MAHONING COUNTY Agencies explore merging

Burdman Group and Help Hotline expect study results soon.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR HEALTH WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Help Hotline Crisis Center and the Burdman Group are studying the feasibility of merging.
Duane Piccirilli, executive director of Help Hotline, emphasized that it is very early in the process and that nothing may come of the study.
However, Piccirilli said the boards of directors of the agencies formed a consolidation committee consisting of members of both agencies' boards and the Mahoning County Mental Health Board, a major funding source for both agencies.
And in March, the boards hired Brown Consulting of Toledo for $3,600 to study whether the community would be better served if the agencies merged, shared programs or stayed as they are now, Piccirilli said. The study also addresses issues such as funding, officials said.
Timing of study
The agencies decided to look at operations of both programs before Burdman hires a new executive director to replace Fred Sonnett, who died in July 2003, said Mark Wingert, Burdman controller.
Nancy Flinn is Burdman's interim director and human resources and marketing director.
Each agency is looking at financial statements and overall operations, said Peter Woodlock, president of the Burdman board of directors.
"There are good groups of people at Help Hotline and Burdman, and I think it would be a good fit," said Woodlock, who is chairman of the accounting and finance department at Youngstown State University.
"I'm hopeful" that a merger is feasible, he said.
Piccirilli, who said he would become director of the combined organization if the agencies merge, said Burdman approached Help Hotline about the feasibility study.
The report from Brown Consulting is expected late this month or in early May, Woodlock said.
Agencies' missions
Historically, Burdman Group provided services to people with mental-health problems. To that mission have been added residential and other community services for people who have social or economic disadvantages for other reasons, such as domestic violence. Its 2003 budget was $5.6 million, and it has about 200 employees.
Help Hotline provides crisis intervention, suicide prevention and intervention, referrals, and support and counseling services to people experiencing mental-health and other problems. It also provides information about community human services 24 hours a day, seven days a week for all of Mahoning and Columbiana counties and parts of Trumbull County.
Help Hotline has 38 employees, half part-time and half full-time, with a 2003 budget of $1.4 million.
Both private, nonprofit agencies receive partial funding from the Mahoning County Mental Health Board, Trumbull Lifelines and Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way, as well as the Ohio Attorney General's office and various private and public grants.
alcorn@vindy.com