Starting Friday, the 2,000 clients of the Irene Stacy Community Mental Health Clinic will be served by a new provider, but they should not notice the change.

On Wednesday, the Butler County commissioners approved 21 contracts with C.A.R.E. Center and Diversified Human Services — which are subsidiaries of Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services (SPHS) of Washington County — for mental health and drug and alcohol services.

In October, the county revoked its contracts with Irene Stacy because of concerns about the clinic’s financial state. The contracts that Irene Stacy had with the county totaled about $1 million and were about 70 percent of its income.

Without those contracts the clinic said it could not continue operating.

Laws require Irene Stacy to ensure that no mental health services are halted before it officially stops providing them, so SPHS will take over providing the services on Friday.

County solicitor Mike English said Irene Stacy and SPHS signed an agreement Tuesday afternoon for SPHS to take over the services.

Joyce Ainsworth, human services director, said the new contracts are the same amounts as the previous contracts, and the clients will have the same appointments in the same locations.

“The clients will not have to have a break in services,” Ainsworth said.

Despite the change in the provider, the clinic’s location on Hillvue Drive in Butler Township will stay the same. Ainsworth said whether the name of the clinic will change or stay the same is unknown at this time.

Joe Hauser, executive director of the clinic, said Irene Stacy will be under new management at midnight.

He said his goal is to create an easy transition for the center’s clients.

What is happening to the clinic’s 140 employees is not clear. Ainsworth said SPHS has hired what it says is “enough” employees to cover clients, but she said it is not clear how many were hired and if they are Irene Stacy employees.

In a previous interview, Hauser said Irene Stacy employees attended an SPHS job fair for positions, but had not heard back at that time.

On Dec. 18, Irene Stacy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in federal court in Pittsburgh. Chapter 11 bankruptcy involves reorganization to reduce debt.

Irene Stacy solicitor Andrew Menchyk said subject to the court’s decision, SPHS will occupy real estate that Irene Stacy owns and will pay a lease to Irene Stacy for an undetermined amount of time.

Ainsworth said the lease will pay for the debt that Irene Stacy owes.

Menchyk said it will take some time for the bankruptcy court to decide the case.

Once the court gets involved in the process, he said every decision ultimately is subject to the court’s approval.

English said the court is aware of the lease agreement, and it has indicated that it would rule in favor of that.

The clinic, founded in 1958 as the Mental Health Guidance Clinic, offers outpatient and residential mental health care.

Hauser and Irene Stacy board President Brent Olean did not respond to requests for comment.

Jeff Berks Mascara, CEO of SPHS, also did not return a call for comment.