MARSHALL — A regional organization that supports adult mental health care services is reaching out to area counties for help with its cash flow. Last week, Lyon County Commissioners heard a one-time funding request from the Southwest 18 Consortium — but the request also raised some questions as to whether Lyon County is technically still a member of the consortium.

At their Nov. 7 meeting, Lyon County Commissioners heard a funding request from Stacy Jorgensen, chairwoman of the Southwest 18 adult mental health consortium. The Southwest 18 Consortium is one of 19 adult mental health initiatives around Minnesota. It serves counties in the southwestern part of the state.

“This program started when most of the regional treatment centers closed,” Jorgensen said.

The Southwest 18 Consortium helps support mental health services like intensive residential treatment services, crisis stabilization, and rehabilitative mental health services for adults in the region.

However, over time, the consortium started facing problems with cash flow, Jorgensen said. The consortium is funded through state block grants. It receives reimbursements from the state for the cost of mental health services for people who are underinsured and not covered by Medical Assistance. But there’s often a gap between the time when the bills are paid and the state reimburses the consortium.

Jorgensen said the consortium won’t have funds from the state to cover expenses in January and February.

Jorgensen said the Southwest 18 Consortium was turning to counties in its service area, to help create a special reserve fund for times when the consortium isn’t reimbursed in a timely manner. They were asking each county to contribute $20,000 to the fund.

Lyon County’s contribution would be held by a fiscal agent for the consortium, Jorgensen said. If the consortium is ever disbanded, the county would be reimbursed for the $20,000.

Lyon County commissioners discussed Jorgensen’s request, but one thing raised more questions for them. In the original joint powers agreement for the Southwest 18 Consortium, there was just one commissioner who signed for Lincoln, Lyon and Murray Counties.

Before Southwest Health and Human Services was formed, Lincoln, Lyon and Murray Counties had a shared human services agency. Because Lincoln-Lyon-Murray Human Services no longer exists, commissioners asked to clarify whether Lyon County was still technically part of the consortium’s JPA.

Commissioners directed Lyon County Attorney Abby Wikelius to look back at the county’s documentation for the consortium, as well as at the current JPA, and bring the matter back before the county board.

Jorgensen said Lincoln County Commissioners had also taken the funding request under advisement on Nov. 7.