The Barton County Commission Monday morning approved the service agreement with Southwest Developmental Services Inc. SDSI is the Community Developmental Disability Organization (CDDO) for the county. 

Under the 2020 service agreement, SDSI will provide all services required by Kansas statutes for a CDDO for a total of $70,000, basically unchanged from last year, Hathcock said. Such agreements are mandated by the state.

Southwest contracts with the State of Kansas as a CDDO for an 18-county area in southwest and central Kansas. Based in Garden City with an office Great Bend, SDSI has contracted with Barton County since July 2005.

SDSI does not provide services directly to individuals. It contracts with affiliated community providers and helps coordinate services, such as assessments, transfers from one agency to another and counseling for clients and their families.

“It’s a very, very good operation,” said Commissioner Kenny Schremmer, who serves on the SDSI Board. “I am pleased to be a part of that organization.”

But, “there are still people waiting to get services,” he said. “The funding (much of which comes from the federal level) just isn’t there.”

The cost has remained unchanged since 2015. It was $100,000 in 2012 and $80,000 in 2014.