMRA
Board of Trustees
_________________ Lynne Cleveland, Chairman
_________________ Mae F. McMillan, M.D., Vice Chairman
_________________ Paige Michael Cokinos, Secretary
_________________ Jane Cherry
_________________ Alfred H. Forsten
_________________ Tom Hamilton
_________________ Tracy Friedman Stein
_________________ Gerald W. Womack
