Social service agencies brace for budget stalemate damage in Pa.

For the third time in a dozen years, counties and nonprofit agencies that make up Pennsylvania’s social services safety net are girding for budget deadlock in Harrisburg.

The state government is in its fifth week of a budget stalemate, and the governor’s office is halting reimbursements for July’s invoices. That means agencies are deciding which services must stop or whether workers must be laid off.

To keep things going, some counties may front the money and some workers may go unpaid.

Family Services of Western Pennsylvania has increased its credit line to keep paying staff and providing services to people who need daily help with mental illness and addiction.

Agency CEO and President Stephen Christian-Michaels says whether that’ll be enough depends on how long the stalemate stretches out.