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Supervisors rekindle debate over making patient advocate full-time as funding, CSN database remain unsettled
Summary
Dubuque County supervisors discussed making a previously approved patient advocate position full-time amid reports of about 281 open committal cases, conflicting funding routes (ECR vs. ASO) and a disputed $2,500 access fee for the CSN database; the board asked for more information before acting.
Chair and supervisors revisited a prior unanimous vote to make the county patient advocate position full-time contingent on funding, after Wayne said the advocate is managing roughly "281 open committal cases" and that 29 hours per week is insufficient.
"We have almost 300... when an individual has to serve 281 people dealing with mental health situations," Wayne said, arguing the role should be implemented now and that funding now appears to be available through the ASO.
Other supervisors said the earlier vote tied full-time status to funding from the East Central Region (ECR), and that the ECR no longer exists. "If the position warranted being full time... the ECR is no longer in existence. The ASO is in existence," Wayne said.
Supervisors also debated a feature called CSN. A staff member noted CSN is currently listed in the patient advocate's job description and would require a $2,500 payment to continue next fiscal year; Wayne and others called CSN "controversial" and said local use is limited. One supervisor said the county cannot budget for mental-health expenses unless other departments use the platform; another suggested other county departments might adopt it to change that classification.
Chelsea (staff) provided minutes and email excerpts from prior meetings for reference and the board discussed whether the CSN requirement could be removed from the job description if the county is not being reimbursed. Chair said the CSN portion could be deferred until a July 1 budget decision, and supervisors agreed more information on ASO funding and CSN usage was needed before taking action.
The board did not reverse the prior vote during the meeting; it directed staff to gather clarifying documentation, review the job description language and report back. No new resolution or hiring action was approved at the session.
The next procedural step is to collect confirmatory budget and funding details (ASO correspondence, precise CSN cost and whether any other county departments will use the system) before the July 1 budget cycle decision.
