It was with great distress that we received the news of the proposed 50 percent cuts in our contracts with key Nassau County departments. Our ability to provide vital emotional health services to the children, youth and families of Nassau County will be greatly diminished if these proposed cuts are implemented.

Every day, school districts throughout Nassau County contact us to refer children who are in emotional crisis. They fear suicide or have received evidence of child abuse or are concerned with violent behavior. They also have observed a precipitous drop in school achievement by many of these children.

Parents bring their babies and toddlers to us with fears that they are behind in their normal development. Parents seek last chance therapy before they become another statistic of separation or divorce. A father or a mother begs us to do something about their adolescent's drug or alcohol abuse.

We all know that serious problems exist even in the so-called "placid" suburbs. Now these problems begin at earlier and earlier ages. The need for intervention has increased dramatically. The mandate for outpatient centers such as ours is to restore the emotional balance to individuals and families. We also work hard to keep kids out of hospitals and institutions, helping them function in the least restrictive environment while trying to keep our communities safe and healthy.

Our track record is impressive. During 1998, out of the more than 3,500 clients we served, only .07 percent had to be hospitalized. This is a record of which we are proud.

The direct impact of the proposed cuts on our agency will be devastating. Twenty percent of our treatment staff will have to be let go. Hundreds and hundreds of our clients will either not be able to be seen at all or will receive only limited attention.

These staff reductions will mean:

* a reduction in service to seriously emotionally disturbed children and families.

* a slowing of response to emergencies

* a reduction in the number of clients seen and in client contacts

* a longer wait for services

* a reduction in family support and community outreach programs

All of this will take place at an agency that has labored mightily to overcome previous serious budget cuts. The impact on the morale of our highly trained but despairing professionals is difficult to calculate. To say it will be crushing, is not an understatement.

Given the dramatic number of clients that are seen by the North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center that are considered to be high risk, the alternatives to maintaining them, as we do, in a positive therapeutic environment is a recipe for disaster.

Our county cannot afford to neglect this most vulnerable population. We strenuously object to these latest, most demoralizing and most devastating cuts. How can we ask these children and families to stand alone? How can we not give them the help they need and deserve? We must care for the emotional needs of our citizens. There are too many dire examples of those who fall through the cracks and do terrible harm to others and to themselves. The future health of our community depends on what we do today. Rescind these proposed cuts. Let's find another way to deal with the county's financial problems.