Barber National Institute, LECOM Behavioral Health take coordinated action to strengthen services

ERIE, Pa. (April 13, 2026) - Barber National Institute and LECOM Behavioral Health announced today a coordinated realignment of behavioral health services, under which Barber National Institute will integrate select behavioral health services into its existing children, youth, and adult programs, while LECOM Behavioral Health will expand its role to continue community-based behavioral health services currently provided by Barber National Institute, ensuring individuals and families have a clear path to care.

Guided by Barber National Institute's nearly 75-years of supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism and LECOM Behavioral Health's deep and growing presence in behavioral health, the realignment strengthens mission-aligned services while ensuring continued access to community-based behavioral health care.

"Our work has consistently been guided by our mission, sense of responsibility, and the legacy established by our founder, Dr. Gertrude Barber. As stewards of that legacy, we are responsible for making decisions that strengthen our future and ensure we remain focused on the children, adults, and families at the heart of our mission," said Robert Barber, Barber National Institute senior vice president. "This realignment allows us to focus on services where we have the greatest expertise."

For more than 25 years, Barber National Institute has delivered behavioral health services through Barber Behavioral Health. As community needs evolved, services expanded significantly, prompting careful reassessment to ensure long-term alignment with Barber National Institute's core mission.

As part of the realignment, select behavioral health services at Barber National Institute will no longer operate as standalone programs, but instead will be delivered as an integrated component of its children and youth and adult service lines-strengthening coordination and outcomes for individuals requiring comprehensive, mission-aligned support.

Behavioral health services continuing at Barber National Institute under this model include children's acute and school-based partial hospitalization, early intervention, Camp Connections, parent autism support group, rapid response, and site-based school consultative services.

"This approach reflects our roots as an educational institution, built around early intervention, school-based services, and lifelong support for adults with intellectual disabilities and autism," said Patrick Barber, Barber National Institute senior vice president. "Behavioral health care is continuing, just delivered differently. Community-based services including intensive behavioral health services, family-based services, outpatient services, and blended case management will continue at LECOM Behavioral Health, where their expertise and infrastructure are well-aligned in supporting behavioral health needs across the lifespan for individuals and families. This is about restructuring services in the most sustainable way."

LECOM Behavioral Health leaders emphasized their readiness to continue these services and support both patients and staff moving forward.

"This realignment reflects shared confidence. We are honored by the trust placed in us to continue supporting patients, families, and staff. We are committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate care," said, Dr. Danielle Hansen, Regional President of LECOM Health. "LECOM Behavioral Health is here for the long term, with a commitment to serving individuals of all ages with behavioral health needs."

Importantly, the realignment was planned to support workforce stability. All affected staff will have the opportunity for continued employment based on alignment with services and roles.

"From the start, our priority has been employment opportunities available to all behavioral health staff," said Robert Barber. "Behavioral health staff whose skills, credentials, and experience align with the behavioral health supports that will remain at Barber National Institute, will continue within the organization. Others will have the opportunity to seamlessly move into a comparable role at LECOM Behavioral Health."

LECOM Behavioral Health is prepared to welcome new team members who wish to continue their work. "We are proud to create opportunities for behavioral health professionals to continue the important work they do every day," said Dr. Hansen. "This is a moment to support both the workforce and the community by ensuring continuity, so that staff can continue their careers and individuals can continue receiving the care they need."

Patient experience and stability of care were central to the realignment, guiding Barber National Institute's selection of LECOM Behavioral Health as the organization best positioned to support ongoing behavioral health services.

"For patients and families who elect to continue services at LECOM Behavioral Health, the aim is to ensure a well-supported transition to ongoing care and facilitate continuity to the fullest possible degree. The process is being handled intentionally, with a focus on stability and access to services," said Patrick Barber. "LECOM Behavioral Health has been clear about their commitment to our patients and delivering high quality, compassionate care."

LECOM Behavioral Health leaders emphasized the organization's longstanding presence in Erie County and deep expertise in behavioral health, underscoring its commitment to serving the region's patients and families.

Leaders across LECOM Behavioral Health emphasized the strength of the system's collective experience and readiness to support individuals and families through this next phase of care.

"We have great respect for the work and legacy of Barber National Institute and the role they have played in serving this community's behavioral health needs," said Dr. Hansen. "Across our behavioral health service line, we bring together a range of programs and expertise that allow us to coordinate care in a connected and responsive way, ensuring individuals and families experience a well-organized path forward with services aligned to meet their needs over time."

"This effort strengthens how we work across teams and settings, creating greater alignment throughout the region," she added. "It also reflects how we approach this work, by protecting what matters most to the people we serve, including the relationships and community connections that are central to care, and working collaboratively with organizations to move care forward."

This decision reflects the unique and well-documented pressures facing behavioral health services statewide and does not indicate broader financial concerns at Barber National Institute. According to the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, Pennsylvania continues to experience widespread behavioral health provider closures and restructuring driven primarily by financial pressures and severe workforce shortages.

The coordinated alignment builds on each organization's strengths while maintaining access to behavioral health across the region. The transition is expected to be completed by June 30.

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About Barber National Institute

Barber National Institute is guided by compassion, innovation, and an unshakeable belief in human potential. We work every day to help make dreams come true for people of all abilities. Founded in 1952 by Dr. Gertrude A. Barber, we have grown from a single classroom into a comprehensive network of services for thousands of adults and children with intellectual disabilities and autism. With locations in Bedford, Erie, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Somerset, and Warren, Pennsylvania, we empower children, adults and families through education, residential options, employment and community programs. We carry forward Dr. Barber's legacy and vision of a world where everyone belongs and lives to their fullest potential.

About LECOM Behavioral Health

LECOM Behavioral Health is a comprehensive, integrated service line within LECOM Health, providing a full continuum of behavioral health services across the lifespan. The system includes the Achievement Center of LECOM Health, Corry Counseling of LECOM Health, the LECOM Institute for Behavioral Health, and the Behavioral Health Pavilion at LECOM Medical Center. Together, these entities deliver a coordinated range of services supporting individuals and families across northwestern Pennsylvania and extending into neighboring communities in eastern Ohio and southwestern New York. Care is delivered with a focus on coordination across settings to support individuals as their needs evolve over time.

As one of Pennsylvania's leading behavioral health providers, with the #2 largest inpatient capacity for children and #4 overall, LECOM Behavioral Health is actively expanding access to high-quality care across a variety of care settings.

With a longstanding presence in the region, LECOM Behavioral Health combines strong local relationships with the resources and coordination of a broader system of care. The service line continues to expand access to services, serves as a training environment for future behavioral health professionals, and works collaboratively with community partners to meet evolving behavioral health needs.