Linn County Mental Health Access Center reports steady demand, plans withdrawal-management opening April 1

Erin Foster, director of the Linn County Mental Health Access Center, told the Linn County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 15 that the center’s second-quarter fiscal 2025 report shows steady client demand, rising referrals from emergency departments and a plan to open a withdrawal-management program by April 1.

Foster said roughly 372 individuals walked into the access center during the quarter, and average triage time hovered around an hour. “Sometimes you’ll see triages take three to four hours,” she said, adding those are outliers when staff must dig into individual needs. She said the center’s second shift — roughly noon–8 p.m. — is the fastest-growing and busiest shift.

The nut graf: Foster framed the quarter around three priorities — EMS training and outreach, transition from behavioral-health regions to districts, and withdrawal-management planning — explaining why each matters to how the center receives and stabilizes people in crisis.

Foster described a new EMS training the center is delivering with law enforcement and fire partners to help transporting EMS agencies understand how to bring patients to the access center under a law change that went into effect July 1 allowing EMS to bill for transports to the center. Foster said the center co-trains using behavioral health and EMS language so first responders can field realistic scenarios and answer questions from their peers.

On statewide restructuring, Foster said the administrative services organization chosen to oversee behavioral health districts is an agency based in Des Moines rather than the center’s current region, and that the county has not yet received details on contracts or operations tied to that change. She said the state-level change takes effect July 1.

Foster gave an update on withdrawal-management planning: barring state delays, she said the center will open that program by April 1 and will apply for a temporary license from the state. She cautioned the licensing timeline can be affected by state backlog and holiday schedules.

On placements and referrals, Foster said stabilization placements were stable even as walk-ins dipped in December; percentage‑wise more walk‑ins were placed into beds than typical. She said the center received its highest number of referrals from local emergency departments this quarter, especially Cedar Rapids hospitals. Foster said law enforcement and EMS together provided roughly 55 referrals; about 20% of those individuals “would have gone to jail with law enforcement,” and about 47% “would have gone to the hospital,” by the center’s internal measures.

The center’s patient-reported outcomes remain positive, Foster said: above 90% of surveyed patients said staff were approachable, about 94% said they left with a plan, and about 80% said they would refer a friend or family member to the center. Foster also said roughly 20% of clients reported they would have done nothing had they not sought the center’s services, while about half said they would likely have called 911 or gone to an emergency room.

Board members praised the program. A supervisor told Foster the service has had an “immeasurable” ripple effect on families and the community. Foster said the center continues close partnerships with the Sixth Judicial District’s high-risk unit and probation officers, noting those officers sometimes bring people to the center as an introduction to available services.

The presentation included program-quality goals and next steps: continue EMS outreach and training, finalize details on the state behavioral-health transition, prepare and submit the withdrawal-management license application, and pursue quality-improvement work to reduce transfers to hospitals when voluntary care at the center would suffice.

Ending: Foster answered procedural questions from the board about partners and next presentations; the supervisors thanked staff and noted the center’s role in reducing strain on emergency departments and quickly connecting people to services.