14-03-2025
New Iowa Behavioral Health Districts to affect Siouxland health services
SPENCER, Iowa (KCAU) — There are many changes coming to the Mental Health and Disability Services (MHDS) regions across Iowa.
Last year, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill that will restructure Iowa's 32 MHDS regions and Integrated Provider Networks into seven Behavioral Health Districts. The new districts will go into effect on July 1, eliminating Care Connections of Northern Iowa.
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'Ultimately, it will be all of our staff,' CEO Melissa Loehr said. 'We have six individuals, including myself, that will no longer have jobs with this transition.'
'Our goal is really to make sure that our clients who are receiving services have as seamless a transition process as possible,' client finance director Jenn Dkyshoorn said. 'We want to make sure that there's no gaps and disruptions to those services as we make those transitions.'
Care Connections said there are some concerns with this bill.
'With the transition, with the mental health realignment, our number one concern is obviously our clients that we serve,' Loehr said. 'And then also providing guidance to the counties in the areas that they need to maybe pick up the areas that we would do. So really providing that guidance to them.'
'As we get more information, we will start to begin reaching out to our clients to explain more in the details,' Dykshoorn said. 'Specifically, our service coordinators will be working with the clients to make sure that we form individualized care plans, transitioning over to those new awardees.'
Iowans are facing uncertainty as July 1 approaches, but the staff said their priority will always be their clients.
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'The goal in mind and the goal that they have set is the same goal that I have to see it through,' Loehr said. 'And so therefore, we will do everything in our power to make that successful for the clients and the consumers that receive our services and the families that support them.'
Siouxlanders that use regional mental health systems should reach out to their offices with any questions they may have about changes to their services.
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