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Carlsbad Mayor names mental health taskforce members

Carlsbad Current-Argus (NM) - 2/10/2015

Feb. 10--CARLSBAD -- Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway is creating a Mental Health Taskforce in an attempt to address needs and stabilize mental health care in Carlsbad.

The members of the taskforce will be introduced at tonight's city council meeting at the Municipal Building at 6 p.m.

The group includes Jeff Diamond, Janell Whitlock, Jason Shirley, Sandra Nunley, Kyle Marksteiner, Gene Harbaugh, Stella Davis, Cathy Hibbs, Mike Antiporda and Beverly Allen-Ananins,

The Turquoise Health and Wellness Center in Carlsbad has announced that it will close at the end of March, continuing a string of management changes of the facility over the last four years.

Carlsbad Mental Health, which had served Carlsbad for about 30 years, was put under the direction of Counseling Associates Inc., in 2012, after the Attorney General's office began investigating Carlsbad Mental Health for Medicaid fraud.

Less than a year later, Counseling Associates Inc. was put on a list of 15 mental health providers to be investigated by the Attorney General, and Turquoise Health and Wellness took over management of the facility, only to recently announce that it would cease providing services on March 31, 2015.

Although Janway said that he and other people in the city have heard that a mental health provider will be taking over on April 1, they have not yet been able to confirm that with the company.

The goal of the taskforce, Janway said, will be to find out exactly where Carlsbad stands in terms of mental healthcare, what is available, and how to provide solutions for services that are not available.

"We've gone through such a mess with what's happened with mental health in Carlsbad," Janway said. "We need to look at the whole area that we're serving and make sure that our community is getting the best possible services we can get."

Diamond, who Janway named the leader of the taskforce, said that part of the taskforce's job will be to meet with organizations in the community to get input on what services are available, and what are needed.

"We need to do a needs assessment, and figure out how we're going to make a mental health program that is going to be responsive to the needs of a growing community," Diamond said.

The goal, Diamond said, is to include other entities, such as the Carlsbad Medical Center and local law enforcement, in the discussion.

Diamond, who said he was one of the original founders of Carlsbad Mental Health, has served as part of both the city council and the board of education, and has practiced law in Carlsbad since 1976.

Because Diamond's work often takes him to the northern part of the state, lobbying at the state level will play a part in the taskforce's job.

"I will contact the legislative delegation and make sure that we have an open door and a friendly ear to help us meet our needs in the community," Diamond said.

Even with oil revenue down, the state has an obligation to fund high-quality mental health services, Diamond said.

Stability in mental healthcare is a main goal that the taskforce will strive for.

"We want people who come in (for treatment) to have the same counselor two weeks later when they come back," Diamond said. "People need to know who their doctor is going to be, who their counselor is going to be. We want to create a trusting environment for people to get services."

Katie England can be reached at 575-628-5516.

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