Community Services: Region

As of November 1, 2015, Mahaska County, has regionalized with South Central Behavioral Health Region (SCBHR) which includes the counties of Wapello, Davis, and Appanoose per SF 2315.

The region is still performs the same functions as the CPC office. SCBHR was formed under Iowa Code Chapter 28E to create a mental health and disabilities service region in compliance with Iowa Code 331.390. This Mental Health and Disability Services (MHDS) Management is designed to improve health, quality of life, and successful outcomes for the adults in our region who have mental health disabilities and intellectual/developmental disabilities, including those with multi-occurring substance use issues, health issues, physical disabilities, brain injuries, and other complex human service needs.

In accordance with the principles listed in the legislative mental health redesign, SCBHR will work in a quality improvement partnership with stakeholders in the region: providers, families, individuals, and partner health and human service systems to develop a system of care approach that is characterized by the following principles and values:

Welcoming and individual-oriented
Person and family driven
Recovery/resiliency oriented
Trauma-informed
Culturally competent
Multi-occurring capable

The table of organization for the region is as follows:

Governing Board
Advisory Committee
Chief Executive Officer
Regional Staff

Each county will have a local access office, with a Coordinator of Disability Services, CDS, (formerly known as CPC). Duties for the region continue as follows: centralized intake for persons wishing to access county funded mental health services, determine residency, service coordination, service and cost tracking, collection and reporting of data, authorizing funding within the guidelines established by the regional plan, public education, strategic planning, development of the annual regional budget, quality assurance and collaboration with other funders, services providers, consumers and other stakeholders. The CEO and CDS's are accountable to the Regional Governance Board.

SCBHR shall directly administer the regional MHDS Plan through the Local County Community Services offices and contract with service providers to meet the service needs of the individuals. Member counties shall provide adequate credentialed staff to carry out the administration of this Plan. SCBHR does not intend to contract management responsibility for any aspect of the regional system of care to any agency or entity. The SCBHR Governing Board shall retain full authority for the regional system of care and the associated fixed budget.

Funding authorization decisions shall be made by the SCBHR staff, who shall have no financial interest in the services or supports to be provided. In the event that such a situation occurs, that interest must be fully disclosed to the individuals, counties, and other stakeholders.

SCBHR will provide leadership and management at the local level for designing a regional system of care for mental health and disability services. The design of the system will be based on the expectation that individuals and families will have multi-occurring issues of all kinds, and will incorporate an organized quality improvement partnership process to achieve the vision defined at the beginning of this Plan.

Within this vision, SCBHR will work in partnership with providers and other stakeholders to develop services that are:

Welcoming and accessible.
Able to emphasize integrated screening, early identification and early intervention.
High quality and, wherever possible, evidence based.
Organized into a seamless continuum of community based support.
Individualized to each individual with planning that expands the involvement of the individual.
Provided in the least restrictive, appropriate setting.
Designed to empower individuals and families as partners in their own care.
Designed to leverage multiple financing strategies within the region including increased use of Medicaid funded services and the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan.
Supported by the provision of training and technical assistance to individuals and families, as well as to providers and other partners.

SCBHR shall maintain a service delivery approach that builds partnerships within a quality improvement framework to create a broad, integrated process for meeting multiple needs. This approach is based on the principles of interagency collaboration; individualized, strengths-based practices; cultural competence; community-based services; accountability; and full participation of individuals served at all levels of the system. SCBHR shall work to build the infrastructure needed to result in positive outcomes for individuals served.

SCBHR will engage all of its stakeholders, including mental health, disability, and substance abuse providers, in a process to utilize a framework in which all programs and all persons providing care become welcoming, accessible, person/family centered, hopeful, strength-based, recovery-oriented, trauma informed, and multi-occurring capable. SCBHR recommends that all providers participate in this initiative and encourages providers to develop multi-occurring capability for each program provided in the region, and for all staff.

SCBHR shall partner with courts to ensure alternatives to commitment and to coordinate funding for services for individuals under commitment. SCBHR shall collaborate with the Iowa Department of Human Services, Iowa Department of Public Health, Department of Corrections, Iowa Medicaid Enterprises, other regions, service providers, case management, individuals, families and advocates to ensure the authorized services and supports are responsive to individuals' needs consistent with system principles, and are cost effective.

If you need specific information regarding policy and procedures and/or plan operation, feel free to peruse the plan, which is located on this website. Each local access office should also be able to assist with any questions and/or concerns.

We look forward to working with you!

Mahaska County Coordinator of Disability Services:

Heather Gross, MA
Community Services Director
Coordinator of Disability Services
301 1st Ave East
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
Phone: (641) 673-0410
Fax: (641) 672-1053
Email: Heather.Gross@scbhr.net
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South Central Behavioral Health Region Governing Board Members:

Linda Demry, Appanoose County
email: lsdemry@appanoosecounty.net
Phone: 641-856-5512
201 N. 12th, Centerville, IA 52544

Ron Bride, Davis County –Chair
email: ronpartsguy@netins.net
Phone: 641-664-2101
100 Courthouse Square, STE 2, Bloomfield, IA 52537

Steve Wanders, Mahaska County
email: wanders@mahaskacounty.org
Phone: 641-673-3469
106 South 1st Street , Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577

Jerry Parker, Wapello County – Vice Chair
email: jparker@wapellocounty.org
Phone: 641-683-4630
215 N. Court St, Ottumwa, IA 52501

South Central Behavioral Health Staff:

Jennifer Robins, Chief Executive Officer
email: jennifer.robins@schbr.net
Phone: 641-683-4576
102 E. Main St., PO Box 217, Ottumwa, IA 52501

Latisha Murray, Clerk
email: latisha.murray@scbhr.net
Phone: 641-683-4576
102 E. Main, Ottumwa, IA 52501

Services Application

Thank you for visiting our website! Please find below our Region Application.

SCBHR MHDS applicants must meet our income and resource criteria, be a resident of the SCBHR MHDS Region, and have a qualifying diagnosis. Please see below for a brief summary of our criteria:

Individual is at least 18 years of age, or within 3 months of turning 18 and transitioning to adult services.
Individual is a resident of the SCBHR MHDS four county region.
Individual has gross income at or below 150% of Federal Poverty Level. Outpatient mental health services may be funded on a sliding fee scale basis.
Individual has resources below $2000 or under $3000 for a multi-person household.
Individual has been diagnosed with mental illness, intellectual disability, brain injury or developmental disability.

Application for Services

Application can be turned in at:

Mahaska County Community Services
301 1st Ave East
Oskaloosa, IA 52577