Megan Burton

The Prestera Center for Mental Health Services realized an increase in Medicaid funding last year, the first since 1995. But the demand for services continues to grow.

The Center served 14,000 individuals last year in its eight-county region, Megan Burton told Putnam Rotarians today.

For over 40 years, Prestera has provided counseling and mental health services in the Kanawha Valley.

Since the closing of Shawnee Hills in 2002, the non-profit organization has served the southwestern counties of the state working today out of some 50 locations.

Ninety percent of the Prestera clients have income below the poverty line. About a third of the funding is provided through the Department of Health and Human Resources. The rest is from Medicaid, charity and special grants.

"Funding has become stagnant while the demand is increasing," said Burton. "We write grants for just about everything. If we need chairs for a waiting room, we write a grant."

In addition to the adult services, which include assisted living, crisis counseling, hospitalization when required, psychiatric testing and homeless outreach, Prestera provides services for drug addiction and developmental disabilities. The developmental disability program, usually for persons under age 22, treats conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, retardation, spina bifida and brain injury.

Burton, who is Prestera's Director of Corporate Development, noted that its Foundation is a charitable organization and that all gifts are tax-deductible. In addition, state tax credits have been available since 1996 through Neighborhood Investment Program vouchers. Prestera distributes these NIP tax credits which businesses and individuals may use to reduce state tax liability.