Lincoln County raises pay for qualified mental health professionals to $130 an hour
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Summary
The commission set the county reimbursement rate for qualified mental health professionals at $130 per hour, citing unchanged pay since 2020 and the heavy caseload and hours these contractors provide for involuntary commitment evaluations.
The Lincoln County Commission voted Feb. 10 to set the hourly reimbursement rate for qualified mental health professionals (QMHPs) at $130.
Deputy state's attorney Joe Meter explained that South Dakota law requires the state's attorney’s office to represent individuals in involuntary commitment proceedings and that QMHPs provide the expert opinions courts rely on. Meter said the county has not adjusted QMHP pay "since 2020," creating a need to update the rate.
Megan Bush, alternate co‑chair of the Minnehaha Lincoln County Board of Mental Illness, described QMHP duties: visiting facilities, reviewing medical records, speaking to physicians and collateral witnesses, and producing reports that inform the board and courts. She said that in 2025 Lincoln County handled 825 mental‑illness cases and characterized QMHPs as working long and unpredictable hours, sometimes starting before 6 a.m. and continuing into the evening.
Commissioners questioned whether insurers cover QMHP tasks and whether increases should be more frequent; Bush said medical components may be billed to insurance but the board’s payments to QMHPs are for their time and are not insurance‑reimbursed. Commissioners also suggested the mental‑illness board consider an annual review process to avoid large, infrequent jumps.
The motion to adopt the $130 rate carried by roll call (four votes in favor, one opposed). The commission did not specify any retroactive pay or an implementation timetable in the public record during the meeting.