March 5, 2003 -- NEWS RELEASE -- District 13 State Legislators
Rep. Al Juhnke, Willmar Sen. Dean Johnson, Willmar
651/296-6206
651/296-3826
JUHNKE, JOHNSON MEET REGARDING RE-USE OF WILLMAR RTC FACILITIES
Top Department of Human Services officials agreed to come up with a plan for future use of facilities at the Willmar Regional Treatment Center by April 29 after a meeting with Rep. Al Juhnke and Sen. Dean Johnson today.
"This is a major development," Juhnke said. "It means that the department will work with our community and other state agencies to make sure we don't end up with a big white elephant - and that many of the people currently working there would have a prospect of continued employment."
The Pawlenty Administration last month proposed to close most mental health programs at the state hospitals in Willmar, Ah-Gwah-Ching and Fergus Falls and move residents to community-based programs. Since then, Johnson and Juhnke have been talking to the Corrections Department and Veterans Home Board about potential re-use of the Willmar RTC facilities. The lawmakers met Wednesday with Mike Tessner, director of DHS' State-Operated Services unit.
"Up to now, DHS officials haven't been too willing to talk to the other agencies," Johnson said. "We thank Mr. Tessner for understanding Willmar's situation and coming around to our point of
view."
If the Governor's budget proposal is approved, most mental health programs would move out of the Willmar RTC by January 2005. Financially self-supporting "enterprise" programs, like chemical
dependency treatment, would continue to use the facility.
Juhnke and Johnson also learned that DHS plans to shut down mental health programs at the hospitals in Brainerd, St. Peter and Anoka in 2006-07.
"We questioned why Willmar's programs had been targeted for shutdown," Juhnke said. "But now it appears that the Pawlenty Administration intends to extend this concept to all the state
hospitals."
"We continue to be concerned about providing appropriate services to people in need, the jobs of our constituents, the re-use of existing buildings and the overall economic vitality of our region,"
Johnson added.
