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Behavioral health provider says certified clinic model expanded services, housed hundreds of households

Athens-Clarke County Commission (budget work session) · May 22, 2026
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Summary

Evan Mills of Advantage described a certified community behavioral health clinic model serving roughly 3,000 Clark County residents with about 115,000 service encounters, a 30‑bed crisis center, and housing programs that covered about 660 households; commissioners sought clarification on Advantage's FY27 budget request.

Evan Mills, speaking for Advantage in Behavioral Health Systems, presented service and performance data that the organization said underpins its FY27 budget request. Mills described Advantage as a "public nonprofit quasi governmental entity" and said the organization is now a certified community behavioral health clinic, enabling expanded hours and outcome tracking.

Mills gave performance and service counts: just under 3,000 unique individuals served last year; approximately 115,000 encounters across clinical and support services; a 30‑bed crisis center with temporary observation and crisis stabilization units; housing supports that served about 660 households; and targeted substance‑use treatment numbers (over 4,300 substance use diagnoses with roughly 1,200 for alcohol as a primary diagnosis). He also highlighted the co‑response partnership with the Clark County Police Department (584 total encounters) and street outreach totals (2,487 engagements and 1,540 referrals).

Commissioners questioned the specific dollar amount in Advantage’s FY27 request; Mills acknowledged a discrepancy in the packet and confirmed the intended request figure during the exchange.

Why it matters: Advantage provides large portions of the county’s behavioral health safety‑net services; service counts, housing capacity and voucher relationships directly affect the county’s planning for unhoused residents, crisis response, and public‑safety partnerships.

Materials were placed in the commission folder and staff will follow up on packet corrections and budget scenarios; no formal allocation votes occurred at the session.