CANTON (OH)
Beacon Journal
By Mary Kay Quinn
Beacon Journal staff writer
CANTON - A Stark County board is seeking assurances that a large mental health agency will tackle issues surrounding allegations about a counselor.
The Stark County Community Mental Health Board on Tuesday voted to award as much as $1 million to five agencies that could assist non-Medicaid clients now served by Nova Behavioral Health Inc. ...
The county board has said Nova violated its contract by mishandling complaints about a counselor, Dennis J. Bliss.
Nova fired Bliss on June 2, nearly two months after the county board released an investigation of him. The April 7 report said five female clients had several complaints about Bliss, including ``unwanted physical contact with sexual overtones.''
In a follow-up report, the county said that by failing to scrutinize Bliss closely, Nova didn't protect patients.
Nova's board president, Christopher Goff, presented recommendations Tuesday that he said were suggested by staff members and adopted by the board. They include retraining staff immediately, hiring managers and dividing responsibilities so that future complaints will be handled correctly.
County board members criticized the presentation and demanded a cover letter and a written plan showing how changes would be done.
The county board was expecting a plan to address seven findings outlined in a May 19 investigation, said A. Leslie Abel, executive director of the county board.
He said the board wants to be assured problems will be corrected and that the agency's culture has changed so that clients' rights are respected.
Goff said the Nova board will negotiate a new contract this week. The new fiscal year begins next month.
The county board's investigation of Bliss noted that when he was a Roman Catholic priest in Youngstown, he faced a variety of legal troubles from 1988 to 2001. Nova hired him as a part-time outpatient therapist in April 2000. He was working full time when he was suspended in March, the county report said.
Separately, one present and three former Nova employees filed a lawsuit, claiming Nova retaliated against them after they reported their concerns about Bliss.
Posted by kshaw at June 9, 2005 06:55 AM