(Spirit Lake)– Some changes could be in store for a mental health critical care facility that serves a number of counties in the region. Supervisor Kim Wermersen represents Dickinson county on the Sioux Rivers Mental Health Services Region board of governance. He told fellow supervisors Tuesday they’re looking at an alternative site for the facility…
“We have one down in Sioux City which we own and we are sharing that with Rolling Hills. Unfortunately we’re putting over $150,000 a year into that facility and nobody’s using it. And so we’re looking at maybe a more centralized location. There are a few of us that are on a committee to go look at buildings.”
Wermersen says whether or not moving the facility will result in an increase in usage is uncertain…
“The problem with that is it’s one of those mandated unfunded things that the state put on us. I actually went and toured the facility in Sioux City and they have like eight chairs where you can drop people off and they can sit for a day to be observed and if they need other care there’s other options available. This is another one of those mandated services with no funding, Bill, that we have to address one way or the other. And so rather than us pour more money into the one down there, which we basically are subsidizing for another reason we’re at least looking at options of having one closer, centralized, so that maybe some of the other districts up here could use as well.”
Wermersen says a similar mandate requiring them to provide mental health services for youth is also coming into play in the matter.
