News Service Spotlight: Collaborative Support Team

Since August 2013, a dedicated group of providers has been meeting to discuss and support individuals in our community that have complex needs. They are known as the Collaborative Support Team (CST).

CST is an interconnected, multi-agency continuum of services providing support for individuals experiencing mental health symptoms or who have developmental disability needs with frequent admissions to the community hospitals, emergency rooms, and jail. Individuals provide consent for the collaboration but are not present during the consultation. CST works toward coordination of care providing input for treatment plans on referred individuals.

CST’s shared visions are that their collaboration will create a community of support for individuals receiving community support services that have complex mental health and/or development disability needs to build a network of support and hope for each individual’s future.

One of the barriers they seek to address is the need to assist individuals with challenging and difficult behaviors and symptoms to share their voice when they transition from one provider to another or from the provider to a hospital setting.

Through shared information and open collaboration, the team is able to brainstorm solutions for individuals with complex needs.

Eligibility: Referrals can be made if the following eligibility requirements are met:

• Individual resides in a county in the Southwest Iowa MHDS Region.
• Individual has a mental health diagnosis or developmental disability.
• A professional indicates inclusion in CST would divert an individual from multiple uses of high acuity services.
  or
• Currently under Committal Order for 229 or Dual 229/125
  or
• Frequent admissions to hospitals for mental health care.
  or
• Frequent visits to emergency rooms.
  or
• Repeat incarcerations.
  or
• Significant risk of continued service engagement.

Who can make a referral?

• Integrated Health Homes Providers (IHH).
• Assertive Community Treatment Providers (ACT)
• Case Managers
• Service Coordinators
• Hospitals
• Community Mental Health Centers
• Community-Based Providers

According to Mary-Beth Roskens, Intake and Referral Coordinator at the SWIA MHDS Region, “by collaborating as a group, we are better able to identify service and placement options for individuals that will help them be successful in a community-based setting. The commitment of each team member is essential and appreciated by everyone involved in the process.”

CST is currently collaborating to assist with the needs of 17 individuals. 13 individuals are now in HCBS settings, 3 in group care, and one seeking HCBS placement. CST is comprised of 20 team members from a variety of agencies including Hospitals, Homeless Services, Crisis Services, Advocacy Group, Behavioral Health Coach, Therapist, Case Management, Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), Community Support Agencies, Corrections, and Southwest Iowa MHDS Regional staff.

When asked what he thought about the CST process, Jason Wagner (Amerigroup MCO Case Manager) who is a member of the CST team responded that “I am a big fan! The Southwest Iowa MHDS Region and their Community Support Team (CST) have been essential in helping Amerigroup members commit to changes in their lives. The CST meetings are very pro-active meetings that look at implementation of plans and make revisions as we need for individual specific treatment. The team has been essential in ensuring members have access to services, follow through with treatment recommendations and providing a support team for each member. The CST team has been addressing gaps in care and often times brings so many together to see problematic behavior in new ways.”

Wagner informed the Region that he has felt included in the CST team and that each of these meetings seem focused on ways to activate hope again for very complex members. “I can think of two instances where multiple members of the team have come together to share ideas and be a part of the potential new behaviors we are seeking from our members," stated Wagner.

If you would like to refer an individual for review by CST:

• Request an authorization form by contacting mroskens@swiamhds.org
• Complete the authorization form with your client and return it to: 515 5th Ave, Room 113, Council Bluffs, IA 51503; or email to mroskens@swiamhds.org

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