Residents and Staff Urge Oversight After Bert Nash Layoffs; Workers Describe Abrupt Terminations

Dozens of current and former employees, union representatives and clients told the Board of Douglas County Commissioners on May 28 that sudden layoffs at Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center have disrupted services and left staff and families scrambling.

Speakers at the public-comment portion of the meeting described an agency-wide announcement that resulted in the layoff of 29 staff members on May 23. Staff and union representatives said the layoffs were abrupt, provided little or no notice or severance, and reduced health-insurance coverage to a seven-business-day continuation for many employees.

“Personal vanity projects of leadership have no place here,” said Mike Harold, a supportive housing case manager at Bert Nash, accusing executive leadership of management decisions that contributed to the center’s financial problems. “Employees report ... the EHR not being able to submit billing properly” and “messy implementation of an expensive AI program,” Harold added, describing internal concerns that he said were not addressed before layoffs occurred.

Mikaela Reed, a current Bert Nash case manager, told the commission that the layoffs “will have a devastating impact,” and said employees estimate at least 488 clients were directly affected, including children who “had read it in the paper” and arrived for appointments upset and confused. “We have lost all confidence that the current leadership is fit to properly navigate that damage,” Reed said.

Former and current therapists gave similar accounts of sudden departures and insufficient transition for clients. “In laying off 29 staff ... Bert Nash’s leadership undid my clients’ hard won progress,” said Rachel Bridal, a licensed master social worker and former Bert Nash therapist, who said she gave 30 days’ notice but was told by the agency that she had already left. Several speakers asked the commission to require transparency and accountability before any county funds or bailouts are considered.

Union and organizing representatives asked the commission to consider the wider community impacts. Peyton Smith, an organizer for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 304, said the union is negotiating with the agency and requested the county review its budget for possible relief to restore capacity to serve clients.

Speakers also raised operational specifics they said contributed to the financial crisis: alleged billing delays that resulted in unbilled or late claims, an incomplete or problematic electronic health-record rollout, and rapid expansion into the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model without sufficient administrative controls. A community member who formerly worked in billing said she had received a nearly nine-month-old bill from the center and worried the center was “losing money” by failing to bill in a timely manner.

Commissioners did not take formal action on the testimony. Several commissioners said they would take the comments under advisement and asked staff to share information about any requests for county financial assistance. No commissioner motion to allocate funds or to initiate administrative takeover was made during the meeting; public comment concluded and the meeting moved to the regular agenda.

Speakers made clear distinctions between operational failures and the staff providing direct care: most comments praised frontline providers while criticizing executive leadership decisions. Multiple speakers urged the commission to proceed cautiously if it is asked to provide county funding, to require strict oversight and to ensure funds are targeted to client care rather than administrative costs.

The public comment included testimonies from current staff who said some employees were escorted out before their last day and that many direct-service roles were eliminated while higher-paid directors remained. Several speakers called on the county and community partners to prioritize continuity of care for children and other clients over any administrative or capital solution.

The commission did not schedule a follow-up item on the agenda during the meeting. Commissioners and staff reiterated that citizens may submit written comments at any time and that the commission would follow up on specific requests submitted outside of the meeting.

Ending: The public comment block ended with no formal county action. Speakers asked the commission to require accountability if public dollars are considered to stabilize the center; commissioners said they had heard the concerns and would consider next steps if a formal request for county assistance or oversight is presented.