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County approves $9 million-plus provider contracts for behavioral health, ID and early intervention services
Summary
The board approved contracts for FY 2025–26 with 47 providers to serve roughly 19,669 people in Lackawanna and Susquehanna counties, with the behavioral health allocation and ID allocation recited in the resolution packet.
The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners on May 21 approved provider contracts for the Lackawanna–Susquehanna Behavioral Health, Intellectual Disability and Early Intervention (BH/ID/EI) programs for fiscal year 2025–26.
The resolution, presented by Behavioral Health Director Vicki Bridal, covers contracts with 47 human services providers to deliver services to approximately 19,669 people across Lackawanna and Susquehanna counties. The packet recited program allocations that the board summarized as follows: behavioral health allocations totaling $9,000,885 with an ID allocation figure of $858,210 and an ID allocation total referenced as $3,772,600 in the meeting presentation.
Services included in the contracted portfolio, according to Bridal’s presentation, span housing and community-based supports for people with serious mental illness; forensic residential treatment and forensic case management for adults with criminal justice involvement; a reentry housing initiative for incarcerated individuals; emergency and crisis services; case management for children and adults; residential and day supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; supported employment; and early-intervention therapies and special-instruction services for infants and toddlers (0–3) and their families.
Bridal told commissioners the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services allocations have been largely flat-funded, with some additional money intended to address staffing challenges for direct support professionals. Commissioner remarks during the meeting raised concern that proposed federal budget cuts would reduce Medicaid/Medicare and other federal funding streams that could in turn affect county services and shift costs to local taxpayers.
Commission action: the board voted to approve the contracts by voice vote.
Why it matters: these contracts underlie services for thousands of county residents who receive behavioral health, developmental disability and early-intervention supports. Contract renewals and state reimbursement rates affect provider capacity and program continuity.
What’s next: staff will move the contracts toward signature and execution for FY 2025–26; commissioners and presenters said continued state and federal advocacy is needed if federal budget proposals reduce Medicaid/Medicare funding.
Direct quote: “The Lackawanna–Susquehanna Behavioral Health, intellectual disability, and early intervention program contracts with 47 human services providers to meet the service and support needs of approximately 19,669 people,” Behavioral Health Director Vicki Bridal said during her presentation.
