Hospital helps in transition of mental health services

NEWTON — This week, spokespeople for Newton Memorial Hospital clarified the reason they are no longer providing mental and behavioral health services in Sussex County. According to spokespeople for Newton Memorial, the hospital had in fact bid with the state for the contract, along with several other providers. However, after an extensive review process over the past several months, Newton Memorial learned it had not won the contract. Beginning in January, programs and services Newton Memorial had been offering will be provided by Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services of Elizabeth. The New Jersey State Department of Human Services notified Newton Memorial on Oct. 30 that it would not renew the portion of its contract with the hospital for the following behavioral health services: partial care (Sussex House), supported employment, integrated case management services, supportive housing and Path for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness. As a result, the contract between the state and Newton Memorial will end Dec. 31 for those services, which will be transitioned to Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services on Jan. 1, 2010. In a letter to the hospital, a state official thanked Newton Memorial for its work. “The Division of Mental Health Services would like to thank you for your efforts to ease the transition of services from Newton Memorial Hospital to Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services,” said Jonathan S. Poag, Acting Assistant Commissioner of the state Department of Human Services in a letter to the hospital. “Your commitment to the consumers and employees of NMH has been evident throughout this process.” Roger Cherney, Newton Memorial’s Director of Behavioral Health Services, said: “Although we’re disappointed that the state decided to contract with an agency other than the hospital, we are grateful that the continuum of care will be preserved for our patients. We’ve always been proud of the behavioral health services we provide, and it’s most important that these services continue to be available to members of our community.”