The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and county mental health authorities in Southwest/Central Minnesota share a common goal in serving persons with serious mental illness. A taskforce has been meeting for the past 18 months to explore creative and collaborative ways to meet the needs of people seeking treatment form the Willmar Regional Treatment Center. The Southwest/Central Results Initiative is a partnership comprised of 22 county mental health authorities and the DHS. This initiative aims to reshape the State-Operated Services (SOS) residential-based and community-based networks of mental health services into a more seamless system. The overall goal is to ensure the right amount of service, at the right time, in the most appropriate, least restrictive setting. The intiative also aims to keep care as close to home as possible, to balance consumer choice with community safety, and to do so in a cost-effective manner. Four areas addressed by the redesigned system are crisis services, intensive residential services, supportive residential services, and wellness and consumer satisfaction including acute inpatient hospital level of care. Project leads have been assigned to each of these areas to plan, develop and implement services. These leads will conduct consumer focus groups, stakeholders meetings and other public forums to get input. If you would like to participate in any groups or committees, please contact Paul Heyl at (320) 231-5954.
