Valley Oaks named county CMHC starting July 1; Clinton County to discuss past-provider billing and funds allocation

Valley Oaks Health will begin serving as Clinton County’s community mental-health center (CMHC) on July 1, county officials announced at the June council meeting. The council scheduled a transition meeting for 10 a.m. July 20 at the Healthy Communities office to review the new provider’s services and the transition plan.

Council members said Valley Oaks will present its planned services and transition approach at the July 20 meeting and that the county provided the incoming provider with a detailed list of expected services. Officials said some elements of the transition will continue for several months but that Valley Oaks indicated it can cover the county’s listed services.

Council members also discussed billing from the prior CMHC contractor. The county has not yet been billed for last year’s mental-health funding and has not made payments for services it says were limited. A county official said the county is considering whether to withhold payment for periods when services were not provided and, if necessary, to redirect funds to the new provider to support startup operations. A county speaker noted the statutory requirement for funding mental-health services and said the county intends to coordinate with the state (DMHA) on how to resolve outstanding billing given the limited service last year. The county encouraged legal review and said it expects to consult with the state about how to handle any dispute.

Transition meeting details: 10 a.m., July 20, Healthy Communities office. County officials invited interested staff and civic partners to attend.