Jan. 29 - Human Consequences of Interruptions in Behavioral Health Care

Last week we looked at the history of the behavioral health system for the poor in New Mexico, and the closure of an Arizona firm paid millions of dollars to take over operations of services in the southern part of the state. That statewide shake-up resulting from a state-funded secret audit of 15 mental health providers accused of fraud put most of the non-profits out of business and left thousands of fragile Medicaid patients without care. Some of the counselors left for the private sector, some were not rehired by the Arizona companies, and client relationships were disrupted as the new firms took over. KSFR’s Deborah Martinez looks at what mental health treatment actually means, and he introduces us to one woman caught in the eye of the storm, who, along with other advocates, is looking to state legislators to fill the gap of services. Listen Here