In recent months a group of citizens has raised accusations about services provided in Jefferson County Schools. Allied Behavioral Health Solutions (ABHS) is a licensed mental health facility with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. The Jefferson County School-Based Behavioral Health Team is comprised of 12, highly committed, Master’s level license eligible or licensed behavioral health providers. All twelve members of our team graduated from accredited universities, have submitted to the state required process for obtaining NPIs, completing background checks, fingerprints, and various other assurances of their roles as bona fide individuals and community members. Of our 12 liaisons, 8 completed their training in Tennessee, 4 completing their education at institutions of faith, and 4 completing their training within 150 miles of Jefferson City. Our staff live locally and contribute to the fabric East Tennessee. In the summer of 2022, our team was honored to be the inaugural recipient of the TennCare Walk of Fame Awards for innovation and collaboration in the behavioral health sector. The collaboration with Jefferson County School has saved Jefferson County families more than $180,000 in co-pays, deductibles, and out-of-network fees. This number does not reflect the reduction in days of missed work, reduction in lost wages, and the reduction in cost of transportation that also result as benefits to families through this collaboration. Please note that below we have identified a selection of the accusations being made and provided fact in response to those accusations.
Statement: ABHS is providing behavioral health services to children without their parent’s knowledge or consent.
Fact: Allied Behavioral Health Solutions is licensed with the State of Tennessee. This licensing process requires annual audits by the State and standards must be met in order to maintain licensing.
One of the many regulations requires clients to sign consent forms that outline services to be provided, HIPAA regulations, Good Faith Estimate of costs and other information. For children under the age of 16, legal guardians complete documents. Per State law individuals age 16 and over have the same rights to consent for behavioral health services as an adult. However we make efforts to engage parents of youth 16 and older as well.
The documents are renewed annually. If the paperwork cannot be renewed due to a guardian’s lack of response or other barriers, services are stopped until consent can be updated.
During the four years that ABHS has provided services to Jefferson County School there has zero (0) complaints from participating families.
Statement: Community members have comments questioning the credentials and qualifications of staff.
Fact: All clinicians hold, at minimum, a Master’s Degree in a licensed-eligible field. All clinicians are licensed as LCSWs, LPC-MHSP, or LMFTs or are actively in the process of licensure.
ABHS clinicians all have National Provider Identifier (NPI) numbers allowing them to be registered with the federal government as individuals providing services.
Staff complete fingerprints and background checks that include review of the National Sex Offender Registry, Tennessee Department of Health Abuse Registry, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, per state rules and regulations.
Statement: ABHS is attempting to save a profitable contract.
Fact: ABHS operates the school health program on a breakeven status. In addition, this is a program of excellence. ABHS has provided school-based behavioral health services in Jefferson County since the Fall of 2019. In four years, we have served more than 750 unique children and families and have a 37% decrease in out of school placement and expulsions.
In July 2022, the School-Based Behavioral Health program in Jefferson County was honored to be the inaugural recipient of BlueCare of Tennessee’s Tennessee Walk of Fame Awards for Innovation and Engagement. There are no other outpatient mental health providers with an office location in Jefferson County who accept Medicaid.
Other behavioral health providers would require a 30 to 45 minute commute one-way for families. This would result in parents checking youth out from school, driving to the behavioral health appointment, waiting for the duration of a one-hour appointment, and then driving the distance back to the school if they returned the youth to school at all.
Statement: ABHS provides medications to children in the school system without parents’ knowledge.
Fact: ABHS provides no medication services within the school system.
Statement: Mental Health services in schools remove students from core curriculum instruction and decrease time in academic settings.
Fact: We collaborate closely with Counselors, Principals, and administrators to identify a consistent schedule that does not disrupt core classes. This is a priority. The only exception is if a student is actively suicidal and needs to be supported immediately. In these situations, parents are also notified immediately and are an active part in ensuring safety.
Statement: Community members have raised questions about the typical reasons for referrals to school-based behavioral health.
Fact: Allied Behavioral Health Solutions receives referrals from students, guardians, School Counselors, and administrators. Services are offered but never required and are never connected to any form of school requirement such as an IEP or disciplinary action.
