Committee recommends appointment of Jerry Wilson to Barry County Community Mental Health board after interview

Following a public interview, the Barry County Committee of the Whole voted July 15 to recommend appointing Jerry Wilson to the Barry County Community Mental Health Authority Board for a three-year term beginning April 1, 2025, and expiring March 31, 2028.

Wilson told commissioners he holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in social work and a Ph.D. in higher education administration, and that he has about 45 years of experience in mental health administration. He described forming a mental health foundation in Cass County in 1991 that operates group homes and mental-health facilities and said the foundation owns three group homes, two commercial buildings used for mental-health services and has “assets of about 2 and a half million.”

Commissioners asked about Wilson’s familiarity with current state-level changes in mental-health funding and policy. Wilson said he has been out of direct administration “for a while” and was not current on recent funding mechanism changes, but he emphasized he did not come to the board with a personal agenda and said his intent was to support county mental-health services.

Commissioners generally praised Wilson’s experience. Commissioner Bassett asked about current state issues; Commissioner Colton and others asked about the main challenges in mental-health work; Wilson cited funding, external regulation and public attitudes toward mental illness and substance-use disorders. Commissioner Hatfield asked whether Wilson understood the difference between board policy roles and administrative duties; Wilson said he did.

The motion to appoint Wilson — moved by Commissioner Bassett and supported by Commissioner Campbell — was read into the record and the committee voted in favor. The committee will forward the recommendation to the full Board of Commissioners for final appointment.