Although 11 facilities operated by the Mississippi Department ofMental Health are drafting contingency plans for the possibility ofbudget cuts, Brookhaven’s Mississippi Adolescent Center is the onlyone being considered for closure, a department official saidThursday.

MDMH Spokeswoman Wendy Bailey clarified that MAC, formerly knownas the Juvenile Rehabilitation Facility, is the only institutionthe State Board of Mental Health ordered to draft a plan forclosure. Ten other mental health facilities, including Brookhaven’snew Crisis Intervention Center, are drafting plans to operate with20 percent less funding but are not considering closing, shesaid.

All the facilities’ drafting plans are funded straight fromMDMH’s more than $630 million general fund and receive no matchingdollars from Medicaid or other sources to help sustain them, Baileysaid.

“MAC was asked by the board at this recent board meeting (lastThursday) to develop a potential plan for closure,” she said. “Inthe event of a closure, what would we do? How would clients betaken care of? How would employees be helped? How would we providefor security for state property? Just because a closure plan isbeing drafted does not mean MAC is closing.”

When asked why Brookhaven’s facility was the only one of theMDMH’s extensions considered for closing, Bailey said the decisionwas reached in a closed meeting of the state board and departmentexecutive director Ed Legrand. She said details of the plan areconfidential.

MAC employs more than 100 people and has annual operation budgetof approximately $5 million.