As I mentioned in this blog post: Iowa to Close a Kirkbride?, the state of Iowa is considering closing down one of it's four state psychiatric facilities.
Here's more about that from the Iowa Independent: Task Force Begins Evaluation of State’s Four Mental Health Institutions, and a sidebar piece about the hospitals: At a Glance: Iowa’s Four Historic Mental Health Institutions.
Iowa to Close a State Psychiatric Facility?
11 posts • Page 1 of 1
by Kirkbride on Thu Oct 08, 2009 4:18 pm
On Monday, October 12th, there will be a public forum about Clarinda MHI's future. Here's the flyer: Attention Citizens of Clarinda
If you live in the area and want Clarinda MHI to stay open, please attend and make your voice heard.
If you live in the area and want Clarinda MHI to stay open, please attend and make your voice heard.
- Kirkbride
- Posts: 644
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 8:28 pm
by Kirkbride on Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:46 am
Sounds like none of the four hospitals will be recommended for closing by the task force at least: Mental Health Facilities Need to Share Expertise, Group Says
- Kirkbride
- Posts: 644
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 8:28 pm
by Kirkbride on Thu Dec 03, 2009 10:29 am
The people investigating which, if any, hospital should be closed are recommending that none of them be closed.
Panel Recommends Against Closing Mental Institutes
Panel Recommends Against Closing Mental Institutes
- Kirkbride
- Posts: 644
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 8:28 pm
by Kerbchek on Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:10 pm
I was just watching the evening news and saw a story about the state choosing not to close one... came here to post it, and saw you beat me to it... Whew...
...just found out one of my former students is being treated in the facility in Independence... I'm trying to see if I can be granted permission to visit him, how cool would that be to visit him and see the building from the inside for once !!
...just found out one of my former students is being treated in the facility in Independence... I'm trying to see if I can be granted permission to visit him, how cool would that be to visit him and see the building from the inside for once !!
Kerby
- Kerbchek
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:30 pm
- Location: Iowa
by Kirkbride on Fri Dec 04, 2009 1:41 pm
That's too bad your former student needs care, but at least they're able to get it at Independence.
As usual, the above news story doesn't mean anything definite and Iowa may still close a state hospital according to this article...
Des Moines Register - 12/4/2009
Lawmakers Say Mental Institutions May Close
A tight budget may force closure of a state facility for the mentally ill or for the mentally retarded, but only if residents would be well cared for in other settings, two state lawmakers said Thursday.
"It is likely that we will seriously look at closing one or two of the mental health facilities, and including the two resource centers'' serving people with retardation, said state Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, who helps oversee the budget for human services in Iowa.
"Nothing will be done unless we can ensure that the quality is maintained or improved, and nothing probably will be done quickly," Hatch said.
The state has four mental health institutes, in Clarinda, Cherokee, Independence and Mount Pleasant. The two resource centers are in Glenwood and Woodward.
more...
As usual, the above news story doesn't mean anything definite and Iowa may still close a state hospital according to this article...
Des Moines Register - 12/4/2009
Lawmakers Say Mental Institutions May Close
A tight budget may force closure of a state facility for the mentally ill or for the mentally retarded, but only if residents would be well cared for in other settings, two state lawmakers said Thursday.
"It is likely that we will seriously look at closing one or two of the mental health facilities, and including the two resource centers'' serving people with retardation, said state Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, who helps oversee the budget for human services in Iowa.
"Nothing will be done unless we can ensure that the quality is maintained or improved, and nothing probably will be done quickly," Hatch said.
The state has four mental health institutes, in Clarinda, Cherokee, Independence and Mount Pleasant. The two resource centers are in Glenwood and Woodward.
more...
- Kirkbride
- Posts: 644
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 8:28 pm
by Kirkbride on Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:02 pm
Clarinda Facility Gets a Reprieve
The Clarinda Mental Health Institute has been spared the ax by the Iowa Department of Human Services.
But the southwest Iowa facility isn’t out of the woods yet.
On Monday, department director Charles Krogmeier recommended the closure of the mental health institute in Mount Pleasant in eastern Iowa, sparing state-run facilities in Independence, also in eastern Iowa; Cherokee, in northwest Iowa; and Clarinda.
The recommendation will be delivered to Gov. Chet Culver and Iowa legislators, who will decide whether to close one of the facilities and which facility it will be.
“We’re relieved, but it’s kind of bittersweet,” said John Greenwood, executive director of the Clarinda Economic Development Corp. “We’re glad that Clarinda has made the cut . . . But of course we’re feeling for the folks in Mount Pleasant, too.”
Closing the Mount Pleasant institute would cause the least “economic fallout” for employees and the surrounding community, Krogmeier said.
The Mount Pleasant facility has the capacity to treat about 79 patients. About 50 of those are in the facility’s substance abuse program, not in its adult psychiatric facility. Clarinda has 55 beds available to adults needing psychiatric treatment.
Under Krogmeier’s plan, patients and services from Mount Pleasant would move to the Independence facility, he said.
Read more...
The Clarinda Mental Health Institute has been spared the ax by the Iowa Department of Human Services.
But the southwest Iowa facility isn’t out of the woods yet.
