Changes are on the horizon for mental health funding

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

The future of mental health funding is not looking too bright for Henry County. Central Point of Coordination (CPC) Administrator Sarah Kaufman reported to the board of supervisors on Thursday morning that the state has passed Senate File 209, which decreases the mental health funding provided to counties and repeals the levying authority the CPC duties within the county.

?They?re trying to align themselves with what they?re gong to have to pay for when national reform comes,? explained Kaufman, saying that the state is dismantling the system in anticipation of reform, although it is still unclear exactly what national reform will look like.

Board of Supervisors Vice Chairman Kent White compared it to putting the cart before the horse, taking away the funding but still requiring them to pay at the county level.

Kaufman said that there is $1.3 million in costs that the county will need to cover. The county currently can levy up to about $800,000 on mental health. However, as the county will be losing its levying authority, it will most likely have to switch this amount over to the general basic tax levy.

?We will have to raise the general levy to such an extent to cover that,? said Shelly Barber, county auditor. Levying for this $800,000 would not affect property taxes, as it is already being levied under the mental health levy. It would just be switching the fund it is levied from.

However, there is still a $500,000 difference that would need to be made up. This is money that the state currently gives the county for funding that will be lost with the new changes.

?I don?t think it can function, not like this. The numbers don?t come close,? said White.

Kaufman said that counties with waiting lists can get $20 million. However, Henry County does not have a waiting list, so it is ineligible to receive this funding.

Chairman Marc Lindeen expressed concern over the loss of the CPC position.

?What scares me is that the county won?t have someone to take care of them in the interim,? said Lindeen, referring to the time between when the state changes go into effect on July 1, 2013 and when national reform goes into effect in 2014.

In an effort to understand the changes coming to mental health care, the CPCs for

Henry, Des Moines, Louisa, Lee, Jefferson, Keokuk, Muscatine, Van Buren and Washington counties will be holding a mental health stakeholders meeting on Thursday, June 2, at the Civic Center in Mt. Pleasant to discuss mental health/intellectual disabilities reform and the changes to consumer access to funding There will be two meeting sessions offered, one at 11:30 and one at 5:30. The same information will be provided at each meeting.

For more information or to RSVP, call 319-385-4050.

The supervisors also signed an agreement for rates with Hillcrest Family Services in Washington County for Henry County clients to seek treatment there after the current doctor who is contracted to serve Henry County is leaving on June 1.

?Basically we?re going to be piggybacking off of Washington County, which makes sense as they?ll be served in Washington County,? said Kaufman.

She said the rates are actually cheaper than in Henry County. Therapy is $90 at Hillcrest instead of $120, and psychiatric care is $61.50 for 15 minutes versus $93 for 20 minutes.

This agreement will be effective through June 30, when Washington County will be r