MHDS region ahead of state benchmarks

     Mechelle Dhondt, CEO of the Mental Health Disability Services (MHDS) East Central Region, met with the Board of Supervisors during their Jan. 10 meeting to offer updates on the region.

     From day one, the region’s fiscal agent has been Jones County, specifically County Auditor Janine Sulzner.

     The region’s legal counsel is Courtney Vorwald, the assistant county attorney in Delaware County.

     “She was assigned to us and it's working out wonderfully,” commented Dhondt.

     The region’s governing board is made up of two county representatives from each of the nine counties, one MHDS provider from each county, and one family member of a client from each county.

     “Our access measures are being met,” said Dhondt. “People have timely access to our resources.”

     In addition, when the state implemented MHDS regions, a set of core services was required of each region. Dhondt was proud to offer that all of those core services are in place. In addition to core services, the region also has its crisis services in place with seven crisis beds available in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City. There are also mobile crisis teams that can be dispatched out if needed, as well as a 24-7 crisis hotline.

     “For the cost of that alone,” Jones County Community Services Director Deb Schultz said of crisis services, “Jones County would never have managed. These are only available because of the region.”

     Dhondt added that even if Jones County had such services, the needed population would not be there to support these types of services.

     The East Central Region is the only region in the State of Iowa to offer peer services. Dhondt explained these are services offered by those with past mental health issues, those who have worked through such issues and are now willing to help others.

     “It’s a state requirement,” said Dhondt, “and we’re meeting that.”

     She said the biggest push in the new year is to help get people with mental health issues employed, or at least stabilized employment.

     She added that this year, the sheltered workshop service through Advancement Services of Jones County would close.

     “We need to move from sheltered workshops to supported employment,” explained Schultz. She said she has met with Advancement Services Director Cindy Hanken to offer support in this instance.

     “They have a plan in place,” added Dhondt.

     In terms of the region’s budget, while each member county contributes toward the region, Dhondt said they do not plan on state funds for support “this year or in the near future.

     “We know what we can spend and how to do it,” she said. “We’ll have to stretch our money out and see how long it can last.”

In other county business:

     • The board approved a re-zoning request for parcels in Lovell Township located at 22923 Highway 151, Monticello, from A-Agricultural to C2-Highway Commercial. Badger Hawk LLC (Eilertson) is owner of the property.

     • The board voted to abate a nuisance property located at 12478 St. Paul St. in Center Junction.

     • County Engineer Derek Snead informed the board of a letting on Jan. 18 for the bridge replacement project on County Road X-75.

     Snead said he expects to see at least five contractors bid on the project. With so many bridge projects taking place around Jones County, Snead said it’s hard to find contractors right now.

     “Some of these projects have already been let,” he told the board, with 12 bridge projects in Dubuque County alone.

     The X-75 project offers a lot of flexibility with a late start date near the end of June and 75 working days, more than what is needed to complete the project.

     The engineer’s estimate for this project is around $750,000.

     • The board approved the Department of Ag’s 2016 Annual State Weed Commissioner’s Report, presented by Wes Gibbs.