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Region 4 South outlines crisis, ACT and AMHI services; ACT labeled 'high risk' by state review
Summary
Kesha Anderson, administrator for the Region 4 South mental health consortium, told the Stevens County Board that the five-county mobile crisis team serves roughly 30–45 new clients a month, the ACT team operates on a roughly $1.2 million annual budget and was recently designated a high-risk program requiring extra oversight, and AMHI funding remains a two-year formula award.
Kesha Anderson, administrator of the Region 4 South mental health consortium, gave the board its annual update on regional behavioral-health programs, saying the five-county mobile crisis team is a 24/7 program that “serves about 30 to 45 new clients a month.” Anderson said the team responds in emergency rooms, jails, schools and community settings.
Anderson described the ACT (assertive community treatment) team as a multi-disciplinary, billable program with about nine in-house employees and an annual budget “right around $1,200,000 a year.” She said ACT is typically self-sustaining through billing, but the program was recently identified by a Minnesota fraud review as a high-risk program. “We had to do some different steps and applications over the last couple months,” Anderson said, and staff completed an on-site visit and paperwork; she added the region received an official revalidation letter the previous Thursday.
That high-risk designation, Anderson warned, can lead to administrative delays: payments may be held for up to three months if auditors flag concerns, though she said that has not happened to the region yet. Board members pressed about staffing and the on-call rotation; Anderson said the region uses an employer-of-record contract and keeps roughly 22 staff active by assigning two shifts a month to remain eligible.
On AMHI (Adult Mental Health Initiative) funding, Anderson said awards are made on a two-year budget cycle and the next application window is imminent: “That application will be coming out in 2 to 3 weeks,” she said, and she will collect vendor submissions. She noted the consortium increased funding for housing and created a new transportation program in the most recent budget breakdown.
Anderson also summarized training work: the region provided CIT (crisis intervention training) refreshers for law enforcement and earlier ran a full 40-hour CIT course for officers across the counties. She closed by noting the consortium had moved offices after a flood and has just completed repairs.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; Anderson said she would return with any grant-application materials as needed.
