Supervisors select new mental health service provider

Jan. 28--The Story County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved entering into contract negotiations with Des Moines-based Optimae Life Services to take over the county's mental health services by the start of the upcoming fiscal year.

Optimae was one of two private providers bidding to replace Story's Community Life Program as the county moves to a regional mental health system mandated by the Iowa Legislature in 2012.

The decision followed a Monday meeting of the 10-county Central Iowa Community Services Regional Governance Board. The board, which Story County Supervisor Wayne Clinton chairs, approved a recommendation to move forward with Optimae.

"Optimae is already present in our region; they are providing services in Jasper County," said Deb Schildroth, Story County community services director. "They do have a regional structure to their organization. They have five regions and are working on a sixth region, so that's how their business operation is set up."

The Legislature created the regional systems as a cost-saving measure that would establish state service standards while allowing counties to maintain some of their local control over the process.

According to a proposal submitted by Optimae, the company plans to begin the transition immediately, hiring four full-time administrative staffers and additional program staff by the end of March to take over the various services, which include residential care and a jail diversion program, by May 1.

Optimae also proposed taking over buildings currently operated by the Community Life Program in Story County, turning one into a crisis and respite building as part of the regional system's plan.

Clinton said there would be additional discussions to iron out the terms of the contracts and proper transition of services away from the current system. The transition must be completed by July 1, the start of the 2015-16 fiscal year.

"We know this is going to be a very sensitive transition," said Bill Dodds, Optimae's president. "This program has been in operation for a long time and has an outstanding reputation, and we aim to do all we can to make sure the transition goes as smoothly as possible."

In other business, supervisors unanimously approved a request from Story County Attorney Stephen Holmes for the hiring of a new assistant Story County attorney.

"We currently have one full time assistant Story County attorney working in our civil docket," Holmes wrote in a letter addressed to the board in December. "The attorney's current workload is 561 pending matters. This number is high, as we generally prefer this docket number around ... 300 pending matters (per civil attorney)."

The new position will come with a $69,700 salary, which was approved at a budget work session held before Tuesday's board meeting.

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