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EPA, USDA offer to meet with states to discuss Mental

health
AGRICULTURAL screenings
for children
RUNOFF considered
Agencies would work out
details for mandatory
checkups, other services
By Michaela Ramm, The Gazette

Mental health screenings

for all young Iowans, mini-
mum required services of a
certain standard and regional
governance authorities are
among the recommendations
put forth to state leaders as a
comprehensive approach to
children’s mental health
services in Iowa.
These proposals, among oth-
ers, were laid out for Gov. Kim
Reynolds and state lawmakers
to take up in the coming year’s
Legislature as recommenda-
tions for the establishment
of an overarching children’s
mental health system by the
governor-appointed Children’s
System State Board.
It’s up to state leaders to
put this plan into motion, and
determine what a statewide
system would look like.
“We’ve never had a formal-
ized system for children’s
mental health,” said Iowa De-
partment of Human Services
Director Jerry Foxhoven,
;; HEALTH, PAGE 7A

The Mississippi River flows under the Government Bridge, which features double tracks of rail above the road level, and a dam at Lock and Dam No. 15 with
Stephen Mally/The Gazette Collective
the Centennial Bridge in the background Nov. 1 as seen in an aerial photograph in Davenport. bargaining
Letter follows Gazette report on lack of progress toward nutrient-reduction goals headed before
By Erin Jordan, The Gazette Meanwhile, the dead zone persists, Supreme Court

T
measuring at 2,720 square miles in July.
EPA officials Thursday said the let- By Erin Murphy,
he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Depart- ter does not reflect news reports, rather Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau
ment of Agriculture sent a joint letter to states and tribal “months of engage-
ment” with states and DES MOINES — Iowa’s new
groups this week encouraging “reinvigoration” of efforts TREADING collective bargaining law has
other stakeholders.
to reduce agricultural runoff and acknowledging “nutri- The letter, signed by WATER a date this week with the Iowa
David P. Ross, assistant Supreme Court.
ent pollution continues to be widespread, particularly in The law has been on the
administrator for the l Read the
the Mississippi River Basin.” EPA’s Office of Wa- full project books for nearly two years,
The letter sent Tuesday offers state environmental and ter, and Bill Northey, documenting and its effect already is being
USDA undersecretary progress felt across the state.
agricultural agencies one-on-one meetings with the EPA and Local government leaders
of farm production and of reducing
USDA to identify ways to reduce nitrates and phosphorus flowing conservation and for- nutrients at and school administrators say
mer Iowa agriculture the law has given them more
into waterways. thegazette.
flexibility to manage their
secretary, says the com/deadzone.
It was sent two days after The Ga- zone that fish and other organisms agencies want to help budgets. Unions contend it has
zette published “Treading Water,” a must flee or die. states come up with not hurt their membership
four-month project documenting how The Gazette found few Midwest new ways to reduce nonpoint pollution, numbers, but it has decimated
little progress has been made in reduc- states have consistent nutrient-reduc- usually associated with runoff. workers’ ability to negotiate
ing nitrates and phosphorus washing tion funding, some aren’t documenting This pollution, mostly agricultural, over most benefits and created
into the Mississippi River and down what steps they’re taking and most can has been dealt with almost exclusively unequal treatment of public
to the Gulf of Mexico. These nutrients show no real improvement in nutrient workers.
contribute to an oxygen-deprived dead reduction in the past 10 years. ;; RUNOFF, PAGE 6A ;; UNIONS, PAGE 6A

• BUSINESS 380������������������������������� 1F • DEATHS������������������������������������������7C • LIVING�������������������������������������������� 1L • RIVER LEVELS����������������������������� 12B

