Toby House, Inc.

To say the least, the world of mental health services here in Maricopa County is in a bit of chaos these days. We are at the close of the first quarter and a workable contract has yet to be seen for us at Toby House, Inc. There are some central issues around it all but securing funding levels which adequately reflect the cost of doing business are at the core. Our continuing to subsidize the RBHA in order to keep services available is ended. It is clearly now time for profiteering to be minimized and for support of quality services to be maximized.
As to the RBHA, the CEO of MagellanAZ, Dr,. Chris Carson , has stepped down , staying on board to become the Chief of Clinical and Medical Services. he has been replaced by a Dr. Richard Clark. How this plays out in terms of operations remains to be seen.
For some insight into the world of mental health services from the vantage point of the consumer, I refer you to a new blog site http://betterbehavioralhealthaz.com. It was started by a gentleman who was searching for a way to surface concerns from the consumer point of view a bit more directly. I found, as I am thinking you will, it interesting.
For some insight into the workings of the RBHA, give a listen at a Governance Board meeting. These are held regularly and the schedule can be found on the RBHA website,www.magellanofaz.com
The more systemic elements are discussed there and, well, see for yourself. The frustration is, in my opinion, quite evident.