Exemplar – October, 2025

Welcome to Exemplar, the Benchmark Human Services (Benchmark) company newsletter. Enjoy, and please contact our Development team with any questions: [email protected].

Leston received services from Benchmark’s Active Consulting program. Prior to his involvement in this program, Leston spent 130 days in jail following a property destruction incident.

Through a collaboration between Summit Community Care, St. Francis Area Developmental Center, and Benchmark Human Services, Leston is now enjoying life in the community.

Hands-On Solutions and Support

By Charles Burd, MS, BCBA, Arkansas State Director

In Benchmark’s Active Consulting program, we emphasize the active part of our approach. During our short-term engagements, we support individuals with complex needs and the providers who serve them by offering hands-on solutions and training. We show up.

Oftentimes, individuals with a dual diagnosis of intellectual or developmental disabilities and mental or behavioral health needs are unable to access the care they need. Individuals in this situation can end up in crisis, without a provider equipped to support them. That’s where we come in. We’re boots on the ground, working side-by-side with individuals in homes, communities, and sometimes even emergency rooms or jail settings. We don’t say, “Be better at handling crises.” We step into the moment with our partners, addressing the crisis together and building tools to prevent or quickly de-escalate the next one.

We understand that the systems in place to serve complex populations often lack key supports, which frequently leads to individuals being bounced from one place to another. With each loss of placement comes trauma, and often things escalate, requiring police involvement, emergency room visits, psychiatric inpatient admissions, etc. These interventions are costly for states and payors, and usually only deliver temporary relief for the individual.

Benchmark understands this firsthand. Since 1960, we have served the same populations that our Active Consulting partners in Arkansas, California, and Nevada support. Our multidisciplinary teams, comprising Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Licensed Mental Health Clinicians, Therapists, Paraprofessionals, and Registered Nurses, bring the expertise necessary to create meaningful and sustainable change. Each team is customized to meet the unique needs of the individual and the state, provider, or caregiver.

Ultimately, we believe that the most critical aspect of Active Consulting is its emphasis on the individual. We take the time to get to know each person, including their challenges, strengths, preferences, and goals. We conduct a comprehensive array of assessments, ranging from functional behavior assessments to mental health intake assessments, crisis safety assessments, and person-centered needs assessments, to determine what supports are needed for success. Then we help bring those recommendations to life and ensure the staff/family/caregivers feel supported and that the individual is on a path to success – whatever success looks like for them. Our goal is to help each individual reach their full potential.

Find the support you need.
To learn more about Benchmark’s Active Consulting program and other customized solutions, please contact our Development team.

Benchmark Awarded Contract Expansion for Mobile Crisis Response 

Since 2011, Benchmark Human Services has provided mobile crisis response services in Regions 1 and 4 in the State of Georgia. Through a competitive RFP process, Benchmark was awarded Regions 1, 4, 5, and 6.

In fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 – June 2025), Benchmark responded to 100% of dispatched calls from blended mobile crisis—a total of 6,849 calls in Regions 1 and 4. We received survey responses from 343 of the individuals/families served, with 99% of respondents being “satisfied” or “completely satisfied.” We are planning to launch services in Regions 5 and 6 on January 1, 2026. We look forward to providing high-quality crisis services to Georgians in need.

Benchmark Launches Case Management Services in Vermont

As of October 1, Benchmark is officially providing case management services in the State of Vermont. We held a kickoff event to celebrate this expansion, which includes more than 50 new employees who will serve nearly 1,900 individuals across the state.

Theresa Rickard was brought on as State Director of Vermont. She says, “This was a great opportunity for Benchmark to bring together all of our employees from across the state to recognize their hard work and preparation, as well as to celebrate Benchmark’s role in a momentous event—the beginning of Conflict-Free Case Management in Vermont.”

Through a competitive RFP, Benchmark was one of two organizations awarded a contract to provide case management services in Vermont. Benchmark is a well-established case management organization, currently providing case management and/or intensive care coordination in Alabama, Georgia, South Dakota, and Vermont.