South East LHIN appoints supervisor to oversee Addiction and Mental Health Services KFLA

The provincial agency that funds regional health services has appointed a new supervisor to manage Addiction and Mental Health Services – Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (AMHS-KFLA).

On Tuesday, the South East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) board of directors named Karen Berti, a senior executive with more than 25 years in the public sector, as the agency’s new supervisor.

The LHIN stepped in to govern the agency after Addiction and Mental Health Service’s top two executives suddenly left the organization.

On Twitter, former CEO Don Seymour said the LHIN had done significant re-organizations of the Kingston branch that affected many aspects of the agency, including his position.

It is still unclear whether the director of client, family and community engagement, Lorraine Reynolds left on her own accord.

Seymour left the agency on Nov. 27, and Reynolds left several days prior. On Nov. 28, the LHIN said they would be stepping in by providing a supervisor to run Addiction and Mental Health Services in Kingston.

This came after an investigation of the agency in late 2017, which showed, according to the LHIN “significant clinical, financial, leadership and accountability concerns.”

WATCH: Front line staff claim client neglect due to staffing cuts at AMHS-KFLA

1:54 Front line staff attest to client neglect due to staffing cuts at AMHS-KFLA

Although originally the LHIN’s concerns were focused mainly on the agency’s alleged financial mismanagement, Global Kingston has spoken with several frontline staff members who claim financial mismanagement has affected client care.

According to LHIN CEO Paul Huras, recommendations from the LHIN review came forward in May 2018, and after several months, the provincial agency saw that several of the recommendations hadn’t been met. This prompted the LHIN to appoint a supervisor, said Huras.

According to a news release sent out by the LHIN on Tuesday, Berti’s role as supervisor will be to “assume the powers and responsibilities of AMHS-KFLA board and chief executive officer, until such time that the LHIN board terminates the order.”

The South East LHIN says that Berti’s appointment is effective as of Tuesday and that the new supervisor has led a number of health care projects, including community health centres, hospitals, community mental health organizations, children’s treatment centres, shared services organizations and LHINs.

At the end of her term, she will be publishing a report on her findings of the state of Addiction and Mental Health Services KFLA, which will be made available to the public.