SAN DIEGO, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ — The Mental Health Association in San Diego County (MHASD), San Diego’s leading mental health advocacy organization, announces its merger with Alpha Behavioral Health Services (AlphaBHS – Alpha of San Diego, Inc.), a non-profit social services agency serving San Diego for over 30 years.
The transition process has already begun and both organizations will be working from one central office in North Park by January 1, 2007. The programs and services at both organizations will remain uninterrupted. The combined organization will operate locally under the non-profit legal structure of the Mental Health Association in San Diego County. AlphaBHS will retain the name of Alpha Behavioral Health Services, a program of the Mental Health Association. The merger is expected to be complete by June 30, 2007.
“This merger will allow us to combine our strengths to improve and expand much needed mental health services in San Diego while eliminating administrative duplication and cost,” stated Kimberly Miller, Board President of MHASD. “The team at AlphaBHS has a track record of success and we feel that together we will be better positioned to serve the people of San Diego.”
“We are excited to be joining the MHASD family,” stated Sherri Petro, Board President of AlphaBHS. “Alpha’s programs and services have filled a vital community need and we will continue to make inroads with the strength and support of the Mental Health Association.”
Mental Health Association in San Diego County has designated Scott Suckow as Chief Executive Officer for MHASD effective January 1, 2007. Mr. Suckow has a long history of involvement in the non-profit community, particularly around improving access and standards of care in the healthcare sector. Over the course of his career, Suckow has raised millions of dollars to fund research, patient education and outreach programs. Suckow has also held leadership roles at the Muscular Dystrophy Association, American Diabetes Association, American Liver Foundation, Huntington’s Disease Society of America, and the United Way. He is on the Steering Committee of the 2-1-1 San Diego and SD Coalition on Mental Health, Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP), Chair of the Advisory Committee for San Diego’s HIV Funding Collaborative, Incoming Chair of the local board for FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), Vice Chair of the local board of the California’s Emergency Housing Assistant Program (EHAP), Chair of the San Diego’s Health and Human Services HIV Planning Council, member of San Diego Association of Non-profits (SANDAN) and immediate past President of San Diego’s National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.
About Mental Health Association in San Diego County:
Founded in 1942, the Mental Health Association in San Diego County (MHASD) has served as the leading mental health advocacy organization in San Diego County. As an affiliate of the NMHA, the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit mental health patient advocacy organization, the MHASD works to ensure available and affordable care to all San Diegans through advocacy, education, research, and service. The NMHA has more than 340 affiliates nationwide. For more information, please call 619-543-0412 or visit their website at http://www.mhasd.org/.
About Alpha Behavioral Health Services (Alpha of San Diego, Inc.)
Founded in 1971, Alpha Behavioral Health Services (AlphaBHS) has been dedicated to helping underserved San Diego communities move toward success by providing guidance, training and supportive services. Today AlphaBHS operates out of its North Park Center and provides a wide range of behavioral health therapy/counseling services and life skills training, in English and Spanish, serving approximately 700 clients annually. To learn more about AlphaBHS, please call 619-285-9999 or visit their website at http://www.alphabhs.org/.
Mental Health Association in San Diego County
CONTACT: Candy Rivera of Alpha Behavioral Health Services,+1-619-285-9999, ext. 108, [email protected]
Web site: http://www.mhasd.org/http://www.alphabhs.org/
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