One of the five Arizona companies that took over operations from New Mexico behavioral health providers last year is announcing salary reductions. The company says it had to cut pay because it was losing money.
is a non-profit corporation formed in New Mexico by Southwest Behavioral Health of Arizona. Rather than imposing layoffs, CEO and President Jeff Jorde said the firm needs to cut salaries for its 350 employees by five percent, beginning next week.
hired by Governor Susana Martinez鈥檚 administration last year have had to lay off workers because of dwindling numbers of clients. The shakeup of providers in the state last summer was the that allegedly found evidence of mismanagement and fraud.
The 15 targeted nonprofits had provided services to more than 80-percent of the state鈥檚 patients seeking help for schizophrenia, drug-addiction, and other behavioral health issues.
took over operations of three of those providers, and the recently found 23-percent fewer clients had received services after the transition. Agave鈥檚 CEO says his company鈥檚 client numbers have remained the same.
