Local mental health clinic to close Jan. 31
By Deborah Bennett

Due to lack of funding, the Jenkins County Mental Health and Addictive Disease Outpatient Clinic will close its doors Jan. 31, forcing approximately 200 clients to seek services outside the county. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett)

Approximately 200 local clients of the Jenkins County Mental Health and Addictive Disease Outpatient Clinic will have to travel outside the county to seek treatment after Jan. 31. Officials of the local clinic announced recently that the facility would close at the end of the month.

Frank Brantley, executive director of Ogeechee Behavioral Health Services (OBHS), which operates the clinic, said that lack of funding was the reason for the closure.

OBHS is funded partially through the Division of Mental Health/Developmental Disability and Addictive Diseases of the Georgia Department of Human Resources.

"We were basically told by the state that we must find a way to operate at the same level with less funds it is impossible. We've already had to cut our operating expenses $170,000 monthly," Brantley said.

He further explained that OBHS was now operating under managed care, meaning that the provider would try to limit services for which they would pay. Brantley also noted that the state has removed funding for a 15-bed adolescent residential program, costing OBHS $300,000-$400,000 annually in funding and resulting in the loss of 20-22 jobs. By mid-year, the organization will also lose state grant aid for children/adult services provided.

The Jenkins County facility is not the first that OBHS has been forced to close.

"At one time we operated six clinics, one in each county we represent. We closed the smallest one first, Glascock County, and then the one in Jefferson County in July of last year. Jenkins County is the third to close," said Brantley.

Brantley expressed concern that the community will feel the effects of the clinic's closure and predicted increased use of the local emergency room and jail, as well as state mental health hospitals.

Jenkins County Solicitor Troy Gay expressed similar concern, noting that local courts often refer cases to the mental health clinic.

"This means that these people, who might need a little help with alcohol/drug abuse or mental health issues, will now have to travel outside Jenkins County. And many of them do not have the transportation to do that," Gay said.

"This is not good," he said of the clinic's impending closure.

Wilehmena Scogins, who represents Jenkins County on the Ogeechee Community Service Board, said that while she opposed the decision to close the local facility, she understood that there was little else that could have been done.

"If our government doesn't start putting money back into the system, all of society is going to feel the effects. If we can't get the attention of our legislators now, the patients will get it later," Scogins predicted.

OBHS will continue to operate clinics in Burke, Emanuel and Screven counties.