Hegira Health Inc. and Community Care Services merged, creating one of the largest mental health and substance abuse treatment systems in Wayne County.
The agreement between the two behavioral health care providers ended on March 20, about six months after It was announced. Terms were not disclosed.
HHI CEO Carol Zuniga leads the combined organization, which does business as Hegira Health.
Susan Kozak, former Executive Director of Community Care Services, is now HHI’s Director of Operations.
The combined organization offers a broader network of clinical and community, crisis, residential and outpatient mental health and substance abuse services, including 12 treatment centers in western Wayne County and the Downriver areas, staffed by total of almost 500 people.
CCS employees were offered positions that offered more career opportunities within the new larger organizations. All staff positions were maintained and all existing locations for both organizations will continue to operate.
The expanded network will give customers access to additional locations, expanded services and more doctors, Hegira said in a statement.
“The timing and resulting impact on current and potential clients joining our organizations comes at a critical time when funding sources for the public behavioral health sector are uncertain and the need is widespread,” Zuniga said in a statement. release.
“This merger represents a new direction for mental health providers, paving the way for efficiency and a proactive solution to the growing demand for behavioral health services, during a period with fewer physicians and mental health providers in the community.” .
By offering more comprehensive and integrated mental health and substance abuse services, Hegira will improve access to care and allow for easier referral and transition to the appropriate level of services, Kozak said in the release.
“By combining our resources, knowledge and experience through a shared vision, we are able to offer continuous care and a greater variety of treatment options and services to people of all ages, from infants to seniors.”
Founded in 1971, Livonia-based HHI served 25,000 people each year before the merger. CCS had been in operation since 1985, serving 5,000 consumers a year.
The merger is at least the fourth among agencies providing mental health services since the fall of 2020 when CNS Healthcare in Detroit merged with Northeast Integrated Healthcare.
Last August, JVS Human Services and Kadima Mental Health Services said they planned to merge to adapt to the changing landscape of mental health financing.
Just a few months later, in December, Easterseals Michigan and Macomb Oakland Regional Center announced their plans to join together to create one of the largest social service agencies in the region. The deal, expected to be completed in September, will integrate behavioral health with services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, among other services.
