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, transportation, benefits navigation, employment assistance and therapeutic services — that residents and staff said keeps clients out of emergency rooms, hospitals and jails. Speakers described long-term relationships with PATH and credited the program with improved stability, employment and fewer hospitalizations.

Clients and former clients told the board how PATH intervened in crises and supported recovery. “The PATH program essentially saved my life,” said Jim Audrey, who described his own history of addiction and crises and his later role as a peer support worker. Danita Anderson, a long-time program participant, told supervisors PATH staff “stuck by me through my drug addiction” and helped her remain housed and employed.

Julie Leffler, who retired after 33 years at Broadlawns and spent 30 years on PATH teams, said the program’s team model builds trust over years. She described clients who would have cycled through hospitalizations and jails but for sustained outreach: “Path means never having to be alone,” Leffler said.

County staff described the state-level changes and options the board discussed. Yoots said Polk County’s disability access and mental-health mobile crisis services were moved into district contracts (District 5 covers 14 counties under the new structure) and that the state is asking districts to eliminate services that cannot be standardized statewide. She said some services now on the elimination list include PATH-like integrated services, supported education (Easterseals), the REACH program at the University of Iowa, some employment supports, transportation for people with disabilities, Meals on Wheels, homemaker services and housing supports.

Budget and timeline details provided by staff: the county’s integrated service agencies program is approximately $5 million–$6 million in total; the state-directed transition to district contracts took effect July 1 and counties were given a six-month transition period ending Dec. 31 to move clients into statewide fee-for-service options. Yoots said the county is working with integrated service agencies to develop transition plans and that staff will continue outreach to the state to advocate for preserving specific services where possible.

Board members asked staff several on-the-spot questions about whether PATH could be designated a core county service, whether PATH could be reconstituted as a standalone nonprofit, and what items the state intends to eliminate. Supervisors repeatedly asked staff to provide a detailed list of services targeted for elimination and the county’s past funding amounts so the board can consider options. One supervisor said the board would explore whether PATH could be reformed as a nonprofit and whether Polk County could support such a transition without violating state funding rules.

Staff said they plan meetings with state leaders in August focused on transportation and housing supports — two items that recur across districts — and that county staff will provide a full list of the integrated services slated for elimination. The board did not take formal action to preserve PATH during the meeting; supervisors said they would schedule further briefings and follow-up with staff and state officials.

Community impact and next steps: speakers asked the board to consider immediate bridge funding, partnerships with Broadlawns, or helping PATH reconstitute as an independent nonprofit so its in-person, team-based services can continue for clients who may not qualify for the new statewide options. Yoots and other staff emphasized that the state’s fee-for-service schedule is intended to standardize care across rural and urban districts, but that some county-unique services will be difficult to scale statewide.

The board scheduled follow-up discussions with staff and said it would relay public comments and pursue additional information from state officials. No vote or ordinance was introduced during the meeting concerning PATH.