VOL. 136 NO. 334 • COMICS����������������������������������� INSIDE • HOME + GARDEN��������������������������� 1E • LOTTERY  � ����������������������������������������2A • SPORTS � �����������������������������������������1B
© 2018 The Gazette
• CROSSWORDS � ����������������������7D, 10L • HOROSCOPES � ����������������������������� 10L • MILESTONES��������������������������� INSIDE • TV � �������������������������������������������������� 9L
• DEAR ABBY���������������������������������� 10L • IOWA TODAY � ����������������������������������1C • PUZZLES�������������������������������������� 10L • WEATHER������������������������������������ 12B

Sunday

means sa
safer
a surgeries and better
© 2018 The Gazette

e at Mercy, the surgery hospital.

outcomes
outcome
Bulent Cetindag, MD, FACS, General and Hernia
6A The Gazette ● Sunday, December 9, 2018

Runoff/Researchers skeptical ‘We haven’t

;; FROM PAGE 1A
on a voluntary basis.
Ross and Northey offer
solutions such as streamlin-
ing federal approvals for
land-management activities
and “flexibility” on imple-
mentation of pollution diets
on lakes and rivers.
“The agencies are
committed to engaging
with local stakeholders,
leveraging our collective
resources, and helping
to remove regulatory or
other barriers that impede
progress in this space,” the
letter states.
These statements concern
Matt Rota, senior policy
director for the Gulf Res-
toration Network in New
Orleans.
“One thing that stood out
is them offering ‘flexibility’
in implementing TMDLs,”
Rota said, referring to the
Total Maximum Daily Load
plans, or pollution diets,
states and the EPA may put
on rivers and lakes. “This
is potentially concerning if
they are thinking of weaken-
ing regulatory controls even
further to allow for ‘market-
based’ solutions.”
The 2008 Gulf Hypoxia
action plan recommended
states create water quality
trading programs, which
use a market-based ap-
proach of allowing discharg-
ing facilities to purchase
credits to pay for agricultur-
al conservation projects.
But so far, Indiana, Ken-
tucky and Ohio are the only
states among the 12 in the
Gulf Hypoxia Task Force
that have tried this.
Some researchers are
skeptical there would be
enough industry in some
states to create viable
markets.
“This looks like the same
stuff they have been doing,”
Curt Zingula points to the location of a series of drainage tiles in one of his farm fields Sept. 26 in rural Marion.
Zingula recently installed a saturated buffer and tile flow regulator to help reduce the nitrate levels in field runoff
on his land.
“I believe we’re
much more likely
to scale this if we
get folks in the
local levels who
want to do this.”
Bill Northey, USDA
undersecretary of farm
production and conservation
Rota said. “Backing down
on the regulatory side, while department’s water quality collaboration.”
promoting voluntary mech- coordinator.
anisms that will never get
us to where the Gulf needs
us to be.”
Northey, who served on
the task force from 2007 to
2017, told The Gazette in a
Nov. 15 phone interview he
does not think regulation
had to shove’
7 Corridor public districts have
had contracts scaled back
By Molly Duffy, The Gazette
TIFFIN — Almost as soon legis-
lative changes allowed, everything
but wages were shed from Clear
Creek Amana Community School
District teachers’ contracts.
The teachers’ union agreed
to the changes, the Clear Creek
Amana Education Association’s
chief bargainer Marcia Charbon
said, primarily because of its faith
in the current school board and
superintendent.
“I don’t have a lot of worries
because I trust those people,” she
said, noting little has changed for
teachers’ working conditions since
Iowa’s collective bargaining law
went into effect.
“But the minute those people
Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette change, you don’t know what’s
going to come.”
As one of the school districts
in Iowa experiencing booming
population growth — Clear Creek
Amana includes Tiffin, areas of
would be effective. of Agriculture officials met
“I believe we’re much
last month with Northey
Coralville and reaches into rural
Johnson County — Charbon, a Tif-
more likely to scale this if
and Anna Wildeman, the fin Elementary teacher, said she
we get folks in the local lev-
EPA’s deputy assistant expects teachers’ benefits to be pro-
els who want to do this,” he
administrator for the Of- tected by the district’s need to stay
said. “They are much more
fice of Water, said Indiana
encouraged by their neigh-
agriculture spokesman Ben
competitive to attract new staff.
“If push comes to shove,”
bors rather than lawsuits or
Gavelek. though, she said the union has less
regulations.” “We’re not planning on power than it did before the law
scheduling a one-on-one was changed nearly two years ago.
MEETING SET FOR NEXT YEAR at this point,” Gavelek
“We haven’t had to shove,”
The Iowa Department said. “Especially with the Charbon said.
of Natural Resources has Hypoxia Task Force meeting Clear Creek Amana is the only
not formally responded to right around the corner, one of seven public districts in the
the letter, but is open to which includes Assistant Corridor — Cedar Rapids, Clear
meeting with the agencies, Administrator Ross and
Creek Amana, College Community,
said Adam Schnieders, the is a great time to build Iowa City, Linn-Mar, Marion Inde-
pendent and Mount Vernon — to
The task force will meet whittle its teacher contracts down
“The EPA and the USDA for the first time in a year
to include only wages since legisla-
have routinely provided on Jan. 29 in Baton Rouge, tive changes allowed districts to
support, technical assis- La. A meeting planned for
do so.
tance, resources, etc., over September was canceled The legislation — passed in
the years to help Iowa meet because of Hurricane
February 2017 and signed by Terry
its water quality and conser- Florence. Branstad as one of his last acts as
vation goals,” he said.
l Comments: (319) 339-3157; governor — scaled back public-
Indiana State Department erin.jordan@thegazette.com sector workers’ rights to negotiate
benefits, working conditions and
wages.
For Clear Creek Amana, the

