Task force reviews mental health proposals

pressreporter@thefranklinpress.com

The mental health schools subcommittee has received two proposals for a prospective school-based mental health services provider for Macon County Schools according to Kathy McGaha of the mental health task force.

McGaha, the director of Healthy Carolinians of Macon County, presented the information at the Macon County mental health task force meeting Nov. 21 in Franklin.

Developing youth access to mental health services was identified as one of the priority needs in the task force's report submitted to the board of commissioners July 14.

During the process of developing its report, the mental health committee initially examined a school-based mental health services program in Jackson County that they referenced as one of the regional models.

Macon's task force later formed a school-based mental health subcommittee to further explore the possibility of offering mental health services in Macon County Schools and to study other models.

The school-based mental health subcommittee later met with the Board of Education and county manager Jack Horton to discuss the prospective project.

They then developed and published Request for Proposals (RFPs), the deadline for which was Nov. 20.

McGaha said the subcommittee is now in the process of reviewing the proposals and will have a further update for the task force's December 19 meeting.

Haywood psychiatric unit opens

Mental health task force co-chair Jane Kimsey announced that Haywood Regional Hospital's inpatient psychiatric unit had opened Monday, Nov. 17. It will provide 16 beds for adult mental health patients in the region.

Kimsey also announced that the proposed Macon Drop-in Center endeavor led by Smoky Mountain has been put on hold due to funding.

During its next meeting, the mental health task force will finalize recommendations for the Healthy Carolinians status report, which they will then bring to the board of commissioners.

In July, commissioners allocated $6,000 to fund a continuation of the mental health committee process led by Healthy Carolinians of Macon County (HCMC), to develop an implementation plan and an outline for what future services are needed in Macon County and the estimated cost for those services.

The next meeting of the mental health task force will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, Dec. 19 at Angel Medical Center.