The Yellowstone County Board of Commissioners on June 19 approved a memorandum of understanding with Stonerock Business Solutions to continue administration of the county’s jail‑based pilot program through the remaining state grant funding, with a transition plan to a local provider.

The agreement, moved and seconded during the meeting, covers the immediate period while county staff and providers implement a transition. County staff said about $55,000 remained on the grant and that, under the proposed arrangement, the county would pay an administrative fee of approximately $6,500 per month, which staff estimated would use the remaining grant for about two to three months. The contract as presented to the board is tied to the available funding and may be revisited if additional state funds are released.

Amanda (program staff) told the board she has been coordinating with the Montana Department of Health and Human Services prevention division and with contractors about a planned change to a state Medicaid platform that would allow some currently non‑reimbursable services — including psychiatric medication billing in the jail setting — to be processed through the state platform and routed to the county rather than external contractors. Amanda said the change could return psychiatric medication reimbursements to the county, but the county and new providers must build administrative billing and documentation processes to access those funds.

Melissa (county staff) said Ivy Medical met with county staff and that Ivy would be prepared to assume services; she recommended the board approve the MOU limited to the duration of remaining funding, and said the county would not be on the hook for additional funding beyond the current grant unless the board later approved it. County staff and Stonerock agreed to include an addendum describing transition services and specific deliverables so Ivy Medical can be trained and the program can continue without interruption.

Board discussion touched on program scope. Staff and presenters said the jail‑based pilot goes beyond medication distribution to include targeted case management, coordinated assessments, crisis stabilization and placement efforts to move eligible people from the jail into community treatment or supervised placements. Amanda reported there were 84 active individuals in the program census who were being managed through case processing and placement efforts. Speakers warned that the county could become responsible for prescription costs that previously were embedded in a former contractor’s flat contract (Turnkey) and that the county’s fiscal exposure depends on whether and when the state’s reimbursement platform is operational.

Commissioners voted to approve the MOU with an addendum outlining deliverables and transition tasks; staff said they will prepare a file item or memo next week that documents the duration, deliverables and transition plan. Several commissioners emphasized the need for a clear, time‑limited contract and specific transition responsibilities so the county knows what services it is paying for during the funding period.

The motion as approved instructs staff to proceed with the short‑term MOU, to document expected deliverables and to return with additional documentation if the state provides more funding or if longer contracts are required.