Unions/Say law is unconstitutional

new law came in the middle of
contract negotiations. While Cedar
Rapids Community School District
and Iowa City Community School
District hurried to reach agree-
;; FROM PAGE 1A other groups of people. It is survey. cut educators out of the bar- ments before it took effect, Clear
flat-out wrong,” said Danny The report also said that, gaining process. Creek Amana was one of the first
The law, passed in Febru- Homan, president of AFSC- while most districts did not “That’s unfortunate. That districts in the state to settle under
ary 2017 by a Republican-led ME Council 61, which repre- make significant changes to does not create an environ- the new requirements.
Iowa Legislature, eliminated sents roughly 40,000 public health insurance policies, ment that’s conducive to “During that whole time of legis-
most elements for which employees in Iowa. they might look for “cre- positive working condi- lative changes, for everyone, there
most public workers could ative ways” to help address tions,” he said. was a lot of uncertainty and fear
negotiate with the state THE EFFECTS SO FAR insurance costs as they con- Even though the vast around how that was going to go,”
through group union tinue to rise. majority of workers voted Clear Creek Amana
representation. Local government leaders “School boards received to retain union representa- Superintendent Tim
No longer can public em- and school administrators significantly greater man- tion under the law’s more Kuehl said. “I know
ployees collectively bargain say Iowa’s new collective agement authority under” stringent recertification there were here.”
over health insurance, vaca- bargaining law has accom- the new law, Lisa Bartusek, process, the new rules were The district and
tion policy, workplace safety plished one of its support- executive director of the unnecessarily burdensome its teachers’ union
issues and myriad other ers’ stated goals: giving state school boards associa- and wasteful, union leaders agreed to remove most
benefits and policies. them the flexibility to man- tion, said in an email. said. permissive items —
Public employees, essen- age their budgets while still “The general feeling has The law required such as policies about Tim Kuehl
tially, now may collectively retaining quality public been that with greater au- union groups to hold the bereavement leave or Clear Creek
bargain only for base wages. workers. thority, their responsibility recertification elections how much time teach- Amana
Dr. Roark Horn, execu- ers have to eat lunch Community
Supporters, mainly Re- or objective must remain more regularly, and School District
tive director of the School the same — that is, to en- required the groups achieve — and relegate them
publicans and conservative Administrators of Iowa, said
advocacy groups, said an sure their districts are able a majority of yes votes from to a district handbook, which could
districts must be careful to to attract and retain great all members in a group — be changed without union input.
update was needed for an balance their new authority
old system — the previous educators and staff to serve not just a majority of those They also agreed to allocate a
with offering benefits pack- students.” who vote. certain percent of the district’s
collective bargaining law, ages that attract and retain
also written and approved In other words, if a group additional funding each year to
teachers. of 50 members gets 20 yes salary increases.
by Republicans, was passed “If the intent was to pro-
COURT DATE THIS WEEK
in the 1970s — and govern- votes and 5 no votes, that “This last year, I would say the
vide more flexibility, then County government lead- group is disbanded because trust was restored when people
ment leaders and school that has been the result in ers have not said whether
