Linn supervisors approve first round of MHDD cuts

CEDAR RAPIDS - Linn County supervisors formally adopted the first of more than $5 million in cuts to services for mental health and the developmentally disabled (MHDD) needed to balance this year's budget.

The board approved the plan proposed last week by the county's MHDD Advisory Board. Most of the planned savings will come by shifting about 90 residents with mental illness from the Abbe Center for Community Care in Marion to smaller group homes.

The measures approved on Wednesday include layoffs at Options, the county's sheltered workshop program for the developmentally disabled, and in a program that manages Social Security payments for some county residents. The group-home moves will be brought to supervisors next week.

The MHDD administrative cuts approved include:

]Reducing one part-time intake staff position: $29,100 savings this year.

Leaving a position open: $12,188

At Options:

Leaving open one full-time and one part-time management position: $104,385.

Eliminate supported employment, clients placed with other providers: $72,950.

Discontinue enclave services, transfer clients elsewhere and reduce 3.6 full-time-equivalent positions: $65,500.

Discontinue protected payee services (Social Security Administration orders a third party to manage Social Security payments for recipients who can't for themselves), transfer clients to other services: $67,000.

In addition to $439,423 savings this year, the cuts will save $287,923 in the fiscal year starting next July.