Citizen Advocates drops out of plan to take over outpatient mental health care
Post-StarJun 12, 2020
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
Citizen Advocates had a spokeswoman at the meeting, but she did not explain why her agency was abandoning the project.
At the meeting, officials for Behavioral Health Services North, based in
But hospital Chief Operating Officer
"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
Board member
"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
The agency currently has providers in
It must now seek state approval from the
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