CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

County's transition to mental health region on track

Newton Daily News (IA) - 9/17/2014

Sept. 17--Jasper County's transition into folding its mental health services into the Central Iowa Community Services Region is going smoothly, according to Jody Eaton, who informed the Jasper County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Eaton serves as the Jasper County Community Services Director/Central Point Coordinator, and has been in the thick of things for the formation of CICSR. The region was formed after the state mandated all mental health services be conducted through a regional format to ensure all Iowans receive adequate coverage and was operational by the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

In her update, Eaton said the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services approved CICSR's transition plan, annual service place and budget plan. Eaton also said the CICSR governing board approved and submitted the region's policies and procedures manual to IDHS.

"Once those are approved, they will be functional," Eaton said.

CICSR has also attained liability insurance and signed a letter of engagement to hire legal representation.

Eaton's update also indicated the county could be reimbursed by as much as 80 percent of costs for providing certain mental health services by IDHS, due to a Medicaid offset.

In addition, the region is expected to fully begin pooling its funds, minus administrative and service coordination costs, by FY 15. For now, the CICSR governing board will approve all budgets for member counties -- with a target date of November 2014 -- and then submit those approved budgets back to individual counties for approval.

Other members of the 10-county region include, Boone, Franklin, Hamilton, Hardin, Madison, Marshall, Poweshiek, Story and Warren counties.

Eaton also indicated that CICSR was in compliance with the state's legislation on providing core and core plus services, but was falling short in the supported employment category.

This shortcoming was due to a few other members of the region not having mental health service supported employment programs, such as Progress Industries in Newton. Because of this, Jasper County was allocated additional funds to enable PI to hire both a full-time and part-time job coach.

Board chairman Joe Brock, who serves as the county's regional representative alongside Eaton, publicly commended Eaton for her work and gave a brief CICSR update as well.

"It is coming together. I feel that we are working through this," Brock said.

Brock said forming and implementing this region was a behemoth of a project, and that although there have been arguments and disagreements along the way, this was a good thing because it showed people cared.

"We are going to be able to create a better system," Eaton said.

In other business:

-- A $202,900 motor grader liability insurance payment was transferred to the secondary roads department's budget at that office's request.

-- The Jasper County Recorder's Office August report was approved. According to the report, it collected $17,300.09 for the month.

-- The Newton Senior High School Athletics Booster Club received approval to hold a taco feed on the courthouse lawn Thursday after the NHS Homecoming Parade.

-- Kellogg resident Angie Dalbey-Mowbray received a fireworks permit for a birthday party on Saturday.

-- Molly Illingworth was hired as a part-time jailer beginning Sept. 18 at a rate of $17.23 an hour.

-- Transfer order 1332 was approved so that close to $1.3 million would be moved from a local sales services tax fund to various county accounts.

Contact Senior Staff Writer Ty Rushing at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6532 or at trushing@newtondailynews.com.

___

(c)2014 the Newton Daily News (Newton, Iowa)

Visit the Newton Daily News (Newton, Iowa) at www.newtondailynews.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services