Mental Health Board Must Seek State Waiver to Appoint Ramey Permanent Director

Board Chairman Said He Will Discuss Issue Friday

By Josh Mitchell

Corinth Today News Editor

A Corinth-based mental health agency must seek a waiver of a state standard if the current interim director is to be permanently appointed, a state official said.

Jason Ramey is the interim executive director of Region IV, a government-funded, five-county mental health agency.

“If the board chooses to name him (Ramey) as a permanent executive director, they will be required to request a waiver,” state DMH spokesman Adam Moore said in a Wednesday statement to Corinth Today.

The waiver would be in regard to a certain Mississippi Department of Mental Health Operational Standard.

The standards state in part that executive directors must have a “minimum of a master’s degree in a mental health or related field . . .”

Ramey said he has a master’s in business administration but does have years of experience working in mental health. It appears that a waiver may be needed since Ramey’s master’s degree is in business and not in a mental health related field.

In his statement, Moore said, “DMH is aware of Mr. Ramey’s credentials, including his prior experiences working in mental health programs. Region 4 also maintains compliance with DMH operational standards that require clinical directors of specific service areas.”

Under the waiver process, the agency must show that services will not be diminished if the waiver is approved. The agency must also specify the length of time the waiver is needed. State mental health officials will review the waiver request and approve or deny it within 30 days unless additional information is needed.

Ramey is not required to have a waiver at this time since he is serving in an interim capacity.

Region IV Board Chairman Greg Collier, who is also a Tishomingo County supervisor, told Corinth Today on Wednesday that he would discuss the waiver issue on Friday. It is unclear why Collier wanted to wait until Friday to discuss the potential waiver.

However, Collier has said in the past that Ramey is the only person being considered for the executive director job and that the position was not being advertised. It is unclear if that remains the case or if more details would be made known Friday.

Ramey said he is “not opposed” to pursuing a master’s degree in a mental health field if needed but said he is currently not doing so. Region IV employs several hundred people and has a multimillion-dollar budget.

Prior to coming to Region IV in 2016, Ramey said he ran the inpatient psychiatric unit for geriatric patients for Horizon Health at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Booneville. With Horizon, he also traveled throughout the nation to help establish psychiatric programs and train directors. He was also a master instructor for the company’s crisis intervention program.

Ramey had been with the agency about a year before he was appointed interim executive director by the board and was chief operating officer before that.

Ramey’s mom, Judy Ramey, was previously a Prentiss County representative on the Region IV board. But Jason Ramey said his mom resigned from the board when he started employment with the agency in July of 2016 to avoid a conflict of interest.