MH/DS Transition Committee Update

The Mental Health and Disability Services (MH/DS) Redesign Transition Committee will meet for a final time on Tuesday, November 20 to finalize its report to the Iowa Legislature. The report may include a recommendation that the work group continue to meet to discuss issues related to the transition from the old county-based system to a new regional system.  This meeting is open to the public but will be done by conference call (call-in information will be available here).

The Transition Committee met in October, and was supposed to start to develop their list of legislative recommendations.  However, the discussion became more of a brainstorming session rather than a decision-making session.  Committee members hope to vote on recommendations next week in their meeting, and will allow a minority opinion to be expressed in the final report if the votes are not unanimous.  Keep an eye on our Facebook and our website to find out what happens.

________________________ PROGRESS REPORT: Regions ____________________________

• 31 counties have applied for transition funds to help get them through this fiscal year without cutting back on services or starting (or growing) waiting lists.
  
  
• As of October 30, 95 counties plan to form 15 regions (2 counties plan to apply for a waiver from regionalization – Jefferson and Carroll Counties; 2 counties have not yet announced their plans).  The regions range in population size from 36,000 to 522,000.
• 1 region is made of 3 counties
• 2 regions are made of 4 counties
• 6 regions are made of 5 counties
• 1 region includes 6 counties
• 3 regions have 7 counties
• 1 region will include 9 counties
• 1 region will now have 18 counties

• These regions are not set in stone yet – counties can change their mind about these partnerships up until April 2013, when they must declare a region.