GRAHAM — An agreement to merge the Alamance-Caswell Local Management Entity with Concord-based Piedmont Behavioral Healthcare has been reached.
Debra Welch, interim director of the Alamance-Caswell LME, presented a joint resolution to the Alamance County Board of Commissioners on Monday for its approval.
The approved resolution provides the initial framework to allow the merger to take place by providing Medicaid waiver services in Alamance and Caswell counties and establishing PBH as the governing body overseeing mental health, developmental disability and substance abuse services to residents in the two counties.
“This is a huge step for us,” Welch said.
Welch said Alamance-Caswell LME and PBH will begin the merger transition process on July 1 and the Medicaid waiver service will begin to be offered to residents in the two counties beginning Oct. 1.
After failing to agree on terms with the agency covering Orange, Person and Chatham counties, the Alamance-Caswell LME moved forward with merger negotiations with PBH in February.
The Alamance-Caswell LME merger with Orange-Person-Chatham LME failed, in part, because Orange-Person-Chatham LME had proposed closing a crisis center in Burlington. The new merger agreement allows for the crisis center to stay open.
Alamance-Caswell LME officials decided they wanted to begin merger talks with PBH because the agency had a successful six-year record of providing Medicaid waiver site services. PBH was selected by the state to implement a pilot program to provide Medicaid waiver services in 2005.
Cyndy Brooks, PBH communications director, said on Tuesday that officials will work over the next few months to begin merging all services during the transition phase. Several community meetings will be held next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to inform the Alamance and Caswell counties’ communities about what changes the merger would bring.
The first meetings will be held next week at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Caswell County historical courthouse in Yanceyville at 144 Court Square. Meetings will also be held during the same times next Wednesday at the Historic Providence Christian Church in Graham at 819 N. Main St.
The Alamance County Human Services Center at 319 N. Graham-Hopedale Road will host another informational meeting about PBH services at 5:30 p.m. next Thursday.
The merger was critical in order for the Alamance-Caswell LME to avoid further budget cuts. The local group absorbed a 10 percent cut this year after its service population dropped below the state’s requirement of 200,000 people per LME.
David Carter, Alamance-Caswell LME’s board president, said on Tuesday that there would be job losses as a result of the merger but it was too early to say what LME staff members would be cut.
Welch thanked those who worked to make the merger a reality. Welch said that the Medicaid waiver program allows LMEs to have better control on how funds are spent. Currently, the Alamance-Caswell LME uses a value-option process to run its clients’ programs and has minimal control.
PBH covers Cabarrus, Davidson, Rowan, Stanly and Union counties. The merger will add Alamance and Caswell counties to this list.
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