administrators needed more many cases. However, it it failed to get the 26-vote had lived through a year, and we
the new law is greatly af- majority of all members hadn’t changed a bunch of things
flexibility to manage plays out differently in each fecting them either way,
budgets. required to recertify. or negatively impacted staff,”
district,” Horn said in an said Bill Peterson, executive Homan called the re- Kuehl said.
Opponents, mostly Demo- email. director of the Iowa State Four more districts in the metro
crats and unions, said the certification process “an
“With continued diffi- Association of Counties. astronomical undertaking” area have settled master contracts
dramatic changes were un- culty in attracting and re- “I don’t think we’re nec- since the changes became law, ac-
necessary and amounted to taining educators, districts that cost the union nearly
essarily hearing from our $20,000. cording to an Iowa Association of
political payback against are going to need to be con- membership anything ei- School Boards report published
unions, who typically or- scientious about how they “All in all, over the last
ther positively or negatively two years I think it has Thursday, though none nearby
ganize in support of Demo- approach their negotiations about the law,” Peterson have removed as many permissive
cratic candidates for public with staffs.” proven to be a huge waste
said. of resources and time, not items as Clear Creek Amana.
office. Most school districts have From the union perspec- Of those four districts — Cedar
Two Iowa unions, AF- only for public employees
not introduced significant tive, contract negotiations and for their unions, but Rapids, College Community, Linn-
SCME Council 61 and the changes to benefits that no under the new law have Mar and Marion Independent — all
Iowa State Education As- also for employers and (the
longer are allowed to be col- been a mixed bag, union state board that oversees have included several permissive
sociation, immediately chal- lectively bargained, accord- leaders said. items no longer required under
lenged the new law in court. ing to a survey of districts public employee relations),
“In many places there has as well,” said Marquardt, Chapter 20.
On Wednesday, attorneys conducted by the Iowa Asso- been a recognition by school In negotiations last spring, the
representing the unions and ciation of School Boards. of the Iowa State Education
boards or community col- Association. Cedar Rapids Community School
the state will argue the law Only 8.4 percent of dis- lege boards or (Area Educa- District’s initial contract proposal
before the Iowa Supreme “We certainly think the
tricts said they have made tion Associations) or whoev- recertification was a waste included only wages, but after
Court. “substantive” changes to er we represent that they’re teachers pushed back, the proposal
The unions will say the of time, and we think the
health insurance and firing going to continue to engage numbers bore that out.” ultimately also included grievance
law is unconstitutional be- procedures under the new their employee organiza- procedures, hours, in-service train-
cause it violates the Iowa The Iowa Supreme Court
law, according to the sur- tions in bargaining and give will hear oral arguments in ing, and health and safety matters.
Constitution’s equal-rights vey. Even fewer said they them a voice because they The Iowa City and Mount
clause by creating two the lawsuit challenging the
made “substantive” changes understand the importance new law beginning at 9 a.m. Vernon school districts have not
classes of public employees. to supplemental pay, evalu- of workers having a voice in settled a new contract since Febru-
While the law stripped most ation or transfer policies. Wednesday in the court’s
© 2018 The Gazette

