Dear Democrat gubernatorial candidates: please stop being afraid of diss’ing Easley. He wrecked mental health reform.

Only luck will save the Dems from losing the governor’s seat this time around.

As a doctoral level provider, fully participating in mental health reform in NC:

1. we do not need more case management.

2. if the LME’s go back to case management, how will they avoid favoritism?

3. this favoritism already exists in the largest LME in NC, specifically, Smoky Mountain Center LME, wherein Meridian Behavioral Health Services, run by a retired SMC employee, picks up most of the business.

WE NEED A OUTCOMES BASED MODEL—-NOT—NOT—NOT—THIS FEE FOR SERVICE MODEL which is nickel and diming providers to death and creates a barrier to services.

Until you get this, that the model of Fee for Service is associated with the biggest chunk of NC mental health reform failure, we will not move forward.

Marsha V. Hammond, PhD
Clinical Licensed Psychologist, Asheville, NC
NC mental health reform blogspot: http://madame-defarge.blogspot.com/