Sudden closure of mental health care provider leaves 180 jobless
The Brunswick-based Merrymeeting Behavioral Health Associates abruptly ceased operations one week earlier than expected — leaving nearly 180 employees without work.
The closure of the mental health care provider came as a surprise to employees, who were notified by telephone on Friday that the agency would be closing its doors early despite receiving a letter informing them that their last day of work would be April 8, according to WCSH-TV 6.
Additionally, employees were told that they would not be paid for their anticipated final week of work.
As reported by the Bangor Daily News last week, in a letter to Brunswick Council Chairwoman Sarah Brayman and officials at the Bureau of Employment Standards and Department of Labor, Merrymeeting's human resources director Kacie Parker, said the organization's loss of MaineCare coverage directly contributed to its closing.
A March 22 letter from the state notified the organization that it would no longer provide coverage for over 80% of the community-based services the organization provides, according to the BDN.
The Department of Health and Human Services disputes the 80% loss of services claim, telling WCSH6 that according to the organization’s records, the number is closer to 12%, adding that Merrymeeting’s Executive Director, Jim Talbott, has yet to reach out to DHHS for assistance.
"Communication from that agency has been minimal at best," Deputy Commissioner of Programs at DHHS, Ricker Hamilton, told WCSH6. "They have not adhered to the contract they signed with 30 day written notice. We found out about this only a few weeks ago." He said the 80% figure he looked at, and from what our staff is telling him, is that there may be as many as 60 of the 500-plus patients that may not be eligible for Section 17 services.
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