Board plans in light of Forum Health crisis

John Palermo was elected mental health board president.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning County Mental Health Board is developing contingency plans for hospital beds for its clients in case Forum Health carries out its plan to divest itself of its behavioral units.
"We are particularly concerned about having local beds for the children. The adults we can take care of," said Ronald Marian, mental health board director, at the organization's monthly meeting Thursday.
Greg Cvetkovic, director of D & amp;E Counseling Center, a mental health board-affiliated agency, said his organization alone refers 200 children a year for treatment at Forum Health's unit.
As part of its restructuring effort, the financially distressed Forum Health has said it wants to sell or outsource its children and adult behavioral units.
Marian said the board pays Forum Health and St. Elizabeth Health Center $125,000 a year each to make beds available for indigent mental health clients. The director said he has talked with St. Elizabeth officials about expanding its psychiatric unit to accommodate mental health clients, and they are interested in doing so.
Also, Marian said he was approached by Dr. Ehab Sargious, who Marian said wants to renovate the psychiatric ward at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren to accommodate more difficult clients.
However, Marian said he would not make a commitment to Dr. Sargious until he (Marian) knows what Forum Health and St. Elizabeth will do.
Another option being explored is the expansion of Belmont Pines in Liberty to handle mental health board clients, Marian said.
Officers elected
The board elected officers for two-year terms, effective July 1. They are: John Palermo, president; Richard Keyes, first vice president; Atty. Charles Kay, second vice president; Atty. Nomiki Tsarnas, secretary; and Patricia Reardon, treasurer.
The terms of several board members expire June 30, including that of its president, Andrew Hamady.
Marian introduced Toni Notaro, the new administrative director for the board, who replaced the retired Joseph Gorman. Notaro was the longtime clinical director at Turning Point, a mental health board agency.
In other action, the board approved $7,000 for the Volunteer Services Agency's Telephone Reassurance/Social Contact Program for the elderly; and $4,000 for VSA's program that places mental health clients in volunteer positions. Both grants are for fiscal year 2007, beginning July 1.
alcorn@vindy.com