DELAY SOUGHT IN COUNTY PLAN TO JOIN AGENCIES; MEMO CITES LICENSING CONCERN.Byline: David Greenberg The creator of this article, or someone who has substantially contributed to it, may have a conflict of interest regarding its subject matter. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Daily News Staff Writer A consultant hired to oversee the merger of the county's Behavioral Health Behavioral health was first used in the 1980's to name the combination of the fields mental health and substance abuse. As an example, an organization serving both mental health and substance abuse clients might refer to its practice as behavioral health or Department with the Public Social Services social services Noun, pl welfare services provided by local authorities or a state agency for people with particular social needs social services npl → servicios mpl sociales Agency, creating a $171 million conglomerate, now wants the Board of Supervisors to delay the merger. In a memo to the board, Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. consultant David Henninger recommends a more in-depth study to see if the new agency would comply with state licensing and Medicare requirements. ``The cost to the county if a separate license is required for mental health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract could be between $11 million and $15 million,'' the memo states. ``(And) if the inpatient mental health unit is no longer part of the hospital, there is a question as to whether it could participate in the Medi-Cal program at all, even if it were to be separately licensed and certified.'' The county currently receives as much as $15 million in state and federal funding annually, based on patient caseloads at the hospital. Supervisors Frank Schillo and Judy Mikels, who voted against the merger, say the county should delay implementing the restructuring by 60-90 days until county officials know whether the state will approve a license transfer. ``We were assured there would be no problem with the license being transferred,'' Schillo said. ``But that is not the case, obviously.'' He also said the Human Services Agency needs to develop an organizational chart An organizational chart is a chart which represents the structure of an organization in terms of rank. The chart usually shows the managers and sub-workers who make up an organization. so officials will know to whom they must report. ``I'm concerned about the mass confusion in the departments,'' Schillo said. ``I was against the merger because I hadn't the slightest idea what it meant.'' Mikels said she has resigned herself to the fact that the merger is imminent but will push for the delay anyway. ``(Henninger's report) is not going to change the action of the board,'' Mikels said. ``The goal is still the same. But if there's any vindication it's that the process should have been slowed down and studied more.'' Supervisors early last month approved the merger in a hotly debated 3-2 vote; Schillo and Mikels complained the proposal was being railroaded through without an organizational plan or public hearing. Supervisors Susan Lacey, one of the plan's architects, and John Flynn, brushed aside assertions that the county was in danger of losing its Behavioral Health's license. They vowed to press forward with implementation of the merger, which will be discussed at Tuesday's board meeting. ``We're not in danger of losing any gigantic amounts of money,'' Lacey said. ``This is just an overreaction o·ver·re·act intr.v. o·ver·re·act·ed, o·ver·re·act·ing, o·ver·re·acts To react with unnecessary or inappropriate force, emotional display, or violence. . The consultant is just being very careful and that's good. But it would be disruptive to stop.'' Furthermore, Gov. Pete Wilson For others named Pete Wilson, see . Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American Republican politician from California. Wilson served as the thirty-sixth Governor of California (1991–1999), the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that and the Legislature have several bills pending that would restructure the way counties offer adult protective services In the United States, Adult Protective Services (APS) are social services provided to abused, neglected, or exploited older and/or disabled adults. APS is typically administered by local or state health, aging, or regulatory departments and includes a multi-disciplinary and would provide some money for implementation of the plan, she said. ``There are always changes going on in these areas,'' Lacey said. Flynn, clearly perturbed per·turb tr.v. per·turbed, per·turb·ing, per·turbs 1. To disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious. 2. To throw into great confusion. 3. by the memo, said Henninger presented unproven, worst-case scenarios to protect himself. ``That's a bunch of baloney,'' Flynn said of the document. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. why we hired a consultant to tell us something that is not true.'' The implementation should be complete in late summer or fall if the process begins immediately, county officials said. Advocates of the restructuring argue that a mega-agency would provide a more coordinated effort to provide job training, welfare and other benefits to the Behavioral Health Department's 7,000 mental health and 6,000 substance abuse patients. Opponents, who include parents of schizophrenics and manic-depressives, predicted the merger would create a massive bureaucracy that reduces the quality of care. Psychiatrists expressed fear that administrators would make decisions with cost savings in mind instead of the patients' best interest. Schillo said Friday that he believes a feud between Steve Kaplan Steven Kaplan (born October 5 1953, New York, United States) is a professor of African studies and comparative religion at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is one of the leading modern scholars on the origins of the Beta Israel, or Ethiopian Jews. , behavioral health director and Pierre Durand, director of the hospital's health care unit, sparked the restructuring plan. ``I don't think that's a good reason to do a merger, because two people don't get along,'' Schillo said. Lacey rebuffed his claim. ``You would not reorganize on that basis,'' Lacey said. ``You do it to better serve the children, the families in need - our clients.'' |
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