Southeastern mental health regions plan merger

WASHINGTON — The Southeast Iowa Link (SEIL) and the South Central Behavioral Health Region (SCBHR) plan to merge into one entity by July 1, also adding Monroe County to the newly formed but yet-unnamed mental health and disability service region.

Mental Health and Disability Service officials and members of the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council say the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has signaled plans to make Iowa’s 14 MHDS regions line up with the borders of its eight judicial districts. The merger planned in Southeast Iowa would accomplish that for the eighth judicial district, with the exception of Poweshiek County, which plans to remain part of the Central Iowa Community Services region.

SEIL CEO and Interim SCBHR CEO Ryanne Wood said the change could help streamline connections between behavioral health services and the criminal justice system.

“I don’t have my crystal ball for whether legislators will mandate this or not,” she said. “But HHS is solidly our behavioral health authority. So when our authority is giving indicators that this is the way of the future that they are looking at … it just kind of all lined up for us to move down this path.”

The merger is not yet approved by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services or state MHDS commission. Wood said the regions still needed to iron out a management plan, which they would submit to the state for approval. A committee is still working on a re-branded name.

Wood said the change could shake things up for regional management, but would not result in the loss of any services the counties already provide. In fact, the services may even improve under a wider umbrella.

“All of the services that were provided by the individual counties will remain,” she said. “We’re constantly working inside and outside of silos. With the alignment, we’re hoping that those funding silos get broken down, which means we can provide more comprehensive service, regardless of who’s the payer.”

Monroe County Mental Health Administrator Katie Fisher called the change a “lateral move” for her area. Fisher is also the chief financial officer for the County Rural Offices of Social Services (CROSS,) Monroe’s current MHDS region.

She CROSS was currently hashing out its own realignment with the non-adjacent Heart of Iowa service region, which would restructure its services and staff to largely operate through Dallas County, 92 miles away.

“Financials for the CROSS region are looking pretty dire for the future,” Fisher said. “It was a smart decision for CROSS to make that realignment with this larger region (but) Monroe County didn’t feel like it was a good fit for us … Dallas County’s quite a ways away, geographically.”

Like other counties involved in the merger, Fisher said Monroe would not drop any services or providers in the transition. She was hopeful, but not certain, about the possibility of newly added services.

“We haven’t got that far, we’re still working on the administrative stuff,” she said. “I’m really excited to join some new counties and faces, and see what we can do together to help the lives of Monroe County and all the other individuals.”

A representative from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services was not immediately available for comments.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com