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Supervisors discuss mental health services

Oskaloosa Herald, The (IA) - 7/7/2015

July 07--OSKALOOSA -- The Iowa Department of Human Services did not reauthorize the Mid Iowa Behavioral Health Region and Mahaska County supervisors discussed what their options would be for the future.

One year ago, the Iowa Department of Human Services gave Mahaska and Marion counties provisional authorization for 12 months to act as a two-county mental health services region.

Mahaska County Central Point Coordinator Julie Bak said that Charles Palmer of the Iowa Department of Human Services did not reauthorize the two-county region for another year and gave the counties until Aug. 1 to join a contiguous mental health region.

The mental health region governing board met this past Tuesday, and Bak said she drafted a response letter.

Bak said the letter asked Palmer to reconsider and grant the two counties provisional authorization to act as a mental health region for another 12 months and requested an action plan so the counties could be compliant with state regulations.

"I'd like to hear about the appeal," Supervisor Mike Vander Molen said.

Board Chairman Mark Doland said that the threshold for a two-county region is higher than a three-county region.

Doland said that Mahaska and Marion counties have tailored their mental health services to meet their populations' needs. He did not favor handing over local control of services to an outside region.

"Let's see how this plays out," Vander Molen said.

Vander Molen suggested a joint meeting between both boards to discuss the situation.

In other action, the supervisors set July 20 as the date to take action on a petition by the Lynndana Sanitary Sewer District to have Mahaska Rural Water take over administration of the district.

The supervisors also discussed possible action to join the Cedar Creek Watershed project.

Supervisor Willie VanWeelden brought the matter to the board about joining the project. Cedar Creek flows into the Des Moines River.

The supervisors tabled the matter until the county attorney could study the isuse.

The supervisors also appointed Doland to be the board's representative to the stakeholder team for proposed recreation and early childhood facilities.

Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at [email protected]

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