Polk County residents urge supervisors to save Broadlawns PATH program as state funding shift ends service on Dec. 31

Polk County residents, program staff and family members urged the Polk County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to find a way to preserve Broadlawns’ PATH program after county behavioral health staff said state funding realignment will require the service to end on Dec. 31.

The PATH program — Positive Alternatives To the Hospital — provides team-based, wraparound support for people with serious mental-health and substance-use challenges. “It’s my hope that the board of supervisors can work together with Broadlawns to find a way to keep this program open during difficult economic and social times,” said Tracy Lepeltak, a West Des Moines resident who described PATH’s help for her adult son.

County officials told the board the state reorganized funding for developmental and mental-health supports about four years ago and has moved many services to district-level contracts. Annie Yoots of Polk County’s Behavioral Health and Disability Services said the state offered a six-month transition window and that PATH and several other county-unique services must be transitioned to statewide options by Dec. 31. “This service will no longer be available after December 31,” Yoots said.

Why it matters: PATH teams hold small caseloads and provide in-person, ongoing outreach and practical supports — housing help,…