Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health program aims to reduce mental health and substance abuse commitments

Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health has begun a new program in Northeast Iowa that is aimed at reducing the number of involuntary court commitments of people with mental health and substance abuse issues.

The agency is working with Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah, Veteran's Memorial Hospital in Waukon and Central Community Hospital in Elkader to implement a 23 hour respite bed pilot project.  Executive Director Robert Thacker says the project is grounded in the belief that sending people to a locked behavioral health facility is not necessarily the best step when those people are having a crisis.

The hope is that local hospitals working closely with peer support staff from Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health would be able to provide effective and efficient services that would prevent a substantial number of individuals from involuntary court committals.  If successful, the model could then be rolled out on a statewide basis to other rural areas of the state.

Northeast Iowa Behavioral Health has recently hired four Peer Support Specialists who will work in the community as well as in the hospitals to provide additional support, advice and guidance to the individual in crisis.

The project is funded through a Crisis Stabilization Grant from Magellan Health Services and the Iowa Department of Human Services.  The combined grant funding is expected to total approximately $535,000 over a two-year period.