regards to working condi- chambers in Des Moines. ary 2017, according to the Iowa As-
collective bargaining rights More districts are enter- tions,” said Coy Marquardt, sociation of School Boards, and the
for most public workers, it The court typically takes
ing multi-year contracts and associate executive director months after oral argu- Solon Community School District
spared those changes for po- are exploring alternative of the Iowa State Education did not respond to the association’s
lice officers and firefighters. compensation to address flat ments to deliver a verdict.
Association. survey.
“It’s wrong. We are pit- salaries, according to the But, Marquardt said, l Comments: (515) 422- l Comments: (319) 398-8330;
ting groups of people against association’s report on the some districts largely have 9061; erin.murphy@lee.net molly.duffy@thegazette.com
 Sunday, December 9, 2018 ● The Gazette 7A

U.S. caught off-guard in 1941 attack

U.S. was looking for the
enemy near Pearl Harbor
— but it was looking in
the wrong direction
Washington Post
It was Dec. 5, 1941, and Lt.
Ted Faulkner’s mission would
be delicate and dangerous: fly
his B-24 Liberator thousands
of miles from Pearl Harbor,
sneak over Japanese-held is-
lands in the South Pacific, and
take photographs — without
starting a war or getting shot
down.
Tensions between Japan
and the United States were at
the boiling point. The United
States suspected that the Japa-
nese were up to something,
but it didn’t know what or
where. It looked as if an attack
could come in the area of the
Philippines. Faulkner’s task
was to photograph the Japa-
nese buildup around islands
east of there.
“It was a rather delicate
mission,” Army Chief of Staff
George Marshall said later. If
detected, the flight might be
seen as a hostile act. But his
caution was misplaced. Even
as Faulkner’s plane landed
in Hawaii to prepare for the
mission, the massive Japanese
fleet already was closing in.
A new blog post by National
Archives senior archivist Greg
Bradsher details the would-be
mission. And on the 77th an-
niversary of the Dec. 7 attack,
it is another illustration of
how the United States was un-
prepared and tragically wrong
about where the enemy’s main
blow would hit.
Even if Faulkner’s plane
had taken off, it probably
would not have detected the
enemy fleet, Bradsher said.
Faulkner would have been
looking in the wrong direction.
He was assigned to fly well
“The crew shouted, ‘Ban-
zai!’ as they took what might
Pearl Harbor. It arrived Dec. 5.
Three days earlier the Japa-
be their last look at Japan,” re- nese force had been sent the
membered lead Japanese pilot code phrase, “Climb Mount
Mitsuo Fuchida, according to Niitaka” — the go-ahead to at-
historian Craig Nelson. tack Pearl Harbor.
Meanwhile, the U.S. plan But the United States was
was for its recon planes to fly still looking for the trouble in
from California to Hawaii. the wrong place, coming from
From there, they would the wrong direction.
fly northwest to Midway A week earlier, Adm. Hus-
Island. But then they would band Kimmel, commander of
head southwest to Wake the U.S. Pacific Fleet, asked
Island, toward New Guinea, his war plans officer, Capt.
flying fast and high over the Charles McMorris: What were
Japanese mandates, taking the chances of an attack on
pictures en route, Bradsher Hawaii?
wrote. The final destination “I should say none, Admi-
was the Philippines. ral,” McMorris replied.
“Pilots should be warned After Faulkner’s plane
Tribune News Service islands strongly fortified,” landed, inspectors found that
Dorinda Nicholson, 83, meets Friday with Jack Schroeder, 84, at Nicholson’s the War Department advised. it was outfitted with only
home, between her speaking engagements in Mission, Kan., and Kansas City, “Photography and reconnais- three machine guns and no
