News
SEABHS forges ahead with corrective plan
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services (SEABHS) continues to strive to get the mental health agency on track with an accepted correction plan acting CEO Jim Rubio said is being implemented.
Nearly a month after long-time board members voted to remove Marcelino Varona Jr. of Nogales, the dust appears to have settled. Varona had spotlighted several SEABHS issues, including former CEO Dana Johnson's borrowing and not repaying $150,000, the company's allowing personal use of company vehicles and other financial issues.
Varona was removed from the board during the January board meeting, and fellow board member Dan Doyle of Nogales resigned.
Without the two board members, Thursday's meeting was described as uneventful and quick, with no drama.
In December, the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA) issued orders for SEABHS to fix problems that ranged from finances to understaffing at facilities in Cochise, Santa Cruz, Greenlee and Graham counties or face losing up to $35 million in public funding.
CPSA ordered SEABHS to provide a corrective action plan in early February, which the regional health authority has accepted. SEABHS has been ordered to make all corrections by May 3 or face a cut in funding, or lose it completely. Rubio has said they will make the required corrections.
SEABHS currently has about 400 employees, and last month, Rubio said the important thing now is for the company to move forward.
SEABH provides mental health services to an estimated 5,500 patients a month across the four counties, and to meet CPSA requirements, it has implemented several new strategies.
According to the corrective plan, SEABHS is planning to increase serve volume and outreach, while improving data collection to assure proper services are provided to eligible clients in need of clinical treatment.
A major deficiency outlined by CPSA is that SEABHS staffing levels have fallen below standards at many of the company's eight facilities.
To fix the problem, SEABHS plans to hire a new human resources director and has already achieved the minimum staff levels required for children's services.
"Efforts are continuing to identify and hire qualified clinical supervisor positions," said the condensed plan provided by company spokeswoman Sally Holcomb.
"SEABHS is also participating in the federal student loan repayment incentive programs for qualified medical professionals in local communities throughout the region."
CPSA is also requiring SEABHS to fix sub-contractor relations, where the company is suppose to be providing support funds and services to organizations such as one in Bisbee that provides shelter to alcoholic women with dependent children.
SEABHS is now in the process of reviewing contract procedures and has developed an enhanced system of communication by identifying an internal point of contact within the agency.
SEABHS is also conducting an audit to assess current services to subcontractors and addressing where services are needed.
The biggest area for SEABHS to address is the company's finances. CPSA cited concerns with SEABHS's spending more than $650,000 a year to maintain a vehicle fleet. The company spent more than $500,000 last year on auditing fees, and a recent third-party audit found "major deficiencies" in several areas.
Because of lack of oversight from management and the appointed board, not only did Johnson, who was terminated, never repay the $150,000 she borrowed in 2004, but another employee was charged with embezzling more than $30,000.
The embezzlement charges were filed by the Arizona Attorney General's Office, which is also investigating other staff members.
The state authority said there are no updates on the investigation at this time.
To correct the financial issues, SEABHS has implemented additional policies and procedures to strengthen internal controls over vehicle usage, and areas to avoid "potential fraud violations."
The corrective plan also states that SEABHS has been successful in implementing all the recommendations made in the third-party audit.
The final area of concern listed by CPSA is community relations, which SEABHS is addressing by assessing the current levels of community engagement.
The report states SEABHS had conducted more than 3,000 community satisfaction surveys in 2009, and will continue to build upon current community-targeted surveys and distribution.
SEABHS has also developed an internal communications plan to address current and future community concerns.
As part of the corrective measures, CPSA has ordered representatives to conduct monthly SEABHS visits and review the company's finances.
Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services (SEABHS) continues to strive to get the mental health agency on track with an accepted correction plan acting CEO Jim Rubio said is being implemented.
Nearly a month after long-time board members voted to remove Marcelino Varona Jr. of Nogales, the dust appears to have settled. Varona had spotlighted several SEABHS issues, including former CEO Dana Johnson's borrowing and not repaying $150,000, the company's allowing personal use of company vehicles and other financial issues.
Varona was removed from the board during the January board meeting, and fellow board member Dan Doyle of Nogales resigned.
Without the two board members, Thursday's meeting was described as uneventful and quick, with no drama.
In December, the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA) issued orders for SEABHS to fix problems that ranged from finances to understaffing at facilities in Cochise, Santa Cruz, Greenlee and Graham counties or face losing up to $35 million in public funding.
CPSA ordered SEABHS to provide a corrective action plan in early February, which the regional health authority has accepted. SEABHS has been ordered to make all corrections by May 3 or face a cut in funding, or lose it completely. Rubio has said they will make the required corrections.
SEABHS currently has about 400 employees, and last month, Rubio said the important thing now is for the company to move forward.
SEABH provides mental health services to an estimated 5,500 patients a month across the four counties, and to meet CPSA requirements, it has implemented several new strategies.
According to the corrective plan, SEABHS is planning to increase serve volume and outreach, while improving data collection to assure proper services are provided to eligible clients in need of clinical treatment.
A major deficiency outlined by CPSA is that SEABHS staffing levels have fallen below standards at many of the company's eight facilities.
To fix the problem, SEABHS plans to hire a new human resources director and has already achieved the minimum staff levels required for children's services.
"Efforts are continuing to identify and hire qualified clinical supervisor positions," said the condensed plan provided by company spokeswoman Sally Holcomb.
"SEABHS is also participating in the federal student loan repayment incentive programs for qualified medical professionals in local communities throughout the region."
CPSA is also requiring SEABHS to fix sub-contractor relations, where the company is suppose to be providing support funds and services to organizations such as one in Bisbee that provides shelter to alcoholic women with dependent children.
SEABHS is now in the process of reviewing contract procedures and has developed an enhanced system of communication by identifying an internal point of contact within the agency.
SEABHS is also conducting an audit to assess current services to subcontractors and addressing where services are needed.
The biggest area for SEABHS to address is the company's finances. CPSA cited concerns with SEABHS's spending more than $650,000 a year to maintain a vehicle fleet. The company spent more than $500,000 last year on auditing fees, and a recent third-party audit found "major deficiencies" in several areas.
Because of lack of oversight from management and the appointed board, not only did Johnson, who was terminated, never repay the $150,000 she borrowed in 2004, but another employee was charged with embezzling more than $30,000.
The embezzlement charges were filed by the Arizona Attorney General's Office, which is also investigating other staff members.
The state authority said there are no updates on the investigation at this time.
To correct the financial issues, SEABHS has implemented additional policies and procedures to strengthen internal controls over vehicle usage, and areas to avoid "potential fraud violations."
The corrective plan also states that SEABHS has been successful in implementing all the recommendations made in the third-party audit.
The final area of concern listed by CPSA is community relations, which SEABHS is addressing by assessing the current levels of community engagement.
The report states SEABHS had conducted more than 3,000 community satisfaction surveys in 2009, and will continue to build upon current community-targeted surveys and distribution.
SEABHS has also developed an internal communications plan to address current and future community concerns.
As part of the corrective measures, CPSA has ordered representatives to conduct monthly SEABHS visits and review the company's finances.
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