By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
CASSOPOLIS – Cass County commissioners Thursday reaffirmed 13-2 proceeding with an Oct. 1 transfer from the Lakeshore Coordinating Council to Kalamazoo County Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
Dowagiac Commissioner John Cureton offered a resolution to rescind an October 2005 action which requested that all state and federal funds allocated to the LCC in Grand Haven for substance abuse treatment and prevention be transferred to Kalamazoo.
Further, that Cass County's relationship with the LCC be maintained as it has been for more than a decade.
It lost 13-2, supported only by Cureton and David Taylor, D-Edwardsburg, who are Cass County's liaisons to the LCC.
Chairman Robert Wagel called Donald Allen from the state Department of Community Health (MDCH), to the lectern.
Reading from his March 12 letter, Allen said he attempted to "clarify some confusion I was made aware of."
"As you are aware, I informed you in a letter dated Jan. 12, 2007, that the department had decided to approve the designation of KCMHSAS for Cass County substance abuse services effective Oct. 1, 2007. Please be advised that the decision to designate (Kalamazoo) as the coordinating agency has not been reversed. Please be advised that the department received a letter from John Cureton indicating that the Cass County board was likely to rescind its original approval of the designation. In response to this letter, the department wrote to Mr. Cureton and explained that any vote to rescind the county's earlier authorization would need to be communicated to the department by the end of March.
"Should – and I underscore the word – the department reconsider the designation … nor should it be considered as an indication that the department will reverse … the decision to make a designation is multi-faceted and not totally dependent on the actions of county commissioners. The department's position is to review requests for designation in a comprehensive manner. Bear in mind that the provision of client services is a key factor in making such a determination. Accordingly, the provision of client services is a guiding principle of the department. The department will determine whether the citizens of the county will benefit from the designation or redesignation."
"Isn't it interesting" Cureton asked, "that the approval was granted in January, just days after word got out that we were possibly going to rescind the action? After sitting on it for 15 months, the state makes that approval. Is that coincidence?"
Allen answered, "Mr. Cureton, I don't find it at all interesting … I just took over this position in June of last year. I wasn't there for 15 months, so what you seem to be implying is not particularly interesting to me.
"The primary consideration of a designation or redesignation of a coordinating agency is how that will impact citizens and make sure they receive services the state is responsible for providing. Nothing in your resolution that I can recall had to do with actual delivery of services. It spoke to things like retaining the relationship" with the LCC.
While Johnie Rodebush ultimately voted for aligning with Kalamazoo, the Howard Township Democrat admitted, "It troubles me a little bit that the state decides what's best for us. That's like Washington or Lansing trying to tell us how to prepare a meal when they're not in the kitchen."
"It would trouble me as well," Allen replied, adding, "I made reference to what the statute says. The Public Health Code says the department is responsible for making the designation or redesignation. It does not even deal with a role for the local community with regard to whether or not we should consider what a county commission like this says."
"That's what troubles me," Rodebush interjected.
Allen continued, "The reason we're here today is because I said in a prior letter that we'd be interested in what you guys have to say. It's not that we're divorced from your concerns. You're right. We're not 'in the kitchen' with you, so to speak. But we do listen – even though the statute doesn't require us to listen. It's not necessary that we look at one thing or another because it's a multi-faceted review."
KCMHSAS Director Jeff Patton grew up in Cass County between Jones and Vandalia, where he attended school and played basketball with Sheriff Joe Underwood.
Patton said, "I think I read that Kalamazoo was attempting to 'raid' other people's funds. I want to say, 'Please trust me.' I do not want to raid Cass County. I have a very special interest in Cass County. I worked in Cass County for the old CETA program and went to Southwestern Michigan College. I have roots here. Certainly I want to see the best for this county. We're not looking at trying to take money out of the county. In fact, we're looking to put more money in the county. We're not looking at managing from Kalamazoo. Woodlands has helped us on many occasions. I think that powerful relationship is going to carry forward."
"We're talking about transferring substance abuse services from the coordinating agency to your county organization, which is Woodlands Behavioral Healthcare," Patton said. "Our interest is no different than it was before. We have a wonderful affiliation with Woodlands," whose director, Kirt Carter, also attended.
"We are asking to put both funding streams together," Patton said. "Woodlands provides 95 to 96 percent of all of the services to the county now. It makes sense to us to manage both block grant dollars and Medicaid dollars for substance abuse, as well as the overall mental health dollars that they're managing. This county Board of Commissioners did make the request. It wasn't Kalamazoo that made the request to transfer.
"We're back here because there are some members, I guess, who want to reverse that decision. The Legislature and (MDCH) have an interest in integrating mental health and substance abuse services. Particularly when funding is getting more and more scarce, we look at efficiencies as much as we can and start consolidating various regions. We can better serve the people of southwest Michigan by realigning. Medicaid dollars can no longer be spent outside of Cass County. They have to go to Cass County, so we are subcapitating with Woodlands," Patton said.