Sept. 26, 2023 To whom it may concern, The question of who made the decision to close Intermountain’s residential facility has been misrepresented to the media and the public.
Why this has been the case is unknown to the Strategic Leadership Team (SLT) as it was a very cut and dry matter which was discussed at a meeting between SLT and the Residential Leadership Team (RLT) and attended by several other staff members. In response to RLT’s distress over staffing shortages, SLT on two separate occasions has presented RLT with plans to address issues related to the staffing shortage. The first plan was presented at an RLT meeting at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at the Wix Large Conference Room on the residential campus.
During that meeting, SLT presented a draft plan which included several recommendations addressing factors related to the staffing shortage. The second plan was presented on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023 in response to a meeting the previous day at which residential leadership told SLT that if any more residential staff resignations were accepted, they may have to close the program. On Aug. 29, SLT’s presence was requested at the regularly scheduled RLT meeting. At that meeting, LT informed SLT that they had received four resignations and were on a tipping point for being able to safely staff the residential program. At that time, RLT requested SLT prepare a plan to address the staffing crisis. Residential Operations Manager Melissa Hammond followed up from the meeting with an email reiterating this request.
On Aug. 29 and 30, SLT spent several hours creating a plan that directly addressed factors related to staffing, including, but not limited to, SLT participating in RLT meetings to provide added support, SLT assisting with recruitment and retention, and including SLT in staff trainings and meetings to provide support. The plan also states SLT resolutely stands behind the foundational principles of the Developmental Relational Model and strongly encourages RLT to embrace and build upon this model collaboratively with Megan Fox (Clinical Director of Western Montana and Telehealth).” This second plan was presented to RLT at a 3 p.m. meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023 at the Wix Large Conference Room on the residential campus. Hard copies of the plan were distributed. Once members of RLT and other staff members who were in attendance had indicated they were finished reading the plan, it was verbalized by Executive Director of Residential Services Meegan Bryce that additional resignations had been received and the proposal would not work. Chief Communications Officer Erin Benedict asked what date residential would not be able to provide staffing to cover the cottages. Meegan answered September 22nd Interim CEO Gary Larcenaire then asked LT what they recommended based on that information. Ashley Browne said she recommended closure due to inability to safely provide treatment due to the staffing crisis. At that time, Megan Fox asked if there was the opportunity to try several of the staffing solutions in SLT’s proposal.
LT indicated no. Megan asked about the opportunity to go to one cottage. RLT denied this ability, citing milieu needs. Ashley reinforced recommendation to close, and Meegan did not oppose Ashley’s recommendation, but did state she would never say those words “recommend closure.”
Ashley Browne stated that the only option was to close the program. She asked: Did you not hear what we said yesterday? To which Erin Benedict replied, “I did not hear that.” At that time, Ashley stated again that it had to close. Also, during the meeting, RLT asked if board approval was needed and were told no by SLT. It was SLT’s position that RLT knew what was best for its program and reluctantly accepted their recommendation to close. Other comments made during that meeting included Director of Education Services ML Rutherford stating: “Let us die with dignity.” Members of RLT also asked about the future of the program, and when they were told it would reopen, some RLT members stated that they would not assist with the reopen. Based on further discussions in the Aug. 30 meeting, SLT left with the belief that 30-day discharge notices were the next step. That set in motion the arrangement of a staff meeting on the residential campus the following day and other steps to communicate closure to staff, families and other parties. It was confusing to SLT that we would be tasked with creating a recovery plan just to be told the next day that the program must close.
It was also confusing that no member of SLT had heard the previous day (Aug. 29, 2023) that the program must close, but Ashley Browne insisted that SLT had been told that the previous day. It is and always has been SLT’s position to keep the residential facility open as evidenced in both proposals. SLT has never ordered or even suggested the closure as a recommendation. SLT has also been accused of intending to abandon the developmental relational model; that also is untrue. No other model has been identified for any of Intermountain’s programs. Megan Fax, PhD Erin Benedict lyler 2 Melissa Talseth GARy LARCENAILE megn Fox in attend. 8199 + 8/30 i Beredict Eyebenenty in attend: 8/89/23 in attend. 8/24/23 + 8/30/23 in attend. 8.29-30.23
