MMA, Sunrise, Prairie Home partner to offer affordable mental health services

     “This is such a trust. We’re working with professionals here.”

     Those words were shared by Pastor Wade Reddy with Wayne Zion Lutheran Church, who is a member of the Monticello Ministerial Association (MMA). Recently, MMA shared that they have partnered with two locally-based mental health providers to help clients cover the cost of services through the Mental Health Reimbursement Program.

     MMA is working with Sunrise Therapy & Counseling Services, Nicole Monk-Stoneking; and Prairie Home Wellness and Counseling, Lauren Welter.

     According to the MMA Handbook, the association “developed a short-term mental health reimbursement program to assist clients unable to meet annual deductibles or the under-insured requiring therapy services.”

     Basically, MMA will cover a portion of clients’ bill.

     Reddy said this program is based on the trust of both Monk-Stoneking and Welter and the others who work with them, as they inform MMA of when certain situations might arise requiring financial assistance. That initial reimbursement ceiling was set at $250, but Reddy said the need has been so great that they now have annual costs close to $4,000.

     In one year, 31 clients were served by this program.

     To help offset the costs, MMA applied for a grant for $2,000 from the Jones County Community Foundation. MMA also designates $2,000 of its own funds. Reddy shared late last week at the United Church of Monticello had also donated $1,500.

     “So we’re sitting pretty good going forward,” he said. “If you have clients who are underinsured, can’t make their annual deductible, we’re here. If we need to move that ceiling up, we’ll move it up. We want to make sure that clients are getting the services needed and that (Monk-Stoneking and Welter) are getting paid for providing the services.”

     “We were really excited and optimistic when we were presented with the opportunity to partner with MMA on this program,” said Monk-Stoneking.

     Dec. 15 actually marked the one-year anniversary of this program. Reddy said MMA really saw the need for mental health services arise due to the COVID pandemic. Prior to this, though, MMA had $500 in a mental health voucher fund, but it went nowhere. With this partnership now, Reddy is pleased to see the needs being met.

     “There has been a dramatic increase in mental health needs because of the pandemic,” noted Welter. “People are struggling economically and that affects their mental health. There have been huge shifts in people’s lives, stress about the virus, and the economy.”

     MMA initially contacted Sunrise Therapy with the concept. Welter came on board earlier this year.

     “Initially the program was going to target the uninsured. What we really needed was the under-insured,” explained Welter. “Because, in theory, everybody has health insurance (because of the Affordable Care Act).”

     She said co-pays and deductibles can be extremely high for people, so sadly, mental healthcare falls by the wayside.

     “People think mental healthcare is optional; and that regular healthcare is not. That’s a false dichotomy,” explained Welter. “We’re shifting a little bit toward the understanding that there’s a real interaction between mental and medical health. A lot of physical health problems show up as mental health and vice versa. If you don’t treat your mental health, you’re going to have physical health problems. It’s a lot cheaper to treat mental healthcare than to end up with serious health issues.”

     This program is 100 percent confidential. MMA does not know who the clients are or why they’re seeking services. The vouchers are signed off by two therapists from each service, as proof the client is not taking advantage of the reimbursement program.

     “If we say they need this, we’re going to trust that’s accurate information,” Welter offered.

     More often than not, clients will require more than one session. This is where MMA gets creative in assisting the client in covering the costs.

     “It’s a case-by-case basis,” said Reddy.

     “Mental health services are typically not one-off. It’s not coming for one session and you’re all better. The needs really vary,” added Welter. “This program has been really helpful in helping us give an extra couple of sessions. Being able to be flexible to the needs of the clients is really important.”

     Welter said she doesn’t want to see clients coming in for services and end up with a bill they can’t afford, which would then only further contribute to their stresses.

     “I’m really pleased because I feel that MMA is making a difference, people are getting therapy services,” Reddy praised.

     “There have been instances when clients have been unable to access services due to their lack of insurance coverage, so we were hopeful this program would help reduce those barriers,” offered Monk-Stoneking.

     MMA follows the boundaries of the Monticello School District, with a goal of taking care of those within the district. However, needs pop up all over, and sometimes those rules need to be bent. Reddy shared a story of hearing from a fellow MMA pastor who had a church member living outside of the school district in need of mental health services.

     “We made an exception. We said yes,” Reddy said. “We remember that we’re here for Monticello, but we’re soft sometimes when there is a need.”

     “It’s really based on need. It’s not based on income,” noted Welter. “It’s going to be based on inability to pay the needed medical bills.”

     Monk-Stoneking said this reimbursement program has allowed them to work with their clients to reduce their private-pay rates. “And then MMA has been able to further assist by helping cover part of the out-of-pocket cost, making it more financially feasible for them.”

     And both Welter and Reddy want people to know that seeking mental healthcare is not a negative thing.

     “Through my healthcare provider, I have benefitted from mental health services. It was wonderful,” Reddy recalled of his seven months seeking help. “These things are important to me in keeping myself mentally healthy. I know personally that these services are wonderful.”

     “I’ve also had periods of therapy that have been so essential for me to maintain my own well-being through difficult life circumstances that affect all of us,” Welter said about herself. “Over the course of our lives, we all hit different bumps. We’re all in this human experience together.”

     For a state (Iowa) that ranks toward the bottom 50 in terms of per capita mental health resources, Welter takes pride in knowing that Monticello has wonderful service providers.

     “For the whole state, there is a huge shortage of mental health services. But here was actually have a lot,” she said. “But if people can’t access them because they don’t have the funds, that is an inappropriate barrier. So this program really helps us minimize that.”

     Welter said she became a partner in this with MMA because she cares for people and wants to see them receive the care they need.

     “We are grateful to offer this option to our clients when insurance barriers arise,” said Monk-Stoneking. “We are so thankful MMA has been willing to help us provide more accessible mental health services in out community.”

     Donations toward this cause can be sent to MMA, P.O. Box 62, Monticello, IA 52310. Please specify on your check that you want the money to go toward the “Mental Health Reimbursement Program.”