Report: Close Mount Pleasant mental health institute

A top state official on Monday recommended the closure of the mental health institution in Mount Pleasant over three other state facilities.

Department of Human Services Director Charles Krogmeier submitted his proposal to shut down the 79-bed facility and move all the services there to the mental health institute in Independence.

Lawmakers required the department to recommend closure of one of the facilities as they looked to cut costs.

Krogmeier said he decided to close the one in Mount Pleasant because it would cause the least economic fallout for staff and the community and the least disruption for families and patients. He said part of the loss to the community could be offset if legislators choose to expand the prison there.

The facility has 108 employees and an operational budget of $8.8 million, the second-smallest. Mount Pleasant also has the smallest unit for adult psychiatric services with 14 beds. Built in 1861, the Mount Pleasant institution is Iowa's oldest.

“The quality of service at the MHI in Mount Pleasant is beyond question, and I want everyone to know that this recommendation is no reflection whatsoever on the dedication and expertise of our staff, which is outstanding,” Krogmeier said.

Other mental health institutes are located in Cherokee and Clarinda.

A least one key lawmaker has said if they choose to close a facility, they do not expect a closure of one of the institutions in the 2011 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

A special task force to study the issue has said they do not believe an MHI should be closed until community-based mental health services are beefed up around the state.