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County mental health director outlines continuum of care, funding and May awareness events
Summary
Chris Manik, Northumberland County’s director of mental health, briefed commissioners on services from outpatient care to inpatient options, said roughly $4.2 million in state and federal grant dollars flow to the county and highlighted planned May awareness activities.
Chris Manik, director of mental health for Northumberland County, told the board the county offers a full continuum of care for adults and children ranging from drop-in and peer-support services to outpatient counseling, partial hospitalization, and long-term inpatient options such as Danville State Hospital.
"So, if you keep that in mind, you know, $4.2ish million comes into the county for us to support all the many of the services I just mentioned on the continuum at a limited level," Manik said, describing a mix of block-grant, state and federal funds and noting that most services are paid through the HealthChoices Medicaid-managed care program. He said there are about 23,000 HealthChoices members in a county population of roughly 90,000 and that managed-care spending for 2025 was approximately $32 million.
Manik listed community-based supports — drop-in centers, case management, peer support, outpatient counseling, psychiatric rehabilitation and vocational programs — and facility options, including a new inpatient facility in Danville and longer-term care at Danville State Hospital. For children he described case management, intensive behavioral health services (IBHS), school-based behavioral health, mobile therapy and multi-systemic family therapy.
He also announced county plans for Mental Health Awareness Month in May: the county hopes to "light the county green" with exterior lighting on government buildings, distribute 1,200 green light bulbs to schools for students to place at home, and mark May 7 as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. Manik said outreach materials and flyers were being distributed to schools and offered to meeting attendees.
The presentation closed after commissioners thanked Manik for the update and reaffirmed ongoing support for county behavioral-health services. The board did not take any formal vote related to policy changes during the briefing.
