Worth County supervisors vote to pull out of mental health region

NORTHWOOD — The Worth County Board of Supervisors this week unanimously approved a resolution to withdraw from the mental health and disability services region it currently is in.

Worth County is part of a 22-county region identified as County Social Services, which provides financial support for mental health and disability service programs to individuals in a majority of north-central Iowa’s counties. A number of those counties in the last year have raised concerns about rising costs and quality of services.

The supervisors in the resolution passed at their meeting on Monday state that for the past year, they’ve been embroiled in a contentious disagreement with CSS over an alleged delinquency amount owed to CSS by Worth County, and as a result of that contention, the county has provided notice to CSS of its intent to withdraw from their 28E agreement effective July 1^st.

The supervisors state that they believe a new region, comprised mostly of rural counties and significantly smaller in size is not only capable of providing all the required and necessary core services for the residents of those counties, but would also be more transparent and better able to manage the funding so it more appropriately reflects a fair distribution of taxpayer money spent for services used.

The Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors last year had explored the idea of joining a different established mental health region but ultimately decided to stay with CSS.

 

 

(Below is from the minutes of Monday’s meeting)

RE: PROPOSED 28E AGREEMENT TO FORM A NEW MENTAL HEALTH AND DISABILITY
SERVICES REGION TO MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY PROVIDE THE MENTAL HEALTH
& DISABILITY SERVICES MANDATED UNDER IOWA CODE SECTIONS 331.388 THROUGH 331.398.

WHEREAS, Worth County, Iowa, is currently part of a 22 county region identified as County Social Services
(CSS), which was formed pursuant to a 28E agreement executed on March 25, 2014; and

WHEREAS, Worth County, Iowa, has for the past year been embroiled in a contentious disagreement with CSS
over an alleged delinquency amount owed to CSS by Worth County, Iowa; and

WHEREAS, as a result of said contention, Worth County, Iowa, has provided notice to CSS, in accordance with
the 28E agreement, of its intent to withdraw from CSS effective July 1, 2019; and

WHEREAS, the Worth County Board of Supervisors believes that a new region, comprised mostly of rural
counties and significantly smaller in size, is not only capable of providing all of the required and necessary core
services for the residence of these counties, but, in addition, would be more transparent and better able to
manage the funding so that it more appropriately reflects a fair distribution of taxpayer money spent for services
used; and

WHEREAS, Worth County, Iowa, and several other contiguous counties have agreed that a new region could
be created, if legislation is passed that would allow for the formation of new regions, which would satisfy all of
the requirements set forth in Iowa Code Section 331.389; and

WHEREAS, attached hereto is a proposed 28E to form a new region.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Worth County Board of Supervisors hereby acknowledges its
willingness to sign the proposed 28E agreement attached hereto for the formation of a new mental health and
disability services region to more efficiently and effectively provide the mental health and disability services
mandated under Iowa Code Sections 331.388 through 331.398, if legislation is passed that would allow for the
formation of new regions,.

 

It was on motion by Supervisor Abrams, and seconded by Supervisor Stone, that the foregoing Resolution be
adopted as read. Motion carried. Vote thereon resulting as follows: Ayes: Supervisors Smeby, Stone, Abrams;
Nays: Supervisors – None. Resolution declared adopted this 22 day of April, 2019.

Mark Smeby, Chairperson ATTEST: Jacki A. Backhaus, Auditor
Board of Supervisors Worth County, Iowa
Worth County, Iowa