Mental health center gets accreditation

Monday, Feb. 10, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Desert Regional Center, a 94-bed residential care facility for the mentally retarded in Las Vegas, has received national accreditation for another two years.

James Gardner, chief executive officer of the Accreditation Council, said the center shows a "commitment to excellence" in providing services to disabled citizens.

The council, a national private organization sponsored by nine advocacy and professional groups, inspected the center Dec. 9-13. Gardner said it "supports people in achieving outcomes in their lives. ..."

The center also operates a second program providing case management and family support to about 900 mentally retarded people living in Clark County.

The center has an operating budget this year of $15.5 million.

Earlier this week, members of the state Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee were unhappy when they learned there were waiting lists for mentally retarded people who wanted state services.

Gov. Bob Miller's proposed mental health budget of more than $36 million for the next two years provides enough money to handle the growth and make some progress in reducing the waiting list.

Jean Laird, deputy administrator of the state Division of Mental Hygiene and Mental Retardation, told the budget committees that only 37 of the 100 people on the waiting list for group homes statewide would be taken care of under the budget. The waiting list of 123 people for case management services would be cut by only 20 under the governor's budget.

Meanwhile, the division has announced that the Nevada Mental Health Institute in Sparks has been re-certified by the Health Care Financing Administration, a federal agency. It means it will be able to collect Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for treating patients.

The institute has about 50 beds in its residential facility and treats more than 3,000 outpatients for a variety of mental illnesses.