(Spirit Lake)– The Dickinson County Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted 5-0 to cancel a 28E agreement with an agency providing some services through the state’s newly re-vamped mental and behavioral health system that went into effect July 1st. The previous system was made up of 32 different regions throughout the state. The new system is comprised of seven larger districts. As part of the new arrangement, counties in district 2, which includes Dickinson, are receiving some services through a 28E agreement with an entity that only operates during specific hours. Supervisor Kim Wermersen…
“This just isn’t working. To give you an idea, they wanted everything shut off at 4:30.”
County Attorney Steve Goodlow says it was putting some people in potential danger…
“The bottom line here is services and helping residents of Dickinson county. This 28E agreement and the way that is postured to us not only does not help, but it’s a disservice to the residents of Dickinson county. I’m not sure what’s happening in other counties, I’m only concerned about Dickinson and making sure our people are taken care of.”
Goodlow says they had conveyed the county’s concerns previously to the entity. Dickinson county will continue making services available in the meantime while researching other longer term possibilities.
