Four-county merger proposed for mental-health services

Sept. 09--EAST WENATCHEE -- People with behavioral health issues would be best served by adding Okanogan and Grant counties to the Chelan-Douglas Regional Support Network (RSN), the local RSN board determined Monday

The RSN board voted unanimously Monday to ask state officials for permission to combine the four counties under one board. RSN boards distribute state and federal money for mental health clients.

"This is basically a shot over the bow, and we'll see what happens," said Douglas County Commissioner and local RSN board member Ken Stanton this morning. "The state could just snub their nose at us."

Wenatchee-based medical care, already available to people in the four counties, is a key point in favor of the merger, Stanton said.

"The idea would be to strengthen the service area we already have established," Stanton said, noting that Wenatchee and Confluence Health already serve the medical needs of many people in the four counties. He said it "makes no sense" to split out mental health and chemical dependency treatment from that mix.

Stanton said officials in Okanogan and Grant counties would have to approve the merger and those talks have not yet begun.

The board's vote authorized RSN board member Pete Rutherford to send a letter to state officials, asking for permission to create the merger. Rutherford is also CEO of Confluence Health. Also authorized to send a letter to state officials was Patrick Bucknum, administrator at Columbia Valley Community Health.

The vote comes in the wake of a decision Sept. 4 by Greater Columbia Behavioral Health not to allow the Chelan-Douglas RSN to merge with that Tri-Cities-based RSN. The decision leaves the Spokane RSN as the only merger option, and Stanton said, he is against that because there would be very little local control.

The state is attempting to reduce the numbers of RSNs in the state from 11 to nine. State officials have said Chelan and Douglas counties do not have enough clients -- 60,000 -- to remain solo. By merging with Okanogan and Grant counties, which are now part of the Spokane network, the number of clients would be slightly over the 60,000, Stanton said.

Stanton said that state officials wanted the number of RSNs reduced by early October. He did not know what would happen if that deadline is not met.

"Basically, the state is rushing through a formula they have come up with and it will be to the detriment of the people they serve," Stanton said.

Reach Dee Riggs at 509-664-7147 or deeriggs@wenatcheeworld.com.

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