On Monday, department director Charles Krogmeier recommended the closure of the mental health institute in Mount Pleasant in eastern Iowa, sparing state-run facilities in Independence, also in eastern Iowa; Cherokee, in northwest Iowa; and Clarinda.
The recommendation will be delivered to Gov. Chet Culver and Iowa legislators, who will decide whether to close one of the facilities and which facility it will be.
“We’re relieved, but it’s kind of bittersweet,” said John Greenwood, executive director of the Clarinda Economic Development Corp. “We’re glad that Clarinda has made the cut . . . But of course we’re feeling for the folks in Mount Pleasant, too.”
Closing the Mount Pleasant institute would cause the least “economic fallout” for employees and the surrounding community, Krogmeier said.
The Mount Pleasant facility has the capacity to treat about 79 patients. About 50 of those are in the facility’s substance abuse program, not in its adult psychiatric facility. Clarinda has 55 beds available to adults needing psychiatric treatment.
Under Krogmeier’s plan, patients and services from Mount Pleasant would move to the Independence facility, he said.
Read more...
- Kirkbride
- Posts: 644
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 8:28 pm
by Kirkbride on Tue Feb 02, 2010 12:06 am
But of course the story isn't over yet. Today the Iowa state senate voted for a plan that would call for the downsizing of the Clarinda Mental Health Institute instead of the closing of Mt Pleasant.
Iowa Senate OKs Government Reorganization; Would Downsize Clarinda Institute
The DeMoines Register wrote:The Clarinda Mental Health Institute would be downsized to house just 17 patients. Its sister facility, the state-run Mount Pleasant Mental Health Institute, would stay open, even though state officials originally targeted it for closure.
Choosing Clarinda counters the recommendation from the chief of the agency that runs Iowa’s four state mental health institutes.
Department of Human Services Director Charlie Krogmeier still believes that if lawmakers must relocate patients from one facility, they should choose the Mount Pleasant facility because it’s smallest and the relocation would cause the least economic disruption to that community, a spokesman said Monday.
Clarinda Mayor Gordon Kokenge said Monday that if lawmakers really want to save money, picking the Clarinda institute doesn’t make sense. “It’s the most efficient MHI in the state of Iowa,” Kokenge said.
Sen. Jack Hatch, D-Des Moines, said one reason senators chose the Clarinda facility was because it has a client population smaller than Mount Pleasant’s.
The proposal the Senate approved Monday night says that elderly Iowans in Clarinda’s gero-psychiatric program would go the Glenwood Resource Center, a state-run facility for people with mental disabilities; to the Iowa Veterans Home; or to other nursing homes.
The adult psychiatric program at Clarinda would move to Cherokee, Hatch said.
The plan also calls for patients under 18 at the Cherokee mental health institute to move to the facility at Independence, which specializes in children’s services.
Iowa Senate OKs Government Reorganization; Would Downsize Clarinda Institute
- Kirkbride
- Posts: 644
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 8:28 pm
by Kerbchek on Mon Feb 08, 2010 9:27 pm
On the news tonight there was a group that spoke before the Iowa legislature trying to encourage them to reconsider the option of significantly downsizing the facility at Clarinda. They had buttons with the Kirkbride's admin. section pictured on it that read "Save Clarinda MHI" I wonder what would happen to the Clarinda Academy, which rents part of the Kirkbride as dorms.
Kerby
- Kerbchek
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:30 pm
- Location: Iowa
by Kirkbride on Sun Feb 14, 2010 11:29 am
Clarinda might be safe again...for now. A decision may be made this week sparing any Iowa psychiatric hospitals from being closed.
Read More
Iowa House Strikes Section on Mental Health Institutes from Government Reorganization Bill
Move means no MHIs would close if Iowa Senate approves House language
A single legislative strike may prove to be a political home run for Clarinda.
The local fight to save the Clarinda Mental Health Institute (MHI) from possible closure took a dramatic turn on Friday afternoon, Feb. 12, when the Iowa House of Representatives approved a second degree amendment to the government reorganization bill that removed the entire section of that bill dealing with mental health institutes and the delivery of mental health services in Iowa.
“It’s like the MHI issue was never on the table,” Jason Bridie, a member of the delegation fighting to save the Clarinda MHI, said.
Debate on the amended House version of the government reorganization bill, designated as Senate File 2088, was scheduled to start on Thursday evening, Feb. 11, but was delayed until Friday morning. This allowed State Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, the opportunity to present the extensive second degree amendment to the amendment passed on Feb. 4 by the State Government Committee chaired by Mascher.
“With the passage of this amendment, the mental health issue has gone away,” Bridie said. “There are no directives to the Iowa Department of Human Services to do anything with mental health care in terms of closing an institute or shifting services.”
“This is a very positive development for Clarinda and all of the MHIs in the state,” John Greenwood, Clarinda Economic Development Corporation Executive Director and member of the Clarinda delegation, said.
Although the passage of the second degree amendment was a significant victory for Clarinda, Bridie and Greenwood agreed that the Clarinda MHI isn’t out of the woods yet.
The Iowa House of Representatives deferred its debate on the government reorganization bill as a whole until Monday. Once the House approves its version of the government reorganization bill, it will return to the Senate...
Read More
- Kirkbride
- Posts: 644
- Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2004 8:28 pm
11 posts • Page 1 of 1
Return to Clarinda State Hospital
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest