Dispute filed over therapeutic group home services

A protest has been filed by Latte Treatment Center and Dr. Luis Valdez for the Department of Mental Health's fifth request for proposal for therapeutic group home services. The objection comes just two weeks after Latte was informed by Mental Health that a notice of intent to award was given to Indiana-based Dr. Marc Zackheim and the Associates in Clinical Psychology.

Latte Treatment Center has been providing services for the last few years to teens with behavioral challenges. The company is still providing service despite being owed in excess of 300 thousand dollars from the government.

Details about why the protest was filed are unclear at this time, yet this means the department cannot move forward with the official award to Dr. Zackheim until the protest is dealt with. Concerns have been raised about Zackheim's practices and whether there were improprieties with the selection process.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Legislative Committee of Health Senator Frank Blas, Jr. (R) intends to hold an oversight hearing in early January.