331.390 Regional governance structure.

1. The counties comprising a mental health and disability services region shall enter into an agreement under chapter 28E to form a regional administrator under the control of a governing board to function on behalf of those counties.

2. The governing board shall comply with all of the following requirements:

a. The voting membership of the governing board shall consist of at least one board of supervisors member from each county comprising the region or their designees.

b. The membership of the governing board shall also include one individual who utilizes mental health and disability services or is an actively involved relative of such an individual. This member shall be designated by the advisory committee or committees formed by the governing board pursuant to this section. The member designated in accordance with this paragraph shall serve in a nonvoting, ex officio capacity.

c. The membership of the governing board shall not include employees of the department of human services.

d. The membership of the governing board shall also consist of one member representing service providers in the region. This member shall be designated by the advisory committee or committees formed by the governing board pursuant to this section. The member designated in accordance with this paragraph shall serve in a nonvoting, ex officio capacity.

e. The governing board shall have a regional advisory committee consisting of individuals who utilize services or actively involved relatives of such individuals, service providers, and regional governing board members.

3. a. The regional administrator shall be under the control of the governing board. The regional administrator shall enter into performance-based contracts with the department in accordance with section 225C.4, subsection 1, paragraph “u”, for the regional administrator to manage, on behalf of the counties comprising the region, the mental health and disability services that are not funded by the medical assistance program under chapter 249A and for coordinating with the department the provision of mental health and disability services that are funded under the medical assistance program.

b. The regional administrator staff shall include one or more coordinators of disability services. A coordinator shall possess a bachelor’s or higher level degree in a human services-related or administration-related field, including but not limited to social work, psychology, nursing, or public or business administration, from an accredited college or university. However, in lieu of a degree in public or business administration, a coordinator may provide documentation of relevant management experience. An action of a coordinator involving a clinical decision shall be made in conjunction with a professional who is trained in the delivery of the mental health or disability service addressed by the clinical decision. The regional administrator shall determine whether referral to a coordinator of disability services is required for a person seeking to access a service through a local access point of the regional service system.

2012 Acts, ch 1120, §33, 37, 39; 2013 Acts, ch 30, §74, 75

Referred to in §225C.4, 331.389