Ozark Guidance Center will take over Decision Point, which offers substance abuse counseling, from scandal-plagued Preferred Family Healthcare of Springfield, Mo., Ozark announced Monday morning.
Decision Point was acquired by Preferred Family in 2011. The former chief Arkansas lobbyist for Preferred Family pleaded guilty in June to a $3.5 million bribery and influence-peddling scheme that has resulted in either guilty pleas or convictions of four former state lawmakers so far. The federal investigation is ongoing and is now known to involve U.S. Attorneys in three states. The lobbyist involved, Milton R. "Rusty" Cranford of Bentonville, also administered the company's Arkansas operations until last year.
The state began revoking Preferred Family's contracts in July after another former company executive was charged which defrauding the state-administered Medicaid program.
Preferred Family is a nonprofit behavioral health and substance abuse treatment company. It has 47 locations in Arkansas. The company had $28 million in contracts with the state to provide services ranging from therapy and counseling for foster children to court-ordered drug and alcohol addiction treatment and professional consulting to the state Department of Human Services.
Ozark Guidance will take over other operations from Preferred Family besides Decision Point, Ozark's announcement said. "This expansion means Ozark Guidance will begin serving Baxter, Boone, Marion, and Newton Counties to provide counseling and medication services for individuals with mental health issues, substance use disorders, and co-occurring conditions," Monday's announcement said.
"Ozark Guidance will also be expanding substance use disorder services in Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington Counties," the announcement said. "This is due, in part, to the fact that Ozark Guidance will be taking on the contract previously held by Decision Point."
Interested individuals may visit www.ozarkguidance.org or call 800.234.7052 for more information, the announcement said.
NW News on 08/07/2018