County officials plan transition after Mary Haven exits regional services

Howard, a representative of the county's public behavioral health board, told the Delaware County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 5 that Mary Haven gave notice in January that it will discontinue operations at regional facilities outside its Franklin County campuses.

"They gave notice in January that they are discontinuing operations at all of their regional facilities, not just us," Howard said, adding the provider will focus on its four Franklin County campuses. Howard said the move affects a network that expanded in the 2009
2010 period and that the board has been working with Union County and other partners since the notice.

The presenter said the board already has transition plans for five of Mary Haven's seven primary service lines and is actively screening and contracting with other providers for the remaining two. "We're looking to amend contracts of existing providers or new providers in the February and March meetings to get ahead of that May 15 timeline," Howard said.

Howard framed the departures as driven by a basic financial mismatch: "Expenses exceed revenue," he said, citing national data that behavioral health reimbursements are well below the cost of providing care. He also noted that roughly 75% of the board's revenue comes from a local property tax levy, a funding concentration that increases sensitivity to cost shocks.

Board officials outlined several near-term and policy steps to reduce disruption: assertive client-referral processes to avoid clients being "lost" during transitions; facilitating hiring pipelines so outgoing provider staff can be hired by incoming providers where feasible; amending local contracts in February and March; and state-level advocacy for improved reimbursement or contingency funds.

Howard emphasized workforce as a limiting factor: while Southeast Healthcare and Sentara were identified as regional providers able to deliver five of the seven service lines, "what they'll need is workforce," he said. The board is pursuing options to encourage providers to hire Mary Haven staff when possible, though Howard noted the board does not control private hiring decisions.

The board did not take immediate formal action on funding changes at the meeting; Howard said the transition will be a months-long process and that, if necessary, Mary Haven could continue some services through May 15 while contracts are finalized.

What happens next: the behavioral health board plans contractors amendments in February
and March, continued partnership with Union County, and assertive client-referral and staffing pipelines to maintain continuity of care.