Mo., about the attack 77 years ago. “You and I are one of the few that are left sance must be accomplished at ammunition. It also lacked
that’s actual witnesses to the attack,” Schroeder said. His dad was a Navy pilot high altitude and there must any protective armor plat-
stationed at the Naval Air Station Kaneohe in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. Nichol- be no circling or remaining in ing, Bradsher wrote. Combat
son was a 6-year-old Hawaii native living on the opposite side of the island in the vicinity ... instruct crews equipment from other planes
Pearl Harbor. “We didn’t believe it could happen,” she said. if attacked ... use all means in could be installed, but more
their power for self preserva- needed to be flown in.
to the southwest of Hawaii, U.S. intelligence intercepts tion. ... Insure that both ... “Plane being held here
where Pearl Harbor is located. were picking up more and airplanes are fully equipped until satisfactorily armed,”
The Japanese, with six air- more evidence of extensive with gun ammunition upon Army Lt. Gen. Walter Short
craft carriers and hundreds of Japanese military activity in departure.” messaged Dec. 5 from Pearl
airplanes, were approaching its so-called “Mandates,” South Two new B-24 bombers Harbor.
silently from the northwest, Pacific island groups such as were selected for the mission The next day, the Japanese
thousands of miles away. the Marshalls and Carolines and two crews from a squad- task force headed for Pearl
“It’s just one more piece of that came under Japanese con- ron based at Fort Douglas, Harbor, wrote Prange, the
the puzzle,” Bradsher said, trol after World War I. Utah. historian.
“basically a footnote to the The Americans knew little One plane would be flown On Dec. 7, Faulkner’s B-24
larger story.” of what was going on there by Faulkner, 28, with an eight- was sitting outside Hangar
But it carries the inevitable and were desperate to find man crew. The other plane 15, awaiting its refit, with
Pearl Harbor what-ifs. out, Bradsher wrote. They had would be piloted by 1st Lt. Faulkner and crew nearby.
By the end of November been wary of flying there be- Harvey Watkins. At about 8 a.m., bombs be-
1941, the United States and fore, for fear of provoking the The B-24s, which had been gan falling on Hickam Field.
Japan were locked in a tense Japanese. But now it was time ferrying passengers and cargo, Faulkner’s navigator, 2d Lt.
standoff over Japan’s military to chance it. would be outfitted with guns Louis Moslener Jr., 23, from
aggression and its alliance The order for the recon- and cameras for their mis- Beaver, Pa., and crewman
with Nazi Germany, and the naissance, specifically of Truk sion. The pilots were to pick Pvt. Daniel Powloski, 36, of
resulting American economic Island, in the Carolines, and up their planes at the Sacra- Rochester, N.Y., were killed.
embargoes, historian Gordon Jaluit, in the Marshalls, seems mento Air Depot, where the Four other crew members
W. Prange wrote in his 1981 to have been issued Nov. 26. aircraft would be equipped, were wounded. Faulkner and
book, “At Dawn We Slept.” That same day, at 6 a.m. in and fly about 70 miles west to two other men were not hurt,
Negotiations in Washington northern Japan, the 28-ship Hamilton Field, north of San according to Robert Dorr’s his-
were still underway but es- enemy armada steamed in Francisco. tory of the 7th Bombardment
sentially stalemated. And with radio silence from Hitokappu At 9:08 p.m. Dec. 4, Group/Wing.
war raging in Europe, Japan Bay, now called Katsatka Bay, Faulkner’s plane left Hamilton The B-24 was smashed to
was preparing steps that would into the North Pacific, bound Field for the 2,400-mile hop pieces, its would-be secret mis-
drag in the United States. for Pearl Harbor. to Hickam Field, adjacent to sion overtaken by events.

