`Behavioral health partners celebrate 20 years of service`

By Derrick Bash
Herald News Intern

Mercer County Behavioral Health Commission celebrated 20 years of serving the community last month.

At a dinner to commemorate the event, former Pittsburgh Steelers place kicker Gary Anderson gave a speech about the importance of “striving for excellence.”

“That’s the principle of the agency; we have a commitment to excellence,” said Dana Frankenburg, chief executive officer.

The commission, a private, non-profit corporation, was created last July in a merger of Mercer County Drug and Alcohol Commission and Mercer County Mental Health-Mental Retardation.

Both started in December of 1978, the organizations were small, employing only three workers each. Their combined budgets were a little more than $2 million.

Since the merger, the commission’s staff has grown to 68 employees, and its budget exceeds $14 million. The commission has two buildings in Mercer and one in Sharon.

Its responsibilities include providing care for those with developmental problems, such as those related to drugs and alcohol, mental health problems, and working with schools and communities in the prevention of behavioral health problems, Frankenburg said.

“We have seen 1,800 people in our system for health or developmental problems this year alone,” said Frankenburg. “We have a sound record.”

The anniversary dinner attended by about 150 people, recognized the employees, and the county commissioners for creating the commission.

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Updated June 11, 1999
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