Okanogan County commissioners agreed to make funding available so the sheriff’s office can contract a psychiatric doctor to provide on‑call services inside the county jail at $135 an hour.

Why it matters: commissioners and jail officials said immediate access to clinical psychiatric support can help corrections staff respond to acute mental‑health crises inside the jail and potentially reduce downstream costs and risks.

Details: the proposal presented to commissioners was for a psychiatric doctor (described in the meeting as a doctor/psychiatric physician) to be available to respond on an hourly basis when corrections officers identify an urgent clinical need. The contracted rate presented was $135 per hour. Commissioners asked staff to identify a line item in a current budget to hold funds to enable ad hoc use of the contract. A commissioner noted that personal‑services contracting is allowed under the county purchasing policy.

Discussion and limits: commissioners said they understand some clinical or operational details cannot be publicly disclosed; at the same time they requested that the sheriff’s office provide clear information to the public about what services can be described. One commissioner called the proposed hourly rate “reasonable.” No exact annual cost estimate or guaranteed hours was specified during the discussion; commissioners directed staff to set aside some funds in a budget line to permit the county to pay on an hourly basis as needed.

Next steps: staff will identify a budget line and set aside funds to enable the contract; the sheriff’s office and the doctor will coordinate with existing providers (one in the transcript described as Doctor Craig) to start services. No ordinance or multi‑year contract was approved on the record at this meeting.