County to cut ties to mental health group JBH

Douglas County commissioners voted today to pull out of a regional mental health organization, saying they believed they could obtain a higher level of service alone than by belonging to Jefferson Behavioral Health.

JBH provides mental health services to Oregon Health Plan patients throughout Southern Oregon. Besides Douglas County, the consortium assists residents in Coos, Curry, Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties.

Douglas County Health Department officials cited a number of concerns with Jefferson Behavioral Health’s organization. They said JBH lacked a long-range strategic plan to address state, regional and county issues and failed to address the organization’s long-term fiscal health.

Instead, JBH placed an emphasis on policies that balance the budget without looking at the long-range implication of its decisions, according to a one-page document prepared for the commissioners by Health Department Director Peggy Kennerly.

Deputy Director Michael Kurtz told commissioners that JBH policies encourage the centralization of resources, which stymies the development of a local continuum of care for patients. The group also fails to provide timely financial data that would allow local managers to evaluate programs.

“They’re also authorizing payments for things that we know nothing about. We figure they’re going beyond what we authorized for services,” Kennerly said.

County health officials became frustrated with JBH during the recent negotiations with ChristieCare and Telecare to provide mental health services following the closure of the Behavioral Health Unit at Mercy Medical Center late last year. They could not convince JBH’s board of directors to have the two organizations take over the Mercy unit.

At the time last fall, the county said it might consider dropping out of JBH. Officials said they were also upset that JBH never offered to have a face-to-face discussion regarding the county’s concerns.

The vote by commissioners will mean that Douglas County will end its association with JBH Dec. 31. It will take several months to work out arrangements with the state and federal governments for the transfer. It will also give the county time to contract with a service provider. Kennerly told the commissioners that at least three provider groups have expressed interest.

Money that now goes to JBH for services for county residents will come to the county directly.

“We are absolutely doing the right thing for the county with this,” said Commissioner Joe Laurance, who serves as the liaison for the Board of Commissioners with JBH.

• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@newsreview.info.