Guilford Center receives certification as LME
The Guilford Center Behavioral Health &
Disability Services received confirmation from the State that
it is certified as a Local Management Entity effective July 1.
The State Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities
and Substance Abuse Services granted the certification to the
Guilford agency as part of the State’s Mental Health Reform
plan.
“Our becoming certified as an LME is the result of a united effort on behalf of our Board, our staff and the members of our Consumer & Family Advisory Committee,” said Billie Pierce, Guilford Center Director. “Through the collaborative efforts of each of these groups and with input from our community, we were able to demonstrate to the State that we have put together a well thought out plan that ensures effective and efficient services and responsible management of tax dollars.”
The State granted the agency conditional certification
which requires the agency to report quarterly progress to the
State. The Guilford Center will operate fully as a Local Management
Entity (LME) in three years when the Center’s Local Business
Plan is fully implemented. At that time, most of the Center’s
services will be directly provided by contract agencies. Between
now and 2006, the Center will divest itself from providing many
direct care services and will seek contractual agreements with
private agencies to provide these services.
“When the local business plan is fully implemented in three
years, we will receive full certification,” explained Ida
Milan, Deputy Director, who has served as project manager for
the Local Business Plan implementation.
The Guilford Center is in the first phase of the State’s
plan to reform the public mental health system. The agency is
among 14 in the state scheduled to be in the first phase.
During fiscal year 2003/04, the Center will begin efforts to divest
its psychosocial program in Greensboro and its substance abuse
services. These programs will be fully divested by July 1, 2004.
To learn more about our response to Mental Health Reform, see the Mental Health section.