Health/‘Children’s voices get lost’ in system

;; FROM PAGE 1A In its plan, board vider put it at a public
members stated the chil-
co-chairman of the state dren’s system should be
SERVICES comment session on the
board’s efforts in Cedar
board. “We’ve talked providing “universal, age Within its report, the Rapids in October, “chil-
about it for many years appropriate, periodic be- Children’s System State dren’s voices get lost
— for decades — but havioral health screen- Board also recommended all the time in an adult
we’ve never had a for- ings” to children up to 18 core services be system.”
malized system.” by July 1, 2020. implemented in the new Top lawmakers say
The goal of the pro- “These instruments system. Among them: they’re interested in
posed system is to con- are intended to be either l Universal screenings and forging a plan for financ-
nect mental predictive in nature for assessments ing an expanded system,
health and assessing at-risk tenden- l Behavioral health but they concede no
behavioral cies or be diagnostic in education and prevention consensus has been de-
services nature to determine ap- l Primary care access to veloped on whether the
currently propriate treatments or consultation state might assume re-
available interventions,” accord- l Comprehensive crisis sponsibility for financing
to young ing to the board’s report. services, including mobile the entire mental health
Iowans and crisis intervention and crisis Cliff Jette/The Gazette
Particulars of screen- system.
Jerry to create a ings, including where stabilization Mechelle Dhondt, regional director of the Mental Health/Disability At a legislative forum
Foxhoven better con- they will occur and who l Behavioral health Services of the East Central Region, sits in the atrium of the Linn last week in Des Moines,
Iowa tinuum of will provide them, would treatment, such as care County Community Services building Friday in Cedar Rapids. state Rep. John Forbes,
Department of care for peo- be determined and coor- coordination, transitional D-Urbandale, House as-
Human Services ple younger dinated by the state’s hu- services, family and peer tor of the Mental Health/ having a limit that could sistant minority leader,
than 18 who man services, education support, and in- and out-of- Disability Services of the go into effect, Dhondt said state policymakers
have a mental or behav- and public health depart- home respite. East Central Region, the said providing for both need to ensure they “pro-
ioral diagnosis. ments, according to the l Community-based
nine-county region that systems may be difficult vide adequate funding
The Children’s Sys- report. supports, including system includes Linn. for both regions. for these services.”
tem State Board — made Other logistical ques- of care services and Adult regions are “If that happens, “Right now, the
up of mental health tions remain, particular- transportation assistance. expected to establish we’ll be stretching just counties pick up about
professionals, policy- ly on the tasks set before needed services in the to afford to pay for our $114 million per year
makers and families of the state by the board to region, Dhondt said, and adults of the system, of mental health care
loved ones with mental identify stable funding children’s system, but the costs are on the re- much less try to pay for funding in the state of
health disorders — was sources and to establish made up of members of gional board to make it a the children’s system,” Iowa,” he said. “There’s
assigned by Reynolds local authorities to over- the adult regional board. reality. Dhondt said. “That part some talk about shifting
to consider available see the system. But the question of “It’s kind of like if is the unknown. There’s that to the state.
resources and create a Board members said funding has officials you’re starting a new always going to be con- “I want to make sure
strategy to accomplish within their report the involved in the adult hospital,” she said. cern with the unknown, that we as a Legislature
this goal. children’s mental health regions wondering what “You’ve got to pay to and it’s not going to be can find a dedicated
Board members did system should be aligned this new system will look build it and to get it all known until the Legis- stream of money to be
so in their strategic plan with the current system like. set up and to staff it. lature deals with it this able to provide adequate
sent to the governor and in place for adult mental “We adopted kind of Once it’s ready to go, winter.” services to people here in
legislators last month. and behavioral health a wait-and-see position then Medicaid or insur- It was this scenario the state.”
Now it’s up to state services. just because it does have ance companies pay for that many providers Gazette reporter Rod Boshart
lawmakers to put the In Iowa, adult mental to go through the Leg- the actual services.” and policymakers feared contributed to this article.
plan into motion. Once and behavioral services islature,” said Mechelle But with the region’s could happen in pairing l Comments: (319) 368-8536;
passed through the are structured into 14 Dhondt, regional direc- fund balance possibly the systems. As one pro- michaela.ramm@thegazette.com
chambers and signed geographic mental
into law, the Depart- health and disability
ment of Human Services service regions, each
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© 2018 The Gazette

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