NORWICH – Serendipity Cafe, an employment program for clients of the county’s mental health department, has continued to draw both criticism and support from town supervisors.
The debate, which has occurred annually over the past three years, was prompted again this month when county leaders were asked to authorize the acceptance of $10,000 in state aid in order to cover the cost of increased rent for the program’s Eaton Center space. Chenango County Mental Hygiene Services Director Mary Ann Spryn said the New York State Office of Mental Health assistance was for 2007, leaving future rent costs uncertain.
Serendipity Cafe is a vocationally-geared program that offers assisted job training to individuals receiving mental health services and alcohol and drug treatment. Spryn said money earned from sales at the cafe plus an associated shop and meeting room traditionally covers all business-associated costs, including employees.
Commenting on the state’s support, James B. Bays, D-Smyrna, told his fellow members of the health and human services committee May 29 that he appreciated the state’s “sensitivity” to the program. “OMH has responded to this new need because of the uniqueness of the program and the model that it is. When the state shows sensitivity, it is notable.”
Town of Pharsalia Supervisor Dennis Brown expressed a different opinion, however. Speaking before the finance committee May 31, the Democrat asked why competing restaurants don’t receive state aid to afford rent increases and questioned the overall cost to taxpayers versus the success of the program.
When the matter came before the full board of supervisors on June 11, Brown said he has “never received a definitive answer” about the cost of the Serendipity program and its rate of success. “I have asked many, many times and never gotten an answer, especially about whether the funding covers staff,” he said.
Though he voted in favor of accepting the aid, and the motion passed, Brown followed up with a motion to refer his concerns to the health and human services committee. “It becomes pretty important to see how much that this thing costs us every year, and also see an evaluation of the success of the program,” he said.
Town of New Berlin Supervisor Ross Iannello, who is a member of the health and human services committee, commented that the program is funded without cost to local taxpayers.
Brown said, “I don’t want to get into a song and dance about how much it costs for local taxpayers. It costs all of us.” His referral passed via a voice vote with Bays and Peter C. Flanagan, D-Preston, opposing.
At the conclusion of the board’s session June 11, Bays again pointed out that former Governor Pataki had recognized Serendipity as “a model program.”
“Can we get a sense of the collective savings this thing brings to Chenango County? Could anyone guess or estimate what the benefits would be? I believe there is a whole host of societal issues that will really speak to the value of this program,” he said.
According to figures available from 1998 to 2005, 34 percent of the 95 county residents who completed the Serendipity Cafe program have had at least one job. Fifteen were able to move off of welfare and sustain employment for at least a year. However, the program’s annual cost and updated figures have not been made available to the press despite repeated calls to Mental Hygiene Services. Officials say they are in the process of preparing a report that will be delivered to the committee at a later date.
At a meeting of the health and human services committee Tuesday, Iannello said Brown’s request was “unfair to this committee and unfair to Mary Ann.”
“This is the third time this has come to this committee. If he (meaning Brown) has a problem with the program, he should go directly to her instead of this committee. We don’t ask the total amount going into other programs - the county share, but not the totals,” the politically nonaffiliated supervisor said.
“In all fairness, and I think many of the questions have been important, but since I’ve been here 18 years, she’s always covered the expenses of this program every time. ... If this department has to detail every expense in its budget, why not get all of the department’s budget numbers and state aid, like from within the Sheriff’s department? There are a lot of things that have never been clarified there in his budget.”
Committee Chairman Jeffrey B. Blanchard, R-Pitcher, recommended that the department provide a full report about the program due to the “significant” increase in rent. “This may have to be looked at next year,” he said.
Town of German Supervisor Richard Schlag said a program report would be “a pain” but “needs to be published.”
“It’s obvious that this individual (Brown) has an attitude or opinion - call it whatever you want - toward mental health programs in general. But he’s an elected official and can ask whatever he wants. But I agree, in all fairness, no other program in the county seems to come under similar scrutiny.”
Town of Afton Supervisor Robert Briggs said, “We need to know this information from all of the departments and we are not getting it.”