By Sara Quam
Rock County is quickly finding alternate sources for emergency shelter care since Bridgeway closed its doors April 11.
Bridgeway was a facility in Fulda that took in children ages 0 to 18. Family Services is working on an agreement with local foster families to fill the void.
The Rock County Board of Commissioners heard an update on the situation during their Tuesday meeting.
Rock County was scheduled to pay $31,448 to Bridgeway this year in monthly installments and has paid what it owed for the three months it used the services.
Last year, children placed by Rock County spent less than 200 days total there.
Southwest Mental Health Board voted to close the facility based on concerns that grew over a long period of time. Staff wasn't able to deal with some of the extreme behaviors or mental health needs of the children placed there. Also, with such a broad range of ages under the same care, the board was concerned about safety issues.
Rock County Commissioner Jane Wildung serves on the mental health board.
Family Services is trying to make arrangements with some of the eight foster care families in the county who might be able to care for any age children on an emergency basis.
They would receive compensation based on Difficulty of Care points and might receive a weekly payment for being on call and carrying a beeper.
Emergency foster or shelter care is used only when the child is a danger or is in danger. If an actual crime has been committed, the child goes to a juvenile detention facility.
Family Services Director Randy Ehlers said, "It's a short-term solution when there is an unusual situation - placement is generally up to a week."
Three families in Rock County have said they are willing to take in the emergency cases. Those licensed providers are capable of administering medication that children may be prescribed.
Ehlers said, "There may be some instances where a child's behavior is more than the family can handle."
In those instances, the nearest emergency shelter managed by professionals is in Willmar.
Corrections safety
The security of the county's corrections agent, Cathy Rockman, has been an ongoing issue.
Rockman is sometimes alone on the third floor of the courthouse, with no full-time staff to assist her and no secure entrance. The issue of her safety was brought to light during a recent incident.
She has a panic button that alerts the Law Enforcement Center, but as a corrections agent, she deals with people going through the criminal justice system.
"I'm not paranoid enough to not do my job," Rockman said to the board in clarification. But she, as well as other personnel, would like some additional security measures taken to ensure her safety.
In Nobles County, for instance, corrections is behind locked doors and security is a priority.
Nobles Rock Community Corrections Director Jay Klein said, "The people we're dealing with are a different quality than what we've dealt with before."
The issue of the office being secure was addressed in plans for a new Law Enforcement Center that was voted down this fall.
The board will continue looking into surveillance, entrance options or relocating the corrections office.
"I think it's gone on too long," Commissioner Ken Hoime said.
Klein said, "We have an obligation, when there's a well-recognized safety issue, to do something about it."
Anticipating the worst is part of making the solution a sure one. "It's not that the majority of my clients make me feel uncomfortable," Rockman said.