Arcare to Welcome Two Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare Clinics, Carrying Forward a 62-Year Legacy of Care
Augusta, Ark. (August 25, 2026) — Arcare announced today plans to assume operations of Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare System’s (SABHS) behavioral health clinics in Stuttgart and Pine Bluff, as the longtime nonprofit organization concludes an extraordinary 62 years of service to Arkansas communities.
As part of the planned transition, Mainline Health Systems will assume operations of SABHS’s remaining two clinic locations (Star City and Sheridan), ensuring patients throughout the region continue to have access to the behavioral health services they rely on.
Founded more than six decades ago, SABHS was Arkansas’ first community mental health center and has served generations of children, adults, and families through compassionate, community-based behavioral healthcare. While changes in the healthcare landscape have made it increasingly difficult for the organization to continue operating independently, its mission will live on through organizations committed to carrying that work forward.
“For more than 60 years, Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare has changed countless lives and helped shape behavioral healthcare in Arkansas,” said Dr. Steven Collier, Arcare CEO. “We are deeply honored to carry that legacy forward and ensure these communities continue to have access to the care they deserve for generations to come.”
“For our Board of Directors, this decision has always been about protecting our patients, our employees and the mission we’ve served for the past 62 years,” said Sherrie James, SABHS CEO. “We are grateful to have found partners who share our commitment to community-based behavioral healthcare and will continue serving the people who have trusted us for generations.”
The transition is not a traditional acquisition or purchase. As SABHS dissolves as a nonprofit organization, certain assets, including the Stuttgart and Pine Bluff clinics, will become part of Arcare, allowing services to continue without interruption.
Honoring the People Behind the Legacy
For decades, SABHS’s physicians, therapists, psychiatrists, nurses, and support staff have built trusted relationships with patients and families throughout southeast Arkansas.
Pending final employment agreements, Arcare expects to welcome many of the current clinical and support team members into the organization. Their experience, compassion, and commitment to the communities they serve are important to ensuring continuity of care and carrying SABHS’s mission into the future.
For patients, the transition is designed to be seamless.
Patients can expect to continue receiving care from the same trusted providers, therapists, psychiatrists, and care teams at the same clinic locations. Existing behavioral health services for both children and adults will continue, with no interruption in care resulting from the transition.
“Our priority is continuity,” said Joey Flowers, Arcare Chief Strategy Officer. “Patients have built relationships with their providers over many years. Our goal is to preserve those relationships while strengthening the long-term future of behavioral healthcare in these communities.”
What Will Change and What Will Stay the Same
The transition is intended to provide stability while expanding access to healthcare over time.
Patients can expect:
- The same clinic locations in Stuttgart and Pine Bluff.
- The same behavioral health services for children and adults.
- The same care teams and providers whenever possible.
- No interruption in patient care because of the transition.
Initially, both locations will continue operating as behavioral health clinics. Over the next 12 months, Arcare plans to expand services by adding primary care, creating more comprehensive access to healthcare under one roof while maintaining the behavioral health services patients already know and trust.
The transition does not include SABHS’s state-funded crisis, forensic, or correctional behavioral health contracts. Those services will be assumed by Counseling Clinic, Inc. in Benton through a separate agreement.
Looking Ahead
Arcare’s expansion into Stuttgart and growth in Pine Bluff reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to increasing access to integrated, community-based healthcare throughout Arkansas. With behavioral health, primary care, pharmacy, and other healthcare services working together, patients will benefit from more coordinated care close to home.
“Our organizations share the belief that every person deserves access to quality healthcare regardless of where they live,” said Collier. “We are grateful for the trust Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare has placed in us, and we look forward to building on the remarkable foundation they created.”
The transition is expected to become effective September 28, 2026.
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About Arcare
Founded in 1986, Arcare is a medical network striving to fulfill its “Health for All” mission by specializing in primary care, behavioral health, chronic disease care, pharmaceutical care, and insurance. As a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC), Arcare is able to care for every patient regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. For more information, visit www.arcare.net.
About SABHS
Founded in 1964, Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare System (SABHS) has served communities across southeast Arkansas for more than 62 years, providing compassionate, community-based behavioral health services to individuals and families. Throughout its history, the organization has remained committed to expanding access to mental health care and improving the well-being of the communities it serves.
