When mental health departments went to a regionalized system, the Iowa state government has strongly suggested the idea of each region utilize crisis care facilities.

Greene, Guthrie, Dallas and Audubon County’s Mental Health Coordinator Diane Jackson says the reason why the state wants each region to establish a crisis care center is due to the lack of psychiatric beds and psychiatrists currently available to handle the number cases in the state.  She adds that each region is required to have a crisis hotline number which they currently do have one in place.

Jackson points out that they are working on finding their crisis care center right now.  She states that the governing board, which is made up of four voting members-one from each County Supervisor-that are looking at a facility in Woodward at 706 Cedar Avenue.  However, contract negotiations are at a standstill with the property owner with Premier in Des Moines.

The only requirements for the crisis care center is that it must be able to provide nine stabilization units for short term care and seven transitional apartment settings.

Jackson notes that there are other options the Board has looked at.  One is at New Homestead Nursing Home in Guthrie Center.  However, Jackson says the owners were concerned with the safety of their elderly residents being close to those who have mental health issues.  The other option the Board considered is Country View Estates also in Guthrie Center.  The cost for heating and cooling was too expensive and the older part of the building that they would use needed too much work which the Board thought was too expensive of a project.

There is no deadline of when each region needs to have a crisis care center established, but Jackson believes the sooner the better would help not only those affected by mental illness but it would also save money on transportation from having to go out of the region to help treat those patients.

Jackson says the money that will be used to remodel a facility will come from the regional mental health dollars with the actual amount coming from each county on a per capita basis.  Genesis Development has already agreed to lease the property and provide the service for a crisis care center.

Regional Mental Health Board members include Supervisors Dawn Rudolph from Greene, Brad Golightly from Dallas, Clifford Carney from Guthrie and Duane Deist from Audubon County and one provider who is Terry Johnson, chief executive officer of Genesis Development and one family member of a consumer.