Substance-abuse, mental-health agencies celebrate merger

October 03, 2008

Substance-abuse, mental-health agencies celebrate merger

By DEBORAH CIRCELLI
Staff Writer

DAYTONA BEACH -- Two entrances into the crisis and detox units off Red John Road became one this week.

It may seem like a simple cosmetic change. But for Stewart-Marchman Center and the Act Corp. the change to one door for clients to walk through if they are in a mental-health or substance-abuse crisis signifies the end to more than a year of merger talks between the area's two largest providers.

The nonprofit agencies officially merged Wednesday, becoming Stewart-Marchman-Act Behavioral Healthcare -- a combined $35 million agency with about 550 employees.

Officials at both agencies say the change will mean better services for clients, many of whom have both substance-abuse and mental-health issues. The outpatient units will also be integrated in the coming year. Overall, the new agency serves more than 25,000 people a year.

"We felt the clients were like pingpong balls (being referred) back and forth between the agencies," said Rhonda Harvey, formerly with Stewart-Marchman who is now vice president of residential services for the new agency. "We didn't have that continuity of care."

With state and federal funds drying up, Chet Bell, CEO of the new agency, said the agencies also had to find ways to be more efficient. That efficiency included eliminating about 25 administrative positions during the past six months in both agencies. Bell said he can't predict whether more cuts will be made. It depends on what the future holds with the state's budget.
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