Still time to influence State of Iowa's plans for MH/DD redesign, state association spokesperson says

The State of Iowa's Mental Health and Disability Services Reform plan is supposed to be fully in operation by July 1st of 2014.  Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council spokesperson Rik Shannon says, overall, he's looking forward to the new system because the present system "isn't fair."  That because Iowa's 99 counties provide different levels of services and levy different levels of property taxes to pay for those services.

Shannon says the new system, which has the State paying Medicaid costs and the counties paying non-Medicaid services, should be fairer.  But he also admits "a lot is up in the air" when it comes to details of the new system--especially its funding.

So Shannon urged about 20 people Tuesday night in Decorah to talk with state legislators about mental health and developmental disabilities program funding in Iowa.  He says state legislators have told him they don't hear from the public about such issues.  Shannon thinks that's because people don't have enough confidence to talk to their state legislators.  He says people shouldn't feel that way--legislators want input from the public as Iowa redesigns its delivery system for MH/DD services.