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Citizen Advocates drops out of plan to take over outpatient mental health care

Post-Star
Jun 12, 2020

Jun. 12--After almost a year of work, the agency chosen to take over outpatient mental health care in Warren and Washington counties has suddenly dropped out.

The services board for both counties met virtually on Thursday afternoon and agreed to support the application of another agency, Behavioral Health Services North.

This summer, Citizen Advocates was supposed to take over all the outpatient behavior health services offered by Glens Falls Hospital. But this week, the agency said it would no longer pursue that plan.

Citizen Advocates had a spokeswoman at the meeting, but she did not explain why her agency was abandoning the project. Kary Johnson said agency leaders changed their mind because of "uncertainties brought upon by COVID-19 and the timing of the project, along with other indicators."

At the meeting, officials for Behavioral Health Services North, based in Plattsburgh, presented a plan for providing all of the services that Citizen Advocates was going to take over.

Rob York, director of community services for Warren and Washington counties, asked the supervisors on the county boards if they wanted to interview more agencies before making a decision.

But hospital Chief Operating Officer Paul Scimeca told the board the hospital needs someone to take over soon.

"We would be very concerned about there being a long drawn-out process at this point," he said, adding that if it takes too long, it could "jeopardize the services and our ability to provide them."

York told the boards that it might be best to approve Behavioral Health Services North.

"I would not want to delay things very long because, well, you heard what the hospital said," he said.

He added that he feels "comfortable" with Behavioral Health Services North.

"We have an agency that is here in front of us: large, eager, innovative. We have an agency that is interested in jumping in and getting started," he said.

Behavioral Health Services North might not be able to hire every person Glens Falls Hospital employs for outpatient mental health care. Officials said there would be room for many, and they would encourage everyone to apply.

Board member Belinda Bradley criticized that, saying she had preferred Citizen Advocates because it would keep all of the staff.

"That's kind of a critical piece, that the staff stays the same at least for awhile," she said. "That should help with the whole transition of this huge project."

But board members were also pleased by many other parts of the proposal. Behavioral Health Services North integrates substance abuse, mental health care and primary care. There is no waiting list; people are seen the day they call asking for help, or the next day. The agency also runs 19 support groups.

The agency co-locates many of its staff in Hudson Headwaters primary care offices, "to create a full whole-health model," said President and CEO Mark Lukens.

The agency currently has providers in Clinton, Franklin and Essex counties.

It must now seek state approval from the Department of Health before taking over local services. If it has not located an office building and gotten regulatory approval by the fall, officials plan to start with tele-med appointments.

You can reach Kathleen Moore at 742-3247 or kmoore@poststar.com. Follow her on Twitter @ByKathleenMoore or at her blog on www.poststar.com.

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