RUMFORD — State regulators said they found no major problems during their periodic review of a mental health facility accused of cheating the state out of funding.
Last week, Oxford County Mental Health was issued a summons by the U.S. District Court in Portland to answer a former employee’s allegations that the nonprofit did not adequately follow regulations for filing Maine Medicaid and MaineCare reimbursement forms.
The private medical facility’s license was renewed in July and is effective until April 2016.
The mental health facility began in 1994 under the name Greater Rumford Alliance for the Mentally Ill and was incorporated in 2001 as a charitable organization. It also has an office in Paris.
During the state’s inspection earlier this year, investigators at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services found two deficiencies related to discharge planning, according to John Martins, a spokesperson for the department.
“The (Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services) typically finds some deficiencies in its inspection process, which is very thorough,” Martins said in an email.
In 2012, according to Martins, regulators required Oxford County Mental Health Services to devise a correction plan after finding additional irregularities during their survey, which can take up to three days.
During its review, investigators sample a random number of cases, a process which reviews credentialing, background checks and treatment plans.
Martins said the specific details of the deficiencies found by regulators were subject to a Freedom of Information Request, and not immediately available. A request has been filed by the Sun Journal, and the reports may be available by next week, he said.
The Attorney General’s Office declined to comment on whether the case was under investigation.
An audit of payroll and benefit claims did not find any issues, and regulators have not received any complaints, Martins said.
According to the lawsuit filed by former Oxford County Mental Health employee Linda Perry, patient treatment plans at Andy’s Place, a four-bed community residence and rehabilitation program for people suffering from mental illness, were not updated every 90 days, as required by state guidelines, during the spring of 2013.
Andy’s Place, which is designated a private non-medical institution, is funded through state and federal health care programs, and come with guidelines for how funding is spent.
Perry was fired the day after she allegedly tried to bring the issue to the attention of her supervisors during a staff meeting. According to the suit, a human resources employee wrote the termination was because of Perry’s inability to receive supervision.
Perry has filed a lawsuit under the state’s whistleblower protection act, seeking to be reinstated at her former job, back pay and other damages.
As of Monday evening, the U.S. District Court has not filed a response to the summons from the facility, which has 21 days to answer the complaint.
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