State Looking To Pull The Plug On Mahaska-Marion Mental Health Region
Mahaska-County-Courthouse
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors started off the new fiscal year by approving appropriations, operating transfers and salaries for fiscal year 2015-16.
The biggest item on the agenda was the notice from the Department of Human Services stating that the two-county region between Marion and Mahaska County was being ended by the state, and that the counties would need to join other regions.
In June of 2014, the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors signed a waiver that was part of special legislation (HF 2463) to allow the two counties to form a region. Under the guidelines, the two county region would work with DHS for 12 months to come into compliance to be a region of less than 3 counties.
For some history on the mental health region. In June 2012, Mahaska signed a letter of intent to create a mental health region with Poweshiek, Jasper and Marion Counties. But Jasper dropped out of the agreement in May 2013, and Poweshiek recently dropped out of the agreement as well. Leaving Marion and Mahaska without a mental health region.
That 12 month trial period was believed to have come with an additional 12 month period to satisfy DHS that the two counties could operate as a region. Once that time-frame was completed, there were to be no further extra efforts needed by the two-county region in order to maintain their status as a region.
“We received a letter dated June 29th that he [DHS Director Palmer] decided he was not going to allow us the additional 12 months,” said Julie Bak, Region CPC.
The letter states that by August 1st, Marion and Mahaska Counties “must provide the department with a plan to transfer regional operations to a region contiguous to the county”. It further states the plan must be operational by no later than November 1st of 2015. If the counties don’t submit their plans by August 1st, the director of DHS will then assign the counties to regions.
The mental health region of Marion and Mahaska have submitted a letter to DHS asking for a corrective plan of action as an alternative to being forced into another mental health region, and to reconsider his decision ending the two-county region. The region requested a response from the director within 10 working days.
The mental health regions are built upon 28E agreements, which are voluntary agreements between legal entities such as counties and cities. It’s unclear at this point if the DHS Director can force a county and other counties to accept another party into what are voluntary agreements.
For now, the county and mental health region are waiting to hear from the director and any appeals that may be made. Until those are exhausted, and/or an administrative law judge would rule on the agreements, the two counties would be allowed to continue the two county region.
The two counties will be looking to hold a joint session of the two boards to further discuss options available.
The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office had several part-time positions and one full time position change for the jail staff. The Sheriff’s Office also hired a new deputy, Jessie Sanders. Sanders has been serving as a Keokuk County Deputy and part-time New Sharon officer. He joined Mahaska County full time on July 6, 2015.
Passed was the wellness proposal for 2015, website updates and the shredding of Country Life patient files that are past the 10 years of age.
Also passed was the second reading for the Northwest Urban Renewal Plan.
