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BLACK HAWK - GRUNDY
MENTAL HEALTH CENTER ANNUAL REPORT 2004 BLACK HAWK - GRUNDY MENTAL HEALTH CENTER Mission Statement Dedicated to improving the lives of the people we serve by providing quality, innovative mental health care. Message From the Executive Director After a ten year hiatus from Annual Reports, I thought it was important to devote some time to the development of a report highlighting our efforts over the past year. Since our humble beginnings in early 1950 when we saw 278 individuals with a small staff and donated furniture, the Center has seen over 43,000 individuals in the Cedar Valley with approximately 1,700 new referrals every year! Despite these numbers, I am constantly reminded that there remains a great deal of stigma associated with receiving mental health services and skepticism about what we do. When you stop to consider that mental disorders affect approximately 40 million people each year, that 13.7 million or 20% of our nation's youth have a diagnosable mental illness, that suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds in our country and that the vast majority of individuals in need of mental health services do not receive them, I am overwhelmed with the work that remains to be done in reducing the intolerance and disdain of how our society treats those with mental illnesses. This is a difficult time for those in human services and the challenges remain great. Increased regulation, along with shrinking financial resources, makes our efforts in meeting our mission even more important as the health, safety and well being of our community rests on having our services affordable, available and accessible. Sincerely, Thomas Eachus, ACSW, LISW, BCD Executive Director History of the Black Hawk - Grundy Mental Health Center In 1949, a group of citizens on the Social Services Council in Black Hawk County began discussing the need for a mental health center in our community. These meetings, facilitated by Opal Fore, a visiting social worker from the Iowa Mental Health Authority, Glenda Mabrey, a teacher with the Waterloo Public Schools and Blair Wood, the Black Hawk County Attorney, resulted in the election of the first Board of Directors in December 1949. On March 21, 1950, the Center opened for business with three offices located at 420 Commercial Street. In five short years, the Center had outgrown the space available and a move was made to the corner of West 11th and Washington Streets. Again, the demand for service exceeded the staff and space resources available and a waiting list for services was established. At times, it took as long as six to ten months to be seen. The first Executive Director, Jack Joelson, was hired in November 1955 and in 1957, the agency moved to the Community Services Building located at 2530 University Avenue. Dr. Harold Korner was hired as the first Medical Director in 1961 and in 1964, we began providing services to residents of Grundy County. In the fall of 1966, a new building at 3251 West 9th Street was completed and a major addition on this facility was completed in 2001. Over the past 54 years, we have developed our services in response to identified community needs with fifteen different programs currently in place. A description of these services and our financial performance for Fiscal Year 2004 follows. Board of Directors Russell Curtis, Chairperson Jane Teaford, Vice Chairperson Lori Niebuhr, Secretary Patty Esch, Treasurer Patrick Clancy Linda Fobian Lorraine Griffie John Hawse Wendy Henderson Steve Jordan Barbara Leestamper Corey Lorenzen Shirley Meester Bryant Mutchler, MD Elmer Willms Services Outpatient Services The Outpatient Program remains at the core of the services provided by the Center. The provision of evaluations, individual, couples, group and family therapy has been the hallmark of our organization since 1950. Two full-time psychiatrists, one part-time psychiatrist, four independent contract psychiatrists, one part-time pediatric nurse practitioner, two full-time licensed psychologists, one part-time psychologist, four full-time and one part-time licensed social workers provided 16,769 therapy sessions in the last fiscal year. The waiting list to be seen ranges from one to four weeks depending upon individual circumstances. Services to the Homeless Since 1988, the Center has been receiving funding from the State of Iowa to provide mental health services to homeless individuals and families. In FY04, we provided a variety of services to 155 individuals including evaluations, outreach services, assistance in accessing benefits and locating housing, funding for bus tickets and medications, information and referral, education, coordination of services with other providers, medication management services and others with the goal of reducing or breaking the cycle of homelessness that remains a significant problem in our community. Currently, one full-time and one part-time staff person are assigned to this program. Nursing Services This is one of the fastest growing programs at the Center given the advent of newer, more effective medications to treat mental illness. The services provided to individuals and the community include telephone triage, pharmacy calls to renew or clarify prescriptions, obtaining sample medications, meeting with pharmaceutical representatives, accessing patient assistance program medications through the pharmaceutical companies, education, coordinating care with other providers, administering injections to clients