LifeSkills Inc. and Pennyroyal Center announce merger to further address mental health issues

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Two of the largest behavioral healthcare organizations in Kentucky have announced a merger that will create a stronger network of mental health services, as well as expand the services available to their patients.

LifeSkills, Inc. and Pennyroyal Center will merge their organizations as of July 1, 2019, creating one of the largest mental health organizations in the Commonwealth.

It’s a merger two years in the making, too.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Joe Dan Beavers, President and CEO of LifeSkills.

Each organization has been around for more than 50 years, and both have work diligently to carry out a similar mission.

“The Pennyroyal Center was created to serve our most vulnerable people across the regions,” said Pennyroyal Center Board Chair Bonnie Lynch. “Our mission as a vital social safety net remains unchanged. Over the last two years, Pennyroyal Center and LifeSkills have discussed ways to strengthen our capacity to better serve our clients, particularly in the face of healthcare uncertainty. Our collective teams will continue to deliver first-class behavioral health services to the entire 18-county region.”

The merged entity will total over 875 employees, and 26 services locations, all of which will remain in operation. The merger will allow the companies to serve more than 26,000 individuals in the following counties: Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Lyon, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Todd, Trigg, Allen, Barren, Butler, Hart, Edmonson, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, and Warren.

“It’s our goal that this merger will help strengthen service delivery in our communities and hopefully help improve the lives of over 20,000 people every year,” said Beavers.

Pennyroyal Center CEO Eric Embry is equally excited about this new partnership.

“We believe this partnership strategically solidifies our ability to continue delivering high quality services to the most vulnerable individuals in the communities we serve,” he said. “I’m looking forward to fulfilling our mission as a safety net provider with LifeSkills as a partner.”

The duo of organizations will continue to operate in their respective geographic regions, and they will provide the following resources:

• 189 addiction treatment beds and 32 crisis treatment beds
• 50+ services and programs
• $95 million in total annual revenue

Beavers said Kentucky has historically been a state that ranks low in access to mental health services, and with 1 in 5 adults in America suffering from some form of mental health condition, the set of parties is hoping to address both of these issues through this merger.

“We don’t always prioritize mental health, but when somebody is going through a crisis where they’re depressed or anxious, to have someone there that really can understand and can help give you hope is critical,” said Colleen Marshall, Vice President of Behavioral Health for LifeSkills, Inc.

One of the biggest benefits of this merger will be the ability for both organizations to offer services that they did not previously possess, but their counterpart did, thus expanding their array of services for patients.

“Everybody does something a little better than somebody else, so we’re going to be able to capitalize on that,” Marshall said.

“By bringing the two groups together we’ll be able to streamline that process, give folks more options, and more access,” added Beavers.

Without the service and access these companies provide, many of the individuals who deal with mental health conditions wouldn’t be able to cope with them, making a merger like this that much more important.

Over the coming weeks, both organizations will operate as normal and will continue to provide service without interruption. The two agencies have also pledged to keep their communities and stakeholders informed as this process continues.