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2 ; <br />A REPORT TO THE ORANGE COUNTY COM[I%HSSIONERS <br />REGARDING SERVICES AT OPC <br />For Fiscal Year 1991, Orange - Person - Chatham Mental Health /Developmental <br />Disabilities /Substance Abuse Services Authority served 2578 persons across our <br />region up from 2212 the previous year. This 16.5% increase in persons served <br />came during a year when OPC faced unprecedented cuts in funding support from <br />the State of North Carolina. Some general information concerning our caseload <br />is provided in attached sheets. A noteworthy trend is that during the recession <br />year of Fiscal Year 1991, OPC saw a marked increase in numbers of clients who <br />came to us without any income. In general OPC serves primarily low income <br />clients, but in Fiscal Year 1990, 34% of our clients reported no income and in <br />1991 a full 55 % of our. clients reported no income. Only 4 % of our clients have <br />incomes in excess of $31,000 per year. This figure has remained steady over the <br />last several years. During Fiscal Year 1991, OPC served 584 children under the <br />age of 18 as compared to 476 the previous year. <br />Trends in Service Development <br />Although Fiscal Year 1991 saw a reduction in state funding, OPC has redirected <br />some of its existing expenditures and has initiated efforts to secure new sources <br />of funding. In our Substance Abuse Service Area we have reallocated existing <br />resources. Our court based DWI program has seen a marked reduction in usage <br />because of competition from the private sector. We have redirected staff energy <br />away from our court program and toward increased provision of group and <br />individual direct treatment service. In response to the Chapel Hill Crime Task <br />Force, we made available our Child Prevention . Worker to organize parent <br />education and support groups in high risk neighborhoods. Additionally, we have <br />committed funds to perform outreach and coordination work with local agencies <br />such as the homeless shelter. In the area of Adult Mental Health services, we <br />have joined forces with the Mental Health Association to obtain HUD funding for <br />increased affordable housing for the disabled. Our Children's Service area has <br />increased its volume of service and placed increased emphasis on outreach work <br />with families and schools. <br />Obstacles <br />OPC has struggled this past year with a difficult computer conversion which is <br />only now being resolved and has resulted in inadequate data for the 1991 fiscal <br />year. By the end of fiscal year 1992 we will have more and better information <br />than has been previously available. Club Nova has faced the loss of nearly <br />$200,000 in annual federal support as a grant has been due to expire. At the <br />same time, the property in which Club Nova operates is being sold by its owner. <br />The Club Nova staff has had to be reduced in size from nine to five despite <br />OPC's having redirected approximately $50,000 annually from other programs to <br />Club Nova. Throughout this difficult time client attendance at Club Nova has <br />