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Court approves switch so TK Health provides jail mental-health services; county to amend BHN and TK contracts
Summary
McLennan County approved amendments moving mental-health caseworker services in county jails from Behavioral Health Network to TK Health, a change county staff said improves continuity of care; TK Health’s additional annual cost is $677,090 compared with BHN’s current $412,448.
The McLennan County Commissioners Court on March 18 authorized amendments to two agreements so that TK Health (the county’s medical vendor for detention facilities) will provide all mental-health services in the jails rather than the county’s prior split arrangement with Behavioral Health Network (BHN).
Mike (county staff) told the court the change reflects a move to a unified-provider model so that medical and mental-health services can be better coordinated in real time. He said the annual cost for TK Health to provide the expanded mental-health services is $677,090; the services currently supplied by BHN cost $412,448 annually.
“The change is not a reflection on BHN,” Mike told the court, saying the decision was driven by a desire for continuity of care and real-time coordination under a single vendor. The court approved both amendments — removing the jail caseworker services from BHN’s agreement and amending the TK Health agreement to add the mental-health scope — by motion and voice vote.
County staff said the BHN services being removed from that agreement will be de-obligated and TK Health will assume responsibility for the mental-health work in the jail setting. Commissioners did not record a roll-call tally; the court’s action was entered as approved.
The move affects day-to-day clinical operations at the jails and the county’s health-services contracting structure. County staff said the change was intended to improve continuity of care for detained individuals and strengthen communication between medical and behavioral-health providers on site.
The court approved the amendments as requested; staff will return final contract language and any budget implications as needed to the court for record.
