Panel’s Vote Shuts Down Mental Health Center

The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to terminate a $2.1-million contract with a nonprofit mental health center in Glendora that an audit has shown misused public funds.

The vote, based on a recommendation by the county’s Department of Mental Health, effectively shut down the Foothill Community Health Center. Agency officials told supervisors before the vote that Foothill has no money to pay employees this week.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich, in whose district the facility is located, included in the motion a plan to transfer the agency’s 581 clients to other mental health and family support organizations in the area. The motion would also require that more than 80 Foothill employees be added to those receiving agencies.

The vote came one day after a county audit uncovered irregularities involving $135,000 in spending by Foothill, including nearly $5,000 for a retreat at a Palm Springs spa.

Supervisors rejected pleas from Foothill officials to put their agency on six months’ probation. Agency officials threatened to sue the county for breach of contract.

“This is a bureaucratic ambush,” said Irwin Chaslow, Foothill’s attorney.

But County Mental Health Director Marvin Southard said Foothill had too few licensed employees and the county could not legally allow its support of the agency to continue.