FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2007
CONTACTS
Ron Sorensen, Division of Behavioral Health Services, (402) 471-7766
Jeanne Atkinson, Communications and Legislative Services Division, (402) 471-8287
HHS Closing Adult Services While Continuing Adolescent Services at the Hastings Regional Center
Continuing decline seen in admissions to adult residential services and no admissions to adult outpatient program since 2005
Lincoln – Adult residential and outpatient services at the Hastings Regional Center (HRC) are being discontinued, according to the Division of Behavioral Health Services in the Department of Health and Human Services.
Closing adult residential services in April will not impact the 40-bed youth chemical dependency treatment program for boys from the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center at Kearney or the 22-bed adolescent mental health program, both on the HRC campus.
"This change is a positive sign that behavioral health reform is working as planned," said Ron Sorensen, administrator of the HHS Division of Behavioral Health Services. "Because there are more community programs and options all across the state, there’s less demand for adult Regional Center services."
There has been a continuing decline in admissions to adult residential services since October 2006. There have been no admissions to the adult outpatient program since 2005, according to Sorensen.
The four patients in the HRC adult residential services program will be transitioned to appropriate community-based services or will be served at one of the other two Regional Centers. All consumers participating in the HRC adult outpatient program have been discharged to community-based services, effective March 8, 2007.
There are certain steps that must be followed when determining layoff time frames that could take several weeks to complete. Discontinuing the services will eventually result in staff reductions, and HHS is in the process of determining which staff will be affected.
Employees will be given information about retirement benefits, the Employee Assistance Program, the State Re-employment program and employment opportunities in other HHS field facilities and with other employers in the Hastings area.
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