Kola Program given three months notice from Hennepin County that its entire funding will be cut.
The American Indian Community Development Corporation (AICDC) in Minneapolis recently received a letter from Hennepin County announcing that it planned to cut all funding for the Kola Program, which
provides medical services to homeless people with a focus on Native people struggling with alcoholism. Kola, which means "friend" in Lakota, serves 30-60 clients a day and over the years has helped
thousands of homeless men and women.
The letter stated that Hennepin County would zero out its funds for Kola in three months, due to the county’s overall budget deficit. It invited AICDC to request a hearing if the agency wanted to appeal.
Michael Goze (Ho-Chunk), President of AICDC, said he participated in hearings on November 3 and 17 to protest the $164,000 cut. That amount represents 80% of the Kola Program budget."I understand the process and the deficit piece," said Goze. "We’re all for saving money, but that’s not what this cut would do. In addition, this population is vulnerable and services are often a challenge."Goze argues the cut won’t save money for Hennepin County, because Kola clients often have medical conditions that are ignored or do not receive treatment in other clinics due to inebriation. When these conditions are allowed to worsen, clients use county emergency rooms, which are more expensive.
Kola Program given three months notice from Hennepin County that its entire funding will be cut.
The
American Indian Community Development Corporation (AICDC) in
Minneapolis recently received a letter from Hennepin County announcing
that it planned to cut all funding for the Kola Program, which
provides
medical services to homeless people with a focus on Native people
struggling with alcoholism. Kola, which means "friend" in Lakota,
serves 30-60 clients a day and over the years has helped
thousands of homeless men and women.
The
letter stated that Hennepin County would zero out its funds for Kola in
three months, due to the county’s overall budget deficit. It invited
AICDC to request a hearing if the agency wanted to appeal.
Michael
Goze (Ho-Chunk), President of AICDC, said he participated in hearings
on November 3 and 17 to protest the $164,000 cut. That amount
represents 80% of the Kola Program budget."I understand the process and
the deficit piece," said Goze. "We’re all for saving money, but that’s
not what this cut would do. In addition, this population is vulnerable
and services are often a challenge."Goze argues the cut won’t save
money for Hennepin County, because Kola clients often have medical
conditions that are ignored or do not receive treatment in other
clinics due to inebriation. When these conditions are allowed to
worsen, clients use county emergency rooms, which are more expensive.
Dr.
Ken McMillan, the physician for Kola, agrees. "I definitely believe
Kola saves the county money," Dr. McMillan said. "From a clinical point
of view, we see patients when they are questioning the
severity of
an injury or deciding if they need attention. We then provide the care
that prevents a situation from advancing to the ER." Dr. McMillan
described several typical scenarios, such as a client who asks for a
bus token to get to the ER, but Kola is able to offer treatment
instead. Or a client who requests medication for a condition which Dr.
McMillan then diagnoses as a more serious problem,
intervening before the condition deteriorates. In some cases, Kola treats an illness or injury and makes it
manageable
until a client can get to a specialist rather than rushing to the ER.
"We presented our contention at the hearings in front of the county
board," Goze said. "We pointed out that these cuts will affect a
population that has its own particular concerns and medical conditions.
As a result, Kola saves the county money." Goze is also worried about
the future health and treatment of Kola clients, many of whom face
aging with chronic disease and chemical dependency issues.
County
Commissioner Gail Dorfman, a past supporter of Kola, has introduced a
budget amendment that would restore full funding. "Kola is an important
program, but I’m not sure I’ll get my amendment
through," Dorfman
said. "It is a tight budget year, and a lot of agencies are facing
cuts. I’m not sure I have the support." If the board doesn’t approve
full funding, Dorfman says she will ask again for a lesser amount. The
board plans to vote December 4. Kola is an efficient and streamlined
program. Dr. McMillan works with a medical assistant and administrative
assistant to provide services.
"If Hennepin County doesn’t reinstate
the funds," Dr. McMillan said, "I don’t see how we could go on doing
what we do. I’d volunteer a few hours a week, but Kola would have to
cut to bare services. I would
have to look for other work." Dr. McMillan notes that 25-33% of the clients are uninsured, so Kola
cannot
bill for those services. When Kola does bill, the income covers some of
the medication, a program van, and malpractice insurance but not the
bulk of operating expenses. Typical Kola clients are men in their
thirties struggling with depression, mental illness, and chemical
addictions. They are often talented and self-sufficient, distrustful of
other shelters and clinics, and show extreme loyalty to
each other.
The
Kola staff is honest with clients about the potential cut in January.
Some clients offer to volunteer more time at the desk, which has helped
during small budget shortfalls in the past. Some ask why
the tribes
do not contribute more. Dr. McMillan noted that three or four tribes
have donated this year, but Kola would need a major infusion to replace
this cut. Dr. McMillan said he would be upset to lose the program,
because the clients have built it themselves, with their trust, work,
cooperation,
and referrals. Kola’s goal has always been to help
clients help themselves, and in anonymous client surveys, Kola receives
an 80-90% approval rating, which is high from a population wary of human
services.
He is also proud of the successes, not just clients avoiding death but
achieving stability in housing and sobriety. Dr. McMillan recently gave
a presentation about Kola at a Homeless and Trauma Medicine Conference
in Sioux Falls, SD. He ran into a former client who is nine months
sober in his own apartment. The man struggled for three years with
homelessness and alcoholism. "He was happy to see me, because Kola had
seen him when he was hopeless," Dr. McMillan said. "We connected him
with a single person, a support coach, who helped him."
Kola was
founded in 1999 to provide culturally-specific supportive services to
chronically-inebriated, homeless American Indians. Hennepin County
helped to launch Kola, and Dr. McMillan says he is grateful for that
assistance. "I would very much appreciate continued support until
homelessness is
not a problem anymore," he said. Kola continues to offer healthcare outreach, health screening, and
referral
services to many homeless American Indians who are chronic late-stage
inebriates. Dr. McMillan and the medical assistant do everything from
patching wounds, to ordering prescription refills, to
treating sore
feet, to screening for hypertension and diabetes. In addition to these
hands-on services, Kola staff offer education regarding HIV, hepatitis
C, and tuberculosis. They help clients meet
basic needs such as
showers, blankets, and clothing. Kola also encourages sober activities.
During its open daytime hours, it has telephones, computers, and
information technologies for clients to
use. The goals of Kola
include reducing the number of deaths on the street due to chronic
alcoholism or homelessness, improving the general health of a high-risk
vulnerable population, decreasing inappropriate use of ERs and detox
centers, encouraging periods of sobriety, restoring dignity through
goal setting, and providing a holistic approach to life change
(physical, social, emotional, spiritual).
Kola is open 7:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information, see www.aicdc-mn.org.
