Overview & Q&A

About the Upcoming Merger of Buckelew Programs and Family Service Agency of Marin February 8, 2012

The merger of Buckelew Programs with Family Service Agency of Marin (FSA) will become effective March 1, 2012, subject to state approvals. The merger will unify two strong and respected non-profit organizations to better serve the community. It also positions the new organization for growth and success that will meet a wider spectrum of community mental health needs in the era of health reform. After an 18-month process of discovery, research, negotiations and due diligence led by a Joint Merger Negotiations Committee, the boards of both organizations approved the merger.

With a combined history of 100 years of service, the Buckelew Programs and FSA merger will create the leading behavioral health organization in the North Bay, which will be in a strong position to grow with public and private grants and managed care contracts. FSA will become a major division under the umbrella of Buckelew Programs and retain its name for at least three years. Buckelew Programs is considering re-branding and a name change that will better reflect its expanded role in serving the community.

The merger of the two organizations, which offer complementary services with little overlap, creates a synergy that enhances the scope and depth of services offered by each. The combination of services will provide a full, integrated continuum of mental health and addiction treatment for people across their entire lifespan, from early childhood through aging services, and across the range of needs from serious mental illness to life transitions and personal growth. Specialized therapies and programs will address critical needs from pregnancy through childhood and adolescence to adulthood and elder services.