Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center
Intended Use Plan


1. Provide a brief description of the provider organization receiving PATH funds
including name, type of organization, services provided by the organization
and region served.
Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center, Inc., here to refer to as BHGMHC, is
a community mental health center serving Black Hawk and Grundy Counties in
the State of Iowa. The Center currently provides a wide range of community
based treatment services to residents of our catchment’s area ranging from mental
health services to at-risk youth in the school to mental health outreach services to
the elderly. BHGMHC is located in Waterloo, Iowa. Waterloo is the County seat
of Black Hawk County.
2. Indicate the amount of federal PATH funds the organization will receive.
$61,570.00
3. Describe the organization's plan to provide coordinated and comprehensive
services to eligible PATH clients, including:
a. The projected number of clients who will receive PATH-funded
services in FY 2007-2008. Indicate what percentage of clients served
with PATH funds are projected to be "literally" homeless (i.e., living
outdoors or in an emergency shelter rather than at imminent risk of
homelessness. (See page 11 for definition of “imminent risk of
homelessness”);
The BHGMHC PATH program plans to serve a minimum of 150 persons in FY
2007-2008 of which at least 50% shall be literally homeless.
b. List services to be provided, using PATH funds (see pages 4 and 5,
above, for PATH eligible services);
The BHGMHC PATH program plans to provide the following services: Mental
health evaluation and treatment, outreach, medication and symptom monitoring,
assistance in locating housing, security deposit assistance, applying for benefits,
accessing needed community services, information and referral, education,
advocacy and other related services. Given the difficulties this populating
experiences in accessing community services, e.g. medical services, social
services, etc. as well as the ability to pay for the medications necessary to treat
their mental illnesses, we are allocating funds for bus tickets and medications in
this year’s proposed budget.
c. Community organizations that provide key services (e.g., primary health,
mental health, substance abuse, housing, and employment) to PATH
eligible clients and describe the coordination with those organizations;
BHGMHC PATH program works closely with People’s Community Health
Clinic to meet the physical health needs of PATH clients. PATH clients with
substance abuse problems are referred to Horizons Chemical Dependency Unit
and Pathways Behavior Care. Emergency shelter is provided the Salvation Army
and the Catholic Worker House. Housing needs will be met by referring
individuals to Community Housing Initiatives for Permanent and Temporary
housing programs, YWCA and the Salvation Army Men’s Transition House for
transitional housing, Eastside Ministerial Alliance, Jesse Cosby Community
Center, Salvation Army, and St. Vincent DePaul for rental assistance.
Employment needs are addressed through Workforce Development and Iowa
Dept. of Vocational Rehabilitation Services for PATH consumers.
d. Gaps in current service systems;
Current gaps in the service system include a lack of safe affordable housing, a
need for increased utility assistance, limited bus hours and routes, and the
difficulties of persons who are waiting upon a decision or hearing from SSA who
do not have family or friends to help them.
e. Services available for clients who have both a serious mental illness and
substance use disorder;
BHGMHC PATH staff work closely with both Pathways Behavioral Care and
Horizon’s Chemical Dependency Unit. Horizon’s Chemical Dependency Unit
sponsors a dual diagnosis AA/NA meeting 1 time per week.
f. Strategies for making suitable housing available to PATH clients (e.g.,
indicate the type of housing usually provided and the name of the agency
that provides such housing);
BHGMHC PATH staff use the revolving security deposit funds, which is allowed
through the PATH grant, to assist consumer with getting into appropriate housing.
Transitional housing is provided through Community Housing Initiatives,
Waterloo Salvation Army Men’s Transition House, the House of Hope, and the
Waterloo YWCA. Rent assistance is provided by the Black Hawk County
Community Services and dispersed through Eastside Ministerial Alliance and the
Jesse Cosby Community Center.
4. Describe the participation of PATH local providers in the HUD Continuum of
Care program and any other local planning, coordinating or assessment activities.
BHGMHC PATH staff attend and participate in all Black Hawk County Local
Homeless Coordinating Board meetings and Iowa Council on Homelessness
meetings, which are held every other month. BHGMHC PATH staff has sat on ad
hoc committees for prisoner reentry, shelter plus care development committee,
and Hunger and Homeless week campout committee.
5. Describe: (a) the demographics of the client population; (b) the demographics
of the staff serving the clients; (c) how staff providing services to the target
population will be sensitive to age; gender and racial/ethnics differences of
clients; and (d) the extent to which staff receive periodic training in cultural
competence. (See Appendix H: “SAMHSA Guidelines for Cultural
Competence.”)
Black Hawk County has a total population of 119,200. Much of Black Hawk
County is rural but a substantial portion of the population lives in the
Waterloo/Cedar Falls metropolitan area that has a population of 66,302. In SFY
2005-2006 the BHGMHC PATH program enrolled 157 clients of which 61%
were white, 31% African American, 3% Hispanic/Latino, 1.5 % Native American,
1.5% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 40% male, and 60% female.
BHGMHC PATH staff are 2 Caucasian males. BHGMHC PATH staff are
sensitive to age, gender, and racial/ethnic differences of clients through regular
diversity and cultural competence training. Both BHGMHC PATH staff has a
significant history of working effectively in this diverse community and have
demonstrated sensitivity to cultural and racial differences.
6. Describe how persons who are homeless and have serious mental illnesses and
any family members will be involved at the organizational level in the
planning, implementation, and evaluation of PATH-funded services. Also,
are persons who are PATH-eligible employed as staff or as volunteers? Do
persons who are PATH-eligible serve on governing or formal advisory
boards?
Persons who are homeless and have serious mental illnesses, along with any
family members, are encouraged to become involved at the organizational level
for planning, implementation, and evaluation through the Black Hawk-Grundy
Mental Health Center Mental Health Recovery Center as both staff and
volunteers. This center allows persons with serious mental illness to give peer
support to others who have the same issues as well as become involved in
planning and evaluation of the local mental health system. At this time one past
homeless individual, who lives in Black Hawk County, is a member of the Iowa
Mental Health Planning Council.
To publicly comment on the Black Hawk-Grundy Mental Health Center PATH
Program you can e-mail Homeless Coordinator Dave Mueterthies at
dmueterthies@bhgmhc.com or Iowa DHS state PATH administrator Lila Starr at
lstarr@dhs.state.ia.us. For more information on the Black Hawk-Grundy Mental
Health Center PATH program go to www.bhgmhc.com and click on homeless
services.