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County's mental health board merges

Times-News - 7/20/2017

July 20--GRAHAM -- An advisory board to the organization managing much of Alamance County's mental health services has merged with the boards of nearby counties, which does not please all the county commissioners.

"I don't think it's a good deal for Alamance County," Commissioner Bill Lashley said.

Commissioner Bob Byrd represented the commissioners on the community operations board for Cardinal Innovations Healthcare representing Alamance and Caswell counties, which, he told the rest of the commissioners this week, merged with the board representing Orange, Person and Chatham counties.

"If there's a concern," Byrd said at the board's July meeting, "the concern would be that we're not watering down the amount of accountability or the amount of input that we have as Alamance County for the mental health services that are being provided here."

Byrd said the larger board had so far been a good opportunity to talk to commissioners from the other four counties in Cardinal's central territory, and compare notes on how their counties delivered services and spent funds.

Lashley asked whether the board had the authority to do that on its own.

Ric Bruton, Cardinal Innovations' senior community executive for those five counties in the organization's central territory, said state law requires Cardinal have a Board of Directors for the whole organization serving 20 North Carolina counties, but the smaller regional advisory boards are not even mentioned in state law.

"We have maintained the local boards just to get that local input," Bruton said, "and get some more insight at the local level."

Commissioners Chair Eddie Boswell directed County Attorney Clyde Albright to check the law. Albright did not return a call from the Times-News.

Reporter Isaac Groves can be reached at igroves@thetimesnews.com or 336-506-3045. Follow him on Twitter at @tnigroves.

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