State bars Bellwether Behavioral Health from running group homes in NJ. Now what?

More than 400 vulnerable people living in group homes run by Bellwether Behavioral Health, the troubled company barred by the state from future business in New Jersey, should see better conditions as new management takes over the homes, officials said.

Moving quickly to protect the safety and health of the developmentally disabled residents of Bellwether’s 62 homes after a scathing report by a state-appointed monitor, human services officials have chosen nine different social service providers to assume responsibility for their operations.

“Each provider agency will take over operations of a specific set of homes and/or day programs by region and service specialty,” said Tom Hester, a spokesman for the state Department of Human Services. “Working with multiple agencies helps to ensure that transitions happen safely and as quickly as possible.”

He declined to disclose which homes would be taken over by each provider, or even the counties in which the nine providers would replace Bellwether management. Some providers said the transfer agreements are still being finalized.

Read more: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2019/05/25/nj-bars-bellwether-behavioral-health-running-group-homes/1220958001/