Dallas County's largest mental health provider faces severe financial crisis

DALLAS - Dallas County's largest provider of behavioral health care, Metrocare, is managing intellectual disability and primary care services for veterans and families who need some care of their own.

Urgent financial care and Parkland Health System may be the answer.

Dallas County mental health provider faces severe deficit

What we know:

Board members at Parkland and Metrocare are considering the possibility of going forward in a way where the two come together, with Parkland treating Metrocare's business model, while Metrocare continues its mental health work. 

Dallas County commissioner John Wiley Price says an influx of money won't save them, and that Metrocare has got to make major changes.

The behavioral health provider is in financial distress while operating revenue deficit is more than $7 million a year to date. June operating expenses are 19% below expectations with little to no cash flow on hand.

Estimates for Metrocare need $10 to 14 million right now just to keep going, but that is not the financial fix needed. Dallas County Commissioner, John Wiley Price, says an influx of money won't save the mental health provider, and that Metrocare has got to make major changes.

Dallas County behavioral health care

What they're saying:

Price says other mental health treatment should be turned over to the North Texas behavioral health authority, and let that group contract with others in the community to provide that mental health care.

"There are a lot of issues here and the infusion of cash does not clear the debt," said Price.

"They need to re-organize, they need to reorganize and say, 'Hey, we're going to deal with intellectual disability and whatever percentage of their 55,000 population,' that is whether it's 15 to 20 percent, 30 percent, doesn't matter. That needs to be their specialty."

Could Parkland Health System take over Metrocare?

Dig deeper:

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins acknowledges the financial stress Metrocare is under but sees a way where Parkland Health System can come alongside Metrocare and benefit from a partnership as well. 

"There's clearly a financial crisis for Metrocare right now, but I believe there's also an opportunity for the patients at Metrocare, 55,000 people," he said. "For those patients to have a great experience and for Parkland to get much-needed mental health capacity, so it would be good for both patient populations. So, I'm asking those two to look at potentially an affiliation agreement."

Judge Jenkins continued by saying,"I think what John and I would agree on is if Metrocare continues with the same management, then they are not going to succeed. Right?"

What's next:

The difference is that Judge Jenkins thinks the answer is Parkland's management over Metrocare's finances, and Metrocare continues as it is. Price agrees Metrocare needs new management, but not Parkland, and he says they need to scale back to their primary purpose of treating the symptoms of intellectual disability.