During committee reports on Sept. 8 the Board of Health representative said Family Guidance (a behavioral-health services provider) is expected to rent space in a county building and act as a first point of contact and triage for people in behavioral-health crises.
Eric, reporting for the Board of Health, said 17 agencies attended a recent meeting and that Family Guidance already has been used by the sheriff's department in some incidents even before establishing a local office. Eric said Family Guidance is licensed and funded by state and federal sources to provide services and that the organization indicated it can provide a handoff within one hour of being called by law enforcement.
Eric and other board representatives described a planned model in which Family Guidance would triage clients in the county facility and, after an initial contact, hand clients off to one of the 17 partner agencies depending on client needs and agency specializations. Board members said the county hopes Family Guidance will begin work in the building in October.
Why it matters: Rapid-response behavioral-health triage can reduce emergency response burdens on law enforcement and connect people to licensed care faster; the county's arrangement would create a local access point for services and formalize existing informal referrals from the sheriff's office.
Next steps: Board of Health staff will continue coordination with Family Guidance and the sheriff's office to finalize space rental and transition plans, and staff will report back when a start date is confirmed.