By Chris Levister

Behind Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County has the highest concentration of homeless people in California. New figures suggest that of the 5,000-8,000 chronically homeless people living in the county, 50 percent of them are mentally ill - among them Cynthia Davis who suffers from severe depression - she makes her home in a flood channel just below Arrowhead Avenue.

Making good on a promise to trim the state budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger eliminated a $55-million program that advocates say helped thousands of people like Cynthia Davis break the costly cycle of hospitalization, jails and street life.

Davis, a former cook, overwhelmed by her untreated depression suffered frequent ‘breakdowns' and hospitalizations before she enrolled in the program for homeless adults with serious mental illness in 2005. While she and her cat Samatha prefer to live on the street, two years later Davis' takes her medicine regularly and works at a local restaurant.

"The program saved my life. My depression is under control and I've got steady work. To cut the safety net now is like a cruel joke," said Davis.    

County of San Bernardino Department of Behavioral Health director, Allan Rowland says the county will lose more than $1-million.

"The program's elimination is a major blow. The funds allowed the county to give the chronically homeless mentally ill expanded services beyond traditional outpatient care. That meant wraparound intervention 24-7 case management and significantly smaller caseloads."     

Rowland says he will turn to county supervisors for help. "We can't afford to undo the strides we've seen since the program's implementation." The homeless recovery program incorporated housing assistance, job training, help with personal hygiene and dental care. 

Advocates from San Bernardino and Riverside counties staged a furious lobbying effort to stave off the cut claiming mental health officials across the state face the slow erosion of their traditional mental health budgets.

Cynthia Davis, who suffers from severe mental illness shares this San Bernardino homeless encampment with three other homeless people – all have mental disorders.

State Sen. Darlene Steinberg (D-Sacramento), who created the just-eliminated program in 1999, called the cut "unconscionable."

"Legislators managed to save a $45-million tax break for yacht owners while funds for some of our most fragile residents got thrown under the bus," Steinberg said.

In justifying the cut, Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said local governments should step in instead.

"We believe if these programs are a priority to counties, they have resources available to them to provide funding," he said.

"That's rubbish," says Debra Jo Welsh.  In 2006 three days before Christmas, she was awakened by county code enforcement officials, given 10 minutes to gather her belongings and told to get out of her home - a bridge just below 5th Street  in San Bernardino. Among the pots, scraps of food and piles of clothing were several medications to treat her mental disorders.

In her rush to vacate Welsh's medications disappeared - two days later she suffered a severe breakdown and was hospitalized for weeks..

The incident highlights the challenge of serving the homeless mentally ill.

Welsh who has a bipolar disorder said she is not eligible for Social Security. She is currently enrolled in a Coachella Valley homeless recovery program.

Outraged by the elimination Doris Turner, president of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, says advocates have pledged to sue the state.  The voter approved Proposition 63 forbade California from dropping below its 2004 funding commitments to mental health.

While the governor states the primary reason for eliminating the program is to save money Turner isn't buying it. 

"We have a moral responsibility to these citizens.  Housing, treatment and getting the mentally ill jobs costs money."

She says if the cut lands the state in court the funds could be tied up for years leaving severely ill people like Davis and Welsh overwhelmed by a lack of treatment. 

This program saved thousands of homeless mentally ill people from dying. All it takes is one crisis to send them into a tail spin," said Turner.