Article Options

Putting a face on proposed budget cuts

BY JOHN D. HOMAN, The Southern

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 10:56 PM CDT

MARION - Ray Billberry of Olney and Jon Garrison of Marion are two prime examples of Southern Illinoisans who have benefited immensely from services provided by Franklin-Williamson Human Services.

Both are in the process of completing 30-day stints with the agency's residential services division in an effort to forever rid themselves of drug abuse. And both have made tremendous strides toward recovery, according to counselors.

But if state senators aren't called back to Springfield soon to vote on and possibly override the governor's budget reductions that include $55 million from the substance abuse prevention and treatment system, there will be fewer success stories to report in Illinois like Billberry and Garrison.

"Those cuts the governor is proposing would hurt in many ways," Billberry said. "There are 14 of us here in Marion receiving residential services and half would be out of the program. I'm all for a balanced budget, but not if it could cost the lives of those really in need of some help. I hope the governor can see that."

Billberry, 34, is trying to overcome a marijuana addiction. He said he has been smoking marijuana since he was a teenager.

"I was arrested Jan. 1 on drug charges and quit smoking cold turkey right after that," he said. "I could see what marijuana was doing to my family and me. And I didn't like what I saw."

Although he wasn't ordered by the court to enter a treatment program, Billberry, with the help of residential treatment counselor Joy Koenig, was admitted to the Marion facility in late June.

"It got to the point where I was putting off my family obligations," said the father of four. "Coming into this treatment program here has helped reinforce good habits. Hopefully, I've turned the corner. The people here genuinely care about us and want to see us kick our addictions."

Garrison, 18, said he was addicted to prescription medications.

"One of my best friends died in a car wreck a couple of years ago and I just started eating Valiums," he said. "I took the pills to make me feel better, but if I would have kept it up, they would have killed me."

Garrison said he is now working through some anger issues since depriving himself of the sedatives. And it's getting easier for him as his head has cleared.

"My thought processes are much improved. I've been clean the last six months," he said.

While Billberry plans to return home to Olney in a few days to be with his wife and four children, Garrison plans to move from Marion to Golconda to work in the job corps. His girlfriend's father helped get him the job, he said.

John Shadowens, manager of prevention services for FWHS, said his department stands to lose about $110,000 in state funds. If that were to happen, he said, some life skills sessions provided to Herrin and Carterville students would be discontinued. About 700 students in all would be affected.

What complicates the cut, Shadowens said, is that for every state dollar the agency loses, it loses that same amount in available federal funds.

Teresa Williams, division manager for substance abuse services with FWHS, said her department would lose close to 50 percent of its state funding.

"I think Rep. John Bradley said it best when he said you're now talking about cutting into the meat and the bone of our core services," Williams said.

john.homan@thesouthern.com

351-5805