An overwhelming majority of the students served reside with kinship placement, have a history of DCS involvement, witnesses to acts of violence, and have biological caregivers with substance abuse concerns.
ABHS provides extra support when a student has passed away or when there have been hard lockdowns that result in increased anxiety. Of note, there have been multiple student deaths this year and more than 60 threat assessments that have led to 10 arrests of children for credible threats.
Statement: ABHS derives income for the School-Based Behavioral Health program in Jefferson County from Medicaid, parent co-pays, grant funding, “local tax dollars,” and “makes millions off the suffering and confusion of our children.”
Fact: Allied Behavioral Health has engaged in a process of competitive bid for a grant contract since the Fall of 2020. Each year the contract is placed for competitive bid and ABHS has been selected.
The funding is utilized as a “payor of last resort” to underwrite roughly one third of the ten (behavioral health liaison’s income. The payor of last resort model indicates that ABHS seeks reimbursement as possible from a client’s insurance provider and parents provide written consent.
The grant funding from the schools then goes to cover the costs of co-pays, deductibles, or out-of-network fees that may result from the insurance of students. Parents are not charged for outpatient services delivered in the school during the school year.
To attest to the validity, ABHS has reached out to the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office to inquire about a voluntary audit of the interactions between ABHS and JCS.
Statement: The article in the Banner regarding ABHS services was “false” and “poor reporting.”
Fact: ABHS was first contacted on January 5, 2023 by a reporter from the Jefferson County Post which included a brief phone interview and an emailed statement. An article published by the Post on January 25 referenced ABHS and failed to acknowledge that the Post contacted ABHS, spoke with the Executive Director, and was provided with information regarding ABHS services. ABHS provided the Post the same information provided to the Standard Banner more than 4 weeks before the information was given to the Banner.
Statement: The contract with JCS fails to mention the gender affirming care that permeates the Allied business model.
Fact: ABHS is firmly committed to providing high-quality counseling to anyone who seeks services with us.
ABHS serves a broad range of ages and communities. These include a high presence in the military community, those engaged with the child welfare system, families with histories of substance abuse and the LGBTQ+ community.
This results in a belief that we meet people where they are, celebrate their journeys to date, and we’re happy to walk alongside them wherever they envision their future. Their goals and desires for their life are not ours to choose, however we will show kindness to people from all political backgrounds, economic ranges, religions, races and sexual orientation.
Statement: ABHS is providing social-emotional learning curriculum and gender exploration in classrooms.
Fact: ABHS does not provide any classroom level support or intervention of any kind. All services provided are as a result of a referral for a specific student and consent from a legal guardian.
Statement: ABHS employees must be of “gender affirming ideology” to be employed.
Fact: Absolutely false and completely untrue.
Statement: ABHS is hiding an agenda and that documentation between Jefferson County Schools and ABHS is unavailable or difficult to obtain.
Fact: Allied Behavioral Health Solutions has complied with requests for all documentation that is allowable within the limits of HIPAA. State and local contracts are public record and can be easily obtained. Additionally, ABHS has offered to meet with school board members and concerned citizens.
Statement: ABHS is keeping information about students from parents, teachers, and administration
Fact: This is completely untrue. ABHS abides by all HIPAA regulations regarding client confidentiality.
Statement: ABHS “scrubbed” its website as “damage control” for being “caught red handed” at “demonic activity.”
Fact: In February 2023, ABHS was alerted that a group of concerned citizens felt that one of our social media posts from early 2021 indicated that ABHS provided transgender affirming medical services. ABHS does not, and has never, provided primary care health services of any kind.
ABHS notified the school board prior to removing the image that we had heard the concerns and that we would remove the image. At that time, we also removed several old posts that were no longer applicable.
If you peruse our social media page you will find it reflective of various national holidays including, but not limited to Veteran’s Day, Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, National Coming Out Day, and National Social Work Month.
Statement: Allied Behavioral Health Solutions’ staff are “clueless, out of touch with reality, groomers.”
Fact: Just to put on the record, as it seems we really need to state this, this is deeply, deeply false.
