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Acenda requests continued PESS waiver; county partners report rising encounters and program metrics
Summary
Acenda asked the Gloucester County Mental Health Board to continue a waiver allowing extended psychiatric crisis evaluation beds, citing hospital regulatory and staffing constraints; Arrive Together reported higher encounter volumes and lower use‑of‑force, and Acenda presented March service counts across multiple programs.
Christina Jackey, Senior Director of Acute Care Services at Acenda, asked the Gloucester County Mental Health Board on April 21 to continue a long‑standing waiver that permits extended crisis evaluation beds under the county Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services (PESS) program. Jackey said the waiver is in place because hospital regulatory requirements and staffing limitations prevent routinely offering extended crisis beds and that the waiver has not created barriers to care in Gloucester County.
Jackey told the board Acenda will email the waiver request to Mental Health Administrator Dr. Rebecca DiLisciandro (Becky) for distribution to members; there is a 30‑day comment period and any feedback will be reviewed at the May 19 board meeting prior to a final board vote. Rebecca DiLisciandro confirmed the timeline and noted board review will precede a final decision.
Separately, Jim Reed, Supervisor for PESS & ARRIVE, reported 31 ARRIVE encounters in the past month with 19 individuals linked to outpatient services, an average monthly rate that has roughly doubled compared with 18 months earlier. Reed said use‑of‑force incidents fell to 5% from 13% and that ARRIVE expanded evening coverage countywide (7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.); he and Acenda leadership plan to request funding to add weekend coverage.
Acenda also presented March program metrics: county‑grant outpatient services served 195 Gloucester County residents; total outpatient services across funding sources served 370 residents with 731 clinical services; the CCBHC served 331 individuals (780 services) and reported peer support and case management session counts. Jackey and Jennifer Kugler (Associate VP, Behavioral Health Services) reviewed program‑level statistics for PESS (122 admissions, 53 outreaches, 33 diversions from emergency rooms), IOTSS, EISS, OP, Bridge, ICMS, PATH, IOC, SEP, PACT and IFSS, and noted several hiring needs and facility or program moves under submission to the state Department of Health.
Why it matters: The waiver language underpins how the county responds to psychiatric crises; the board’s 30‑day review and May 19 meeting were scheduled to allow member questions before a formal vote. The ARRIVE and Acenda metrics together describe rising demand for crisis response and ongoing workforce pressures.
Next steps: Acenda will forward the waiver request and the board will accept comments during the 30‑day window. The waiver and any public feedback will be considered at the May 19 board meeting, where a final vote is expected.
