Yavapai County approves behavioral-health contracts, opioid grants and short-term jail medical extensions

The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved a package of behavioral-health contracts and opioid-recovery grants and extended short-term jail medical agreements as county staff pursue longer-term procurements.

County health officials said the moves are meant to expand tele-behavioral services, fund prevention and recovery programs across the county and pilot a long-acting medication-assisted treatment in the jail to bridge people into community services on release.

Leslie Horton, community health services director, told the board the county has ranked Iris Telehealth highest in a competitive RFP and asked the board to approve a contract for behavioral-health expansion not to exceed $350,000. Under the contract, Iris may receive up to $100,000 by Aug. 30, 2025, and up to $250,000 for services delivered through Aug. 30, 2026. Horton said all procurement and publication requirements were met.

The board also approved a one-year state block grant contract for community health education programs totaling $683,382.03, funding school-based and community prevention efforts that county staff said typically run on multi-year cycles but were issued for one year this round because of federal and state timing.

James Tobin, manager of the county's substance-abuse and mental-health section, described the county's use of opioid-settlement funds. The county received more than a dozen applications in a competitive grant round and plans both internal projects and community grants. Tobin said the county received 15 applications and proposed funding for seven community projects, covering prevention, law-enforcement interdiction, harm reduction and recovery supports. He described a "leave-behind" Narcan kit program for law enforcement contacts and said a public-facing dashboard of opioid-related data is under development.

Tobin and Horton also told the board the county will pilot use of a long-acting medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in the jail. County staff said the 30-day injectable product would be purchased and administered by the jail medical contractor, Wexford Health, as a pilot paid for with opioid-reinvestment funds; whether the contractor or the county covers the cost later would be decided after the pilot. The board separately approved an amendment extending the county's inmate medical-services agreement through October 2025 while a new procurement is finalized.

Jeff Needham, chief deputy for the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, asked for and won a 120-day extension to allow county staff and counsel to complete vetting of proposals for a new jail medical contract. The board approved an amendment to the existing inmate medical services agreement for $1,800,000 to extend those services through Oct. 2025.

Later in the meeting the board approved an additional Wexford amendment for restorative-competency services in the jail, $443,000, extending that work through Oct. 31, 2025. County staff said the restorative-competency amendment comes from general-fund authority and complements the longer procurement.

Board members praised staff for pursuing grant dollars and for emphasizing regional distribution of opioid-settlement funds. Supervisors also asked staff to monitor vendor proposals closely for affordability as the county negotiates a longer-term medical contract for the jail.

Ending: County officials said the mix of state grant funding, an expanded telehealth contract and opioid-settlement projects are intended to expand prevention, recovery and treatment capacity across the county while the sheriff's office and the county complete a competitive process for a new jail medical provider. The board approved each item unanimously and directed staff to return with required contract documents and reporting as specified in each contract.