Dayhoff Responds to Allegations that Junction Mishandled Grants

A board member of Junction, Inc., a defunct nonprofit substance abuse prevention and treatment program, says he is disappointed by reports that the program is being investigated by the state for possible misuse of funds.

Kevin Dayhoff, responding to a report in the Carroll County Times, defended the program and blamed complicated and confusing paperwork for the problems.

Junction, Inc., closed its doors in June after the Health Department stopped providing grant money. Junction was incorporated in 1971 and Dayhoff has been a member of the board since 2000.

According to the news report, Junction's misuse of money included discounting private health insurance co-pays and covering treatment costs for patients who did not want to use their health insurance.

Dayhoff said that recent changes in how treatment was administered and how paperwork was completed caused confusion and frustration.

"I will say that it simply moves my bar of amazement if the Health Department wishes to categorize clerical errors or confusion negotiating the challenges of filling out mountains of bureaucratic paperwork for a new protocol, as ‘illegal’ or misuse of state funds," Dayhoff said.

According to Dayhoff, the board of Junction was not aware of an investigation by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene until earlier this week.

"What we understood is the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene was auditing the records of both the Carroll County Health Department and Junction," Dayhoff said.

Dayhoff requested, and was granted, $6,000 from the Carroll County Board of Commissioners Tuesday to pay remaining Junction bills.

A Health Department spokesperson could not be reached for comment late Thursday afternoon.

Editor's Note: Kevin Dayhoff has written articles for Westminster Patch and has blogged on Patch on behalf of the Westminster Fire Department.