and other related services. In a typical week, the nursing staff has direct contact with well over 300 individuals regarding various medication related issues. One full-time registered nurse and two part-time registered nurses are providing these services. School Based Mental Health Services Since the early 1990s, the Center has been involved in providing on-site mental health services to youth in the schools. Our focus in recent years has been on the middle and high school population. Services have been provided at virtually all middle schools and both high schools in Waterloo, some services to outlying schools, the North Iowa Juvenile Detention Center and the Black Hawk County Youth Shelter. In the past fiscal year, we saw 75 youth for direct services as well as countless consultations with counselors, teachers, administrators, parents and agency personnel in the community. With the growing recognition of the mental health needs of the youth in our community, funding was obtained from Cedar Valley's Promise for another fulltime mental health counselor to provide these services. Outreach Services Since 1988, the Center has provided outreach services to individuals with a serious and persistent mental illness in an effort to prevent or reduce hospitalizations and institutional placements while promoting independence in the community. In FY04, we provided a variety of services to 450 individuals including evaluations, medication monitoring, education, transportation, assistance in accessing benefits or housing, coordinating care with other providers, teaching daily living skills and other related services. Our focus in this program has been providing what individuals need with a proactive approach to management of their illness. Currently, four full-time and two part-time staff members are assigned to this program. Dual Diagnosis Offender Program Through a grant from the First Judicial Department of Correctional Services and in collaboration with Pathways Behavioral Services, we have been providing community-based, integrated treatment services to identify, educate and treat individuals with co-occurring disorders (mental health and substance abuse) who are under the supervision of the Department of Correctional Services. In the past five years, this comprehensive, collaborative treatment approach has helped individuals to live a productive, law-abiding lifestyle with a stabilized mental health condition free of chemical dependency. There are eighteen residents in this program, housed at the Department of Correctional Services Residential Facility, with an average length of stay of 6-12 months. A combination of individual, group and family therapy, along with medication management, education and community integration has resulted in recognition from the Iowa State Corrections Association, the Governor's Office and the American Corrections Association as a unique and exemplary program. One full-time staff member is assigned to this program. Services Seed Planters® Training & Development Program This is a relatively new program for the Center in the past two years and a shift from our focus on direct services. Seed Planters® uses research, activity based learning to facilitate needed changes in individuals, small groups and organizations. In FY04, our focus was on schools, businesses and faith-based organizations with approximately 2,250 individuals receiving services through this program. In educational settings, these services have been shown to improve school attendance and academic progress. For businesses, services are customized to meet identified needs of the organization and its employees. We have developed a product line that puts these tools in the hands of those who are building the future of their own organization. We are helping to "plant seeds that help people grow." Increased demands for these services required additional staff, with three full-time staff members currently assigned to this program. Transitional Services to Correctional Consumers with a Mental Illness For the past three years, we have provided a range of mental health services to individuals incarcerated in our State's prison system through a grant from the Iowa Department of Human Services. Commonly known as reentry programs, we have found that early planning for these individual's eventual return to the community has been key to the success of this program. Services provided include initial evaluations, medication monitoring, assistance in locating housing, providing transportation and other related services. In FY04, one full-time staff member provided services to 51 individuals. This grant funded program is scheduled to end on September 30, 2005. Services Elderly Services Since 1989, we have been providing a variety of mental health services to individuals over the age of 60 who are at risk of placement in a more restrictive environment as a result of untreated mental health problems. In collaboration with over 45 other agencies working with Hawkeye Valley Area Agency on Aging’s Frail Elderly Case Management Program, we have provided initial evaluations, individual therapy, medication management, education, information and referral services, coordination of care and other related services. In FY04, we provided services to 45 individuals in this program and, given the aging of our population, we anticipate that the demands for this service will continue to grow. One part-time staff member is currently providing these services. Women's Co-Occurring Disorders Program Through a grant from