Cardinal Innovations funding change results in dozens not receiving Mobile Crisis help

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mobile Crisis leaders said their relationship with Cardinal Innovations is strained as Mecklenburg County considers severing ties with its managed care organization of six years.

PAST COVERAGE: ’We are in a mess’: Meck County considers cutting ties with Cardinal Innovations

Since 2006, Mobile Crisis has helped thousands of people with mental health issues, substance abuse challenges, suicidal thoughts and domestic violence situations.

Within minutes, a dispatcher from Mobile Crisis can tell a clinician about a person's situation. They can hit the road and provide assistance.

From 2015 to 2019, Mobile Crisis had 11,495 dispatches and diverted 9,221 people from the emergency room.

"Our primary goal is hospital and jail diversion," said Keisha Ginn, president of Mobile Crisis. "We really want to keep people in their communities and in their environments."

A change in funding by Cardinal Innovations has resulted in dozens of people not receiving help, according to Ginn.

Since December, Mobile Crisis clinicians were not able to respond to 52 calls. When this happens, the dispatcher tells the people in crisis to go to the emergency room.

“To be able to say to an individual, ‘We are sorry. We don’t have anyone available. You need to go to an emergency room. It is very disheartening,’” Ginn said. “We know the volume. We know the need. Unfortunately, mental health crises, substance abuse and trauma are becoming more prevalent in our community.”

In an interview with Channel 9 on Wednesday, Cardinal CEO Trey Sutten said it gave Mobile Crisis $1.3 million last year and the nonprofit was only able to produce claims for $250,000 worth of services.

"It makes you wonder, ‘Where is the rest of that money going if it is not going to our members or if it is not going to services that are necessary?’" Sutten said.

Fred Chanteau, CEO of Affiliated Sante Group, which is the parent company of Mobile Crisis, said he was disheartened by Sutten’s comments.

"For someone to kind of cast aspersions about, ‘Where did that money go?’ is kind of shocking when we had relationships with them for so long. All they had to do was ask," he said.

Chanteau said Cardinal used to contract with Mobile Crisis but changed to a fee-per-service model. He said the billing would never be equal to the total amount of the contract.

"It was never structured that way. I was kind of shocked he wouldn't have known that," he said. "If I were in his position, I would also try to deflect attention from what was going on."

LINK: Mental health resources

The funding cut by Cardinal means Mobile Crisis now has just three clinicians instead of eight, and only two phone counselors instead of seven.

"No one in this community can afford to have this critical service not operate at full capacity," Ginn said.

Despite the strained relationship, Chanteau said Mobile Crisis is not taking a position on Mecklenburg County's future with Cardinal.

“We are not about political infighting. What we are prepared for, is to share our information, our budget, our contracts with anyone who wants to look at it, including Mr Sutten,” he said. “What we are really about is saving lives, keeping people out of hospitals, keeping people out of jails and keeping families together. That is what we are about.”