The major mental health providers in Leon and Bay counties are in the process of merging. Tallahassee's Apalachee Center, headed by Jay Reeve, will join with Panama City's Life Management Center over the next few years. Reeve said the merger will especially help outlying areas where mental health care is hard to come by.
"We have a thinner population. We have a lot more rural populations. There's a lot more distance to cover and really the key thing is making sure we have an aligned philosophy that anyone who needs that treatment and behavioral health care can get that care."
Another plus, said Life Management Center President and CEO Ned Ailes is that the combined organizations will have more resources available for client care because of administrative savings.
"It will be best for the communities and the people that we serve across 14 counties. I think it will be good for all of our staff, too to see that kind of formal working relationship together."
It will probably take a few years to accomplish, but both Reeve and Ailes say they see nothing but advantages in combining operations, with the biggest winners being those residents in the 14 county area needing mental health services; especially those in the region's rural and underserved counties.