the First Judicial Department of Correctional Services and in collaboration with Pathways Behavioral Services, we have been providing integrated treatment for women with co-occurring disorders (mental health and substance abuse) who are under the supervision of the Department of Correctional Services. The goal of this program is to help these women establish a law-abiding lifestyle with a stabilized mental health condition that is free from chemical dependency. The services provided include evaluation, individual, group and family therapy, medication monitoring, education, community integration and other related services. In FY04, there were 42 women served by one full-time staff member. Patient Assistance Program With the development of newer, more effective medications to treat various mental health problems coupled with the large number of individuals who need medication but do not have the financial resources nor insurance coverage to obtain these medications, the Center was fortunate to hire a full-time Patient Assistance Coordinator with funding from the Black Hawk County Central Point of Coordination Office. There are currently close to 1,000 individuals receiving either sample medication(s) or free medication(s) from the pharmaceutical companies’ Patient Assistance Programs. In FY04, the cost of these medications, provided by pharmaceutical representatives and their company programs, totaled just under $3 million. With the growing number of uninsured or underinsured individuals, we anticipate that this program will continue to grow in the future as the recognition that alleviation of symptoms can be successful, with a combination of medication and other supportive services. Consultation and Education Services As outlined in our original Articles of Incorporation, "promoting mental health education and training…" has been a service that we have provided to the community since 1950. In this program we offer education and consultation services to individuals, groups, agencies, organizations and the general community about mental health related issues. In FY04, formal presentations were made to well over 500 individuals and organizations including Pathways Behavioral Services, the Waterloo Human Rights Commission, Cedar Falls Rotary and classes at the University of Northern Iowa. Center staff provide informal consultations with various agency representatives on a daily basis. Professional Training Program For many years, the Center has provided educational experiences to those enrolled in higher education programs. These experiences range from brief encounters, e.g. the residents from Northeast Iowa Family Practice Center to structured internships lasting several months, e.g. Masters in Social Work students from the University of Northern Iowa. As our need for space to provide clinical services continues to be limited, we have had to restrict the number of students we are able to accommodate each year. Services Therapeutic Community Project With funding from the Edward J. Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program, the Center has been involved in a collaborative project with the Department of Human Services, Pathways Behavioral Services and the Family Services League for the past four years. This project seeks to address the mental health, chemical dependency and domestic abuse issues involved with high risk families referred to the Department of Human Services as a result of child abuse referrals. By identifying and addressing these problems through an integrated approach with services available on-site, it has been our hope that there will be fewer Terminations of Parental Rights and improved family functioning. In FY04, we worked with approximately 45 families and well over 100 individuals who were involved in this project. One full-time staff member is assigned to this project. Friends of Black Hawk - Grundy Mental Health Center Since 1990, the Friends of Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center have been involved in fund raising to "provide education of the public and financial support for the promotion and delivery of mental health services to the residents of Black Hawk and Grundy Counties in the State of Iowa". In the past year, the Friends group provided $500 in funding for those clients unable to afford the co-pays for prescribed medications. Fiscal Year 2004 Statistics Referral Information Youth 260 Adults 1,400 Caseload Information 0-17 years 432 or 13% 18-59 years 2,678 or 79% 60+ years 267 or 8% Clinical Services Diagnostic Evaluations 2,125 Individual Therapy Sessions 13,907 Outreach Visits 4,329 Group Therapy Sessions 2,485 Medication Management Sessions 2,438 Missed/Cancelled Appointments 6,661 Black Hawk - Grundy Mental Health Center Fiscal Year 2004 Audited Financial Statement (July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004) Revenue Source Amount (percent of total) Fees $1,036,796 Black Hawk County 1,033,095 Federal/State Grants 367,613 Interest Income 68,015 Other Counties/State Payment Program 46,774 Grundy County 41,952 Net Unrealized Gain 28,379 Realized Loss on Investments (10,489) Other Income 5,140 Gifts 4,188 Net Assets Released from Restrictions 67,138 Total Public Support and Revenues $2,688,601 Expenses Amount (percent of total) Program and Services $2,185,679 (83.7%) Support Services 422,738 (16%) Fund Raising 2,386 Total Expenses $2,610,803 Black Hawk - Grundy Mental Health Center 3251 W. Ninth Street Waterloo, IA 50702 P. 319.234.2893 P. 800.583.1526 F. 319.234.0354 www.bhgmhc.com |
