The basement of the Plymouth County Courthouse Annex building was filled with people wondering what will happen to the provided mental health services, should Woodbury County leave the Sioux Rivers Mental Health Region.
(Le Mars) — The governing board of Sioux Rivers Mental Health Region held a meeting Monday afternoon to discuss Woodbury County’s request to leave the mental health region. Sioux Rivers consists of Woodbury, Plymouth, and Sioux Counties. According to Woodbury County supervisor, Jeremy Taylor, there are
several reasons why Woodbury County wishes to leave the regional mental health system.
Taylor continues to explain why Woodbury County wants out of the three-county agreement.
The Sioux Rivers Mental Health Regional Board voted down Woodbury County’s request, and now the two sides will need to appear before a mediator, or at the least the decision may fall squarely on the shoulders of the Director of the Iowa Department of Human Services. Taylor was asked if the families of mental health clients will be losing out of services, due to Woodbury County’s desire to leave the region.
The chairman for Plymouth County Board of Supervisors, Don Kass, is a member of the Sioux Rivers Board, and says Woodbury County never took the opportunity to attempt to resolve the dispute between Plymouth and Sioux on one side, and Woodbury on the other side.
Kass says Woodbury County may find itself spending additional money for legal services and arbitration, than what it will save by dissolving the relationship.
Taylor says Cherokee County initially opted out of the Sioux Rivers Mental Health Region a few years back, and he says there needs to be questions that need to be asked, which up to this point have gone unanswered.
