Concerns raised for psychiatric hospital support

Aug. 11--CLINTON -- The Clinton County Board of Supervisors on Monday expressed concern over signing a letter of support for a proposed 72-bed psychiatric hospital.

At a previous board meeting, Supervisors discussed a possible letter of support for a psychiatric hospital proposed by Strategic Behavioral Health. Clinton County Mental Health Coordinator Becky Eskildsen explained that Lori Elam, who works in the same capacity as Eskildsen in Scott County, was asking each board to send a letter of support along with a certificate of need for the new facility.

"In my opinion, what the legislators have outlined for us to do is they want us to develop crisis services in the community," Eskildsen said. "And I think that's very important. We've got crisis stabilization units being developed, mobile crisis pre-screening; all of those services. However, I also recognize that we do have to transport individuals on occasion across the state and that's never a good thing. Especially juveniles."

Ken Croken, vice president of Marketing for Genesis, told the Ssupervisors that the need is not for more beds but rather for more psychiatrists and mental health workers. He said Genesis currently has 38 inpatient beds and they usually have around 60 percent filled.

"Our average daily census is somewhere about 60 percent of that," Croken said. "Not because there's not people that need the service but because there's not staff to handle. Building a building does not create the service. In fact, it can do lasting harm in that it dilutes the service by stretching very limited resources."

Croken also expressed concern about the commitment of strategic behavioral health in the long term, asking if they are willing to jeopardize the work the other providers have put in during the years.

"Are we really willing as a community to undermine the strength of the providers who have been delivering this service for 150 years on a mission basis, not a profit motive," Croken said. "Are we willing to undermine their success in order to provide support to a for-profit organization from Memphis, Tennessee, who may or may not be interested in providing these services 10 years from now?"

Vice Chairman Dan Srp said there is a need for an increase in the service options for the immediate area, adding he thinks they need to focus on keeping the services in the local community. However, he said he does not think it is the county's place to support one specific entity over another.

"Right now of course the population based in this state is largely eastern and right now we don't have a real strong local provider that can handle a volume," Srp said. "And I think it would be appropriate for someone to try to establish more services but I don't have a desire to support any one particular entity over another."

Herald Staff Writer John Rohlf can be reached at jrohlf@clintonherald.com.

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