Editor,
On March 24, 2006, the Intensive Outpatient program at the UNM Mental Health Center will close its doors.
Steve McKernan, CEO of UNM Hospitals Clinical Operations, is responsible for this decision. This will affect present patients of the program, the staff and the 250 patients that this program has the potential to help every year.
The Intensive Outpatient program is a vital stepping-stone toward recovery for patients just being discharged from the hospital's inpatient wards.
As a patient at the Mental Health Center and a graduate of the program, I am outraged and deeply concerned about what this means for the mental health community at UNM. I am convinced by my personal experience that the Intensive Outpatient program has played a vital part in my recovery. At the program, the goal of the staff is to teach patients their recovery is in their own hands.
For many mental health consumers in Albuquerque, UNM Hospital is their only resource for services they desperately need. I'm wondering how such a much-needed program has been allowed to be closed. Far too many mental health consumers easily fall through the cracks already.
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This decision not only affects the patients, but it definitely will have an impact on the dedicated and amazing staff. As a result of this closing, all but one staff member will be laid off and have the option to transfer to other UNM Hospital positions. Since this decision was made known to the staff only three weeks before the program will close, I can only imagine the distress this has caused.
It is also disturbing that the decision was made not by the failure of the program, but by the fact that it is not making the hospital any money.
I can't imagine there are not any other UNM programs that could have been closed instead. I don't believe any mental health patient's recovery should have a price tag attached. I wonder if the people who made this decision have any idea how closing the Intensive Outpatient program will impact the mental health community, not to mention Albuquerque itself. Obviously, they can sleep peacefully at night knowing there will be money in the bank. I encourage anyone reading this who feels the same outrage and concern to contact Steve McKernan - I know I will.
Alicia Blake
UNM alumna
