Highland Rivers Health to integrate Haralson Behavioral Health, Cobb County Community Services Board, rebrand as Highland Rivers Behavioral Health

December 1, 2021

Consolidated agency to be Georgia’s largest behavioral health provider

Note: The following item was provided by Highland RiversBehavioral Health for posting. – KtE

DALTON – Highland Rivers Health, one of Georgia’s largest behavioral health agencies, will grow substantially in 2022 with the integration of Haralson Behavioral Health Services and Cobb County Community Services Board.

The combined agency will retain the legal name Highland Rivers Community Service Board but will do business as Highland Rivers Behavioral Health, with a new logo and the new tagline, “One community fostering hope, empowerment and purpose.” A new agency website will be unveiled in early 2022 as part of the ongoing rebranding and service integration that is expected to take several months.

Following the consolidation, Highland Rivers will be the largest behavioral health provider in Georgia, with a 13-county service territory that is home to more than 1.7 million people – nearly 17% of Georgia’s population – across a 4,700 square mile area of northwest Georgia. With a combined workforce of nearly 1,000 professionals, the agency will have an approximately $75 million annual budget.

The new, integrated organization will improve access to a broader array of behavioral health services for Georgians in metro Atlanta and northwest Georgia, said Judy Fitzgerald, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

“Consistent access to quality behavioral health services should be a part of all Georgians’ overall healthcare plans,” said Fitzgerald. “Highland Rivers has been a great partner to the state in providing high-quality services to those who are uninsured or underinsured, and their expansion is a hopeful sign that more Georgians can have consistent access to services that support their overall wellbeing.”

Plans for the potential consolidation of Cobb County CSB (CCCSB) into Highland Rivers Health began in late 2019, as CCCSB was unable to adequately meet the demand for services in the community. Toward that end, Highland Rivers CEO Melanie Dallas was contracted to serve as interim CEO of the Cobb agency in July 2020, following the retirement of CEO Foster Norman.

During the ensuing period, staff from Highland Rivers worked closely with their counterparts at CCCSB to determine processes for integrating the operational and financial workings of the two agencies. Following months of intensive preparation and planning, the governing boards of both entities this summer voted to proceed with consolidation.

Haralson County has been served by Haralson Behavioral Health Services (HBHS), a stand-alone agency with approximately 20 staff but which was not a community service board. Highland Rivers Health has had a long-term partnership with HBHS to provide community-based services in the county, and has generally considered Haralson County as part of its service territory.

As with Cobb County CSB, the Haralson Behavioral Health facility will become a Highland Rivers facility and staff will become employees of Highland Rivers Behavioral Health.

The Highland Rivers governing board will undergo changes as well. The current 14-member will be expanded to 18 members, with consideration being given to the population size of the counties served. Melanie Dallas will continue as CEO of the new entity, and all existing members of Highland Rivers’ executive team will likewise remain in their current positions.

“Highland Rivers has always been very intentional about partnerships in the community, and by integrating the Cobb and Haralson organizations, we will all be able to work more effectively to strengthen the behavioral health safety net in Georgia,” Dallas said. “What’s most important is that individuals with behavioral health needs are receiving the services they need, and this consolidation will allow us to serve more people with better services in Cobb County and all the communities we serve.”

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December 1, 2021

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One response to “Highland Rivers Health to integrate Haralson Behavioral Health, Cobb County Community Services Board, rebrand as Highland Rivers Behavioral Health”

Alicia Collins

December 2, 2021

Wow. Yes great idea… Haralson county couldn’t handle what they had already. Let’s put more counties together. So everyone can be on the “same page” to lie and manipulate the system more. So families and children can’t get the proper help to be returned to their families. For the job security of these under qualified, manipulative, underachievers reffered to as case workers and CASA’s. Way to go. merica…. What a joke. May God have mercy on the souls who have kidnap not just my children but those around me. We will not be silenced. I will continue to get louder as my reach expands you can see the court system falling in on itself. We have to protect our children people open your eyes. If the behavior health government facilities were doing their jobs properly we wouldn’t need to expand. We would have adults and children who knew how to address the issues and fix the problems they are faced with in their lives minimizing the need to outsource outside their families. Therapy is what these people need a qualified therapist, not a counselor who took a crash course class on their home computer of 35 hours or less. That is ridiculous. All services provided by the court houses are through these people probation, DFCS investigation’s of child abuse, addiction programs, school counselors, police officers. It’s the hand shaking the hand. Giving kickbacks and bribes to drug testing facilities to get false positive test results ensuring more programs will be assigned to individuals keeping these poor souls in a never ending loop of services that do not do what they claim. Keeping these individuals from reaching their full potential and achieving their greatest life. While causing irreversible damage to these families keeping children away from caring parents while they are raped, molested, physically and mentally abused. Causing parents to be incarcerated for kidnapping trying to get their children back to save them from those horrible foster families. These people make me sick. They sell your children to rapist and pedophiles. And by that I mean. The behavior health facilities approve all foster families which give the facilities and families money. Through grants to the government facilities. More foster families approved, more children needed for foster placement equals more $$$$ in the pockets of these case workers and etc. They have just raised the amount of money foster families receive monthly per child placed in their homes. CASA’s receive bonuses each time a child is adopted out of their home. Hhmmm no wonder they are forging false reports of neglect, abuse, mental instability, drug and alcohol abuse for the court houses to judges. They need that third vacation after all they earned it right???? It’s not easy making all of those false reports and investigation reports someone has to do it right.

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