Changes to county mental health boards sought

The Health and Human Services Committee heard testimony Jan. 19 on a bill designed to broaden the pool of professionals eligible to serve on county mental health boards.

LB111, sponsored by Grand Island Sen. Mike Gloor, would remove a current requirement that one member be a psychiatric social worker and add a position for a licensed independent mental health practitioner.

County mental health boards are charged with assessing the mental health status of individuals placed in emergency protective custody.

Gloor said the suggested change would reflect recent developments in licensure language for mental health professionals. The term psychiatric social worker is outdated, he said, and the designation of licensed independent mental health practitioner is relatively new.

Such practitioners are qualified to diagnose and treat major mental health disorders, Gloor said, and are valuable resources in rural areas where mental health resources are scarce. Allowing them to serve would ensure the integrity of county mental health boards, he said.

“We need to be able to use every possible resource,” Gloor said.

Anne Buettner of the Nebraska Association of Marriage and Family Therapy supported the bill, saying it would increase by almost 800 the number of individuals eligible to serve on county mental health boards.

Many rural counties lack qualified mental health professionals to serve on the boards, Buettner said, and must contract with individuals from other counties. This increases hearing delays and adds travel costs to the board’s expenses, she said.

Terry Werner of the Nebraska chapter of the National Association of Social Workers also testified in support of the bill, even though it would mean losing one position on county boards currently designated for social workers.

“This should be about what is best for Nebraska and not a turf war,” he said.

There was no opposition testimony and the committee took no immediate action on the bill.