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PORT TOWNSEND — Dwindling federal and state dollars and increasing administrative requirements have convinced the Jefferson Mental Health Services board it can no longer afford to provide mental health services for government-subsidized clients.
But the issue may also be that the nonprofit organization hasn’t lived up to its contract.
The board recently informed Anders Edgerton, Peninsula Regional Support Network (RSN) administrator, that Jefferson Mental Health won’t sign a new contract.
That could mean a loss of 80 percent to 90 percent of its business, according to board Vice-President Chuck Henry said.
“If we don’t have the RSN contract for public mental health services, we would be forced to consider what remaining mental health services we could provide, including operating our residential houses for chronically mentally ill people in our community,” he said.
The full report appears in today’s editions of the Peninsula Daily News, on sale throughout Clallam and Jefferson counties. Or click onto “Subscribe” to order your copy via U.S. mail.
