NORWICH – Chenango County Mental Hygiene Services Director Mary Ann Spryn received her standing committee’s support on Tuesday to add four new clinicians to her department’s staff next year. The measure is on the Personnel Committee’s agenda today.

Spryn has requested three social workers and one clerical staff to spearhead a program that would identify school-aged youths in the county who are in need of mental health services. Her plans have already come under fire from Finance Committee supervisors on two occasions, though the department’s projected 2007 budget has yet to be presented to them.

The program, Child and Family Clinic Plus, would be paid for with nearly $220,000 in state funds. Conservative estimates project it could carry an initial local share cost of $10,000. Spyrn’s calculations, however, indicate it could net $72,000 in revenue over expenses after the first full year of caseloads.

Finance Committee members challenged the program’s identification component and questioned whether it would be a duplication of counseling efforts already existing in school districts.