The fate of Aberdeenshire mental health day centres and up to 26 staff remains unclear – just two months before planned a shake-up of the service.
Charity Mental Health Aberdeen said it had been given “no guarantees” existing employees would keep their jobs when a new provider takes over.
MSP Peter Chapman said workers and service users were being “kept in the dark” over their fates and “serious questions” remained.
But Aberdeenshire Council insisted hand over talks were “progressing well” and details would be revealed “in the coming weeks and months”.
It said no one with mental health issues would lose out when the Scottish Association for Mental Health takes over at the start of next year.
MHA declined to bid to renew the contract amid fears budget cuts and a focus on higher priority cases would cause “untold damage” to vulnerable people.
Council chiefs identified the cost of using dedicated centres rather than existing community hubs as a significant pressure.
Many service users regard them as vital “safe havens” however and are worried they will be axed.
Kevin Menzies, a regular at the Nexus service in Peterhead, said: “We need to know what is happening. Tell us what’s going on.
“Nexus is a safe haven. We are like one big happy family. It’s a shame that it might close.”
Tory MSP Mr Chapman said he had been contacted by a number of concerned users.
“Surely, the public, and more importantly the service users and staff, deserve some answers,” he said.
“We are talking about some of the most vulnerable people in our local communities who deserve better than to be kept in the dark.”
A spokesman for MHA said negotiations were ongoing and it remained committed to providing an “excellent” service for the rest of the year.
He said the charity would be “delighted” if up to 26 staff could be transferred to SAMH rather than losing their jobs.
“However this has not been guaranteed at this stage,” he said.
One staff member is known to have left already.
A council spokesman said: “Discussions between the current and new providers are progressing well.
“There will be opportunities for people to find out more about what specifically will be on offer over the coming weeks and months and to register their interest in these mental health support services.”