The largest private psychiatric services company in the state will close its doors Feb. 13, leaving thousands of clients statewide wondering how and where they will continue treatment.

Alabama Psychiatric Services PC announced Tuesday it would close all 18 offices, which are located in Birmingham, Cullman, Decatur, Dothan, Fairhope, Florence, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa.

In letters to clients, who will now be searching for psychiatric services with little time to do so, the company did not explain the reason for the closure.

The company did not return telephone calls for comment Wednesday. However, in a press release posted on its website Wednesday afternoon, the company said a reduction in funding from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama triggered the closure. The release read, in part:

“…. It has been our privilege to have offered services to our clients across Alabama, and to have been a critical part of the behavioral health service delivery system across our great state. At the request of Blue Cross/Blue Shield, we opened offices throughout Alabama. Unfortunately, due to a decrease in funding from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama and a change in its model of providing behavioral health, we are not able to continue our mission.”

Officials apologized to its clients for the abrupt closure and short notice, stating:

“We would have liked to have given both our patients and our employees more notice of our closure, but this was not possible under the circumstances. APS is making every effort to provide care and transition patients to other providers and our own providers who join or develop their own practices. APS is cooperating fully with other organizations to facilitate the resolution of this intense period.”

Current APS clients are worried about continuity of care, medications and the ability to travel to another location to seek services, officials have said.

The closing of APS offices exerts more pressure on an already burdened safety net for people needing mental health services. North Alabama Regional Hospital in Decatur is already slated to close in June as the state tries to cut costs and to change the approach of mental health care by closing state hospitals and focusing on community-based care.

“Do we have enough psychiatric services? The answer to that question is no,” said Bill Giguere, development officer for the Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama. The not-for-profit agency, which is not closing, is located in Decatur but serves residents in Limestone, Morgan and Lawrence counties.

“If someone walked in today for help they might wait two months to see one of our three psychiatrists, and we are biggest in North Central Alabama,” Giguere said. “If they are in crisis, we have a system worked out. They should go to the hospital and then they would be referred to us.”

(Clients in crisis are urged to call the MHCNCA treatment line at 256-355-5904.)

What can other clients do?

Those clients with private insurance will have to determine which psychiatrists will cover their treatment. If they are not accessible, they may have to cover the cost themselves.

Giguere said MHCNCA has three psychiatrists, can prescribe psychiatric medications and accepts various private insurance plans as well as ALL Kids insurance, which is a low-cost, comprehensive health care coverage program for children under age 19.

ALL Kids uses Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama to provide medical, mental health and substance abuse services through their preferred provider network.

Giguere said he hopes APS will give information to its patients and other referral sources they can go to.

The Alabama Department of Mental Health declined to comment Wednesday on the closure of APS offices and how the agency might be able to help.