Harmony House set to close

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Feb 03, 2005 | by James, Matt

After 19 years as a safe-haven for La Crosse's mentally ill, Harmony House is closing.

It will close because the county can't fund it any longer, Jerry Huber, La Crosse County human services director, said Wednesday.

"Right now, we're looking at a transition that would close Harmony at the end of June," he said.

Harmony House is a facility with eight beds where mentally ill patients can make short-term stays in times of crises, usually between 24 and 48 hours. It also has its own 24-honr crisis/suicide hotline.

Harmony is run by Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, which is reimbursed by La Crosse County for its services.

In December, at the latest contract negotiations, Huber said the hospital asked for a 50 to 60 percent increase in reimbursement rates, explaining that Harmony had lost money for years and Gundersen needed the increase just to break even.

"Financially, it just wasn't working," said Rose Netzer, the head of behavioral health at Gundersen Lutheran. The Harmony contract had not changed in years.

The county, Huber said, could have handled up to a 3 percent increase, so 50 to 60 was out of the question. It meant "well over $100,000" more from the county; he said.

"The writing was on the wall," he said. "We knew we needed to do some transitioning."

The county is negotiating with other providers to replace the Harmony House services. Huber has contacted Lakeview Health Center in West Salem, the Trempealeau County Mental Health Clinic, and the Siena Hall Halfway House, a program run by Franciscan Skemp. The county also is considering adult foster care homes, and is negotiating with Great Rivers 211 to take over the hot line work.

"Each one of the agencies we've talked to are willing to be part of the solution," he said. "By the end of February, they'll identify what part of the solution they can be, then the county will go into contract with them."

That will mean either additional staff for or training for the existing staff at those facilities.

"It creates an opportunity to create a network, a menu of services," said Huber, who added that this could increase the number of open beds for clients. Currently, when the two local hospitals and Harmony are full, patients sometimes have to be transported to the Mendota State Institution in Madison.

Huber is negotiating with the La Crosse County Sheriffs Department to transport patients to West Salem or Trempealeau County.

At least one mental health advocate thinks that's just positive spin on a negative situation.

"For 19 years, it's been an important part of this community," said Helen Buehler, who was on the Harmony advisory board from 1986 until it was dismantled a few years ago. She also is the co-president of the local chapter of NAMI, a support group for families and friends of the seriously mentally ill. "We're really disappointed that it's closing.

"Harmony House was so comfortable, so home-like. It provided the service so well that I don't know how they'll replace it. The clients are hearing about it, and they're getting all shook up because they've counted on it."

To an extent, Huber agreed.

"It's been that, 'If I have a crisis, I'll just call Harmony,"' he said. "It'll take awhile for that trust to build up with multiple suppliers."