(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors today (Tues.) heard an update from the head of Sioux Rivers Mental Health, of which the county is a member. CEO Shane Walter told the supervisors they’re continuing efforts to establish a new crisis/access center that would replace an existing facility in Sioux City. He says they’ve been looking at possible locations in Sheldon…
“The facility would be required to accept any and all that present themselves. Right now in our crisis center that isn’t the case. It’s all, first of all it’s voluntary and it’s up to the folks that are providing the service to determine whether those individuals are admitted or not, and quite often they’re not. We’re looking at relocating because quite frankly a lot of our region, because now we’re spread out so far to the east, they’re just not utilizing that facility.”
Walter added they’re hoping some neighboring regions will also get involved in the effort.
Walter also gave an update on preparations Sioux Rivers Mental Health is making to begin offering services to children. He says they’ve been mandated by the Iowa Legislature to start doing that effective this coming July 1st…
“Some of the children’s services would mimic the adult services, primarily crisis. Those services would not be provided out of that facility because they have to be separate. At this point we’ve partnered with Forest Ridge to help us with some of those services. We’ve had a relationship already with Rosecrance in Sioux City, they do provide some crisis beds so we will be working with them as well.”
Walter added that while they still have a lot of work to get ready for that, he is confident they’ll be able to meet the July 1st start date.
On a related note, Dickinson County Supervisor Kim Wermersen recently became Chairman of the Sioux Rivers Mental Health governance board.
