Board of Supervisors hears continued discussion on mental health services

by Bob Beach

During public comment time at the regular meeting of the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors Monday, March 23, Ann Gallagher of Waukon told the Board that while there are many people trained to provide peer support services to individuals with mental health problems, those services are underutilized. She said that statewide there are over 100 trained mental health specialists, but only 38 are employed on a full-time basis. Gallagher added that the State's response to shortfalls in the mental health system appears to be to add more layers of bureaucracy, which results in a move away from local services.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Larry Schellhammer said that he had been skeptical about the benefits of the redesign of the State's mental health system to a regional model but that the County Social Services region has taken the lead in addressing some of the system's shortcomings.
During regular business, Allamakee County Coordinator of Disabilities Services Kim Waters reviewed the highlights from a meeting held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon Monday, March 16, during which a proposed "crisis center" was discussed. She explained that the crisis center, to be located in Waterloo, would provide emergency mental services and a centralized intake process. She also reviewed legislative changes that would need to be made in order to make those plans a reality. Waters also reviewed the agenda for an upcoming meeting of the County Social Services Board.
The Board also met with Allamakee County Courthouse Head Custodian John Roe, who presented the Board with a proposal to install new air conditioning units in several areas in the courthouse. The Board asked Roe to attempt to obtain some bids for the work from local contractors.
In other business, Allamakee County Auditor Denise Beyer told the Board that requests for proposals would need to be prepared for auditing services; the Board advised her to seek bids from several accounting firms, if possible. The Board also gave Allamakee County Conservation Director Jim Janett approval to begin the process to sell a one-mile stretch of former railroad property west of Postville.