Local residents in need of help for mental or substance problems have a whole new set of resources to assist in putting their lives back together.

As part of an historic merger, Quinco Behavioral Health Systems, which is based in Columbus and serves Decatur County, joined forces over the summer with Indiana University-affiliated Center for Behavioral Health and Centerstone of Nashville, Tenn. The merger, approved by all 50 members of the three individual boards and approved by the Attorney General of Tennessee, is an industry first.

“This is the first time in our industry that a merger has occurred across state lines. It is really creating shockwaves in our industry,” Quinco of Columbus, now Centerstone of Indiana, director Bob Williams said.

That merger is finally coming together as systems are being put into place and clients begin to reap the benefits across the board, he added.

According to a press release, the merger will allow for a wide network for sharing information and improve healthcare.

“More effective collaboration, such as sharing knowledge and best practices and partnering to pursue innovative research is the key to advancing mental healthcare nationwide,” Centerstone CEO David Guth said. “Centerstone, CBH and Quinco came together because we share a vital mission to find new ways to help everyone struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues reach full recovery. This affiliation allows us to combine our resources and expertise to improve the quality of care and services available, not only in our respective areas, but across the nation.”

Williams said the need was simple.

“In Indiana, there are 92 counties but only 30 centers,” Williams said. “We needed consolidation to keep people within their communities where we feel they receive the best chance for recovery.”

Too often, he noted, resources, both financial and service-related, were limited, which meant adults and children were shipped to state beds or other states with more facilities. They ended up in the system, he said, and worse for the wear.

Now, he noted, local clients will be able to reap the benefits of three nationally recognized groups in the industry. Each group brings its own “unique skills to the table.” CBH is the research arm and Centerstone will offer treatment, he said. By pooling resources, information will be more available and impact clients’ lives at an expedited rate.

“Over time, we’ll be able to close the 17-year gap between research and results showing up in offices,” Williams said.

While the name on the door will now say Centerstone, clients of the local Quinco will still be greeted by the same staff at the same location, and the office will generally remain untouched. The merger translates into the treatment.

“Clients will absolutely get the best treatment there is, and we’ll be able to do it in a way that is cost effective for everyone,” Williams noted. “They’ll get better faster, see more results quicker. Clinicians will have more access to the best technology and research.”

Currently, the research local Centerstone agencies will be able to tap into include ground-breaking work on schizophrenia and the largest depression study in the nation, Williams noted. They also just received their 100th grant - a $1 million initiative to work with clients who have a high risk for contracting HIV.

The revolutionary idea that takes mental health research across state lines but keeps treatment on a localized level was not an overnight project, Williams added. He said the work has been exhausting but everyone involved has retained their excitement about the future.

“I think we’ll really be able to show our colleagues the possibilities of implementing different treatments and how things are done to help people get better and move on with their lives,” Williams said.