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Mental health: Decision delayed on residential program

Carlsbad Current-Argus (NM) - 2/28/2015

Feb. 28--CARLSBAD -- Carlsbad still does not know if its alcohol and drug residential rehabilitation program will stay in town, but a state official indicated Friday that Carlsbad will be happy once a final announcement is made early next week.

Three bids have been made to acquire the funding used to operate Villa de Esperanza, the only inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center in Southeastern New Mexico, said Wayne Lindstrom, director and CEO at the New Mexico Division of Behavioral Health Services and New Mexico Behavioral Health Collaborative.

Lindstrom said that, of the three companies who bid for the funding, only one proposed keeping the residential program in Carlsbad.

"We had substantial bonus points for the proposers that elected to propose keeping the service here," Lindstrom said. "Any proposer that did that definitely had an advantage because we gave that a priority."

Lindstrom apologized to employees of Villa de Esperanza for keeping them in suspense for another few days.

"My hat goes off to you for hanging in there in this process, in maintaining your dedication, but I'm confident that early next week we'll have some good news for you," Lindstrom said.

Villa de Esperanza is currently run by Turquoise Health and Wellness, which announced that it will stop offering services March 31, creating the need for a different company to provide those residential, behavioral services.

Lindstrom was in Carlsbad on Thursday night and Friday morning to answer questions about Carlsbad's mental health situation and was expected to make an announcement about which company would be awarded the bid. However, Lindstrom did not make that announcement.

Though the proposals have been scored already, Lindstrom said, he doesn't want to make an announcement about who will be awarded the bid until the decision is final.

"I want Optum (Health) to have the opportunity to sit with the organization that had the highest-scoring proposal and say, 'OK, here's what our contracting and credentials process is,' and have those parties agree," Lindstrom said.

Lindstrom said that he was waiting to make the announcement because, if the first-choice candidate happened to fall through after an announcement was made, it could be a difficult blow for the people in the community.

"Particularly given everything this community has been through," Lindstrom said. "That's the last thing in the world I would want to have happen."

The decision should be made by the end of the day Monday, Lindstrom said.

Jeff Diamond, chairman of the Mayor's Mental Health Task Force, on Friday said, "Dr. Lindstrom told me last night by way of a hint that we would be happy with the decision."

Other aspects that weighed heavily when deciding who will win the bid, Lindstrom said, are clinical, financial and operational expertise, as well as experience the company has in operating a residential treatment program.

Katie England can be reached at 575-628-5516.

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