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Whatcom County to expand jail behavioral-health pilot into 10-week reentry program
Summary
Sheriff's Office and Lifeline Connections described a pilot that began as a six-week course for five people and will expand to a 10-week daily program; partners include Lifeline Connections, Evergreen Goodwill and local colleges; staffing and provider RFPs pose challenges.
Lieutenant Barry Lovell, a jail lieutenant with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, described the county’s behavioral-health work center pilot and plans to expand the program from six weeks to a 10-week, staff-led reentry curriculum.
“We refer individuals to Lake Whatcom Center's heart team,” Lovell said as he summarized coordination with community partners, and he described the pilot’s initial results: the original cohort was five people; three remain in custody, one was sent to prison and one was “released to the community” and remains connected to the program. “I would consider that a pretty significant success,” Lovell said.
The expanded program will add daily peer-to-peer and staff-led group sessions, substance-use-focused professional instruction, and planned partnerships with Evergreen Goodwill and the community college to provide education and vocational discussion. Lovell said an MOU is already in place with Evergreen Goodwill and that the sheriff’s office is “working on the same with the community college.” He also said the sheriff had connected staff with a Teamsters representative to explore trade-union engagement and possible job pathways.
Program leaders described tangible steps taken in the pilot: redesigning unit layouts to be more trauma-informed, adding a large photographic mural provided at reduced cost by local photographer Peter James, and trying to link graduates to outside services. Staff and committee members discussed using tablet-based training and education content, and Raelene (a committee member) asked whether colleges could supply practicum students to help with staffing and supervision.
Participants emphasized constraints. Lovell and other speakers said staffing bandwidth is the chief operational barrier: Lifeline personnel provided much of the pilot work “outside of their normal expected duties,” Lovell said, and the county’s pending medical/mental health RFP could change the jail’s medical provider and personnel assignments. County staff also noted union and budget constraints when discussing bringing non-correctional staff into jail spaces.
Committee members encouraged vocational supports and peer-based programming. Alexis Faz and others pushed for an employment specialist and vocational rehab referrals; the sheriff’s office and program staff said they are open to trade-union partners, community-college practicum arrangements and educational software to expand training if funding and space permit.
No formal county action was taken at the meeting; committee members asked staff to continue developing the pilot, to pursue external funding and partnerships, and to return with updates consistent with the pending RFP timeline.
