Hutchinson County OKs MOU to divert low-level offenders to Texas Panhandle Center reset program

Hutchinson County Commissioners on a unanimous voice vote approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and accompanying business-associate agreement with Texas Panhandle Center (TPC) to let law enforcement divert certain low-level offenders with behavioral-health needs to TPC’s voluntary reset center in Amarillo.

The MOU, approved after a presentation from county stakeholders and TPC staff, designates Judge Irwin as the county’s official designee to receive signed releases for protected health information and authorizes coordination between law enforcement and TPC under the terms of the agreement.

Craig Jones, who presented the county’s rationale to commissioners, said the county has long struggled with people entering the jail for low-level offenses whose primary need is behavioral-health care. “Do we get some personnel in the county that are that can handle this situation? Do we even talk about having a facility to where we can divert people, that have these mental health issues so they might get some help and we’re not dealing with the criminal justice system,” Jones said. He recommended the MOU as a test of the reset-center approach, adding that the county should monitor repeat uses and change course if diversion is being exploited.

Amanda, a TPC representative, described the reset center already operating in Amarillo and said the program emphasizes voluntary engagement, on-site clinical assessment, same-day access to providers when possible, and a sliding-fee scale for medical services. “We’ve had a lot of success with getting people emergency doctor visits, getting them in front of our providers same day,” Amanda said. She said TPC generally aids with transportation and will train local law-enforcement officers in the screening and referral process.

County discussion focused on safeguards and reporting. Commissioners and staff asked who would receive individual-level information and how the county would track repeated use. Craig Jones said TPC will provide aggregate reports to the county on encounters and outcomes; individual-level protected health information would be released only when a signed release is obtained from the participant. Commissioners also discussed naming a county designee; they agreed to have Judge Irwin serve as the signatory to receive releases and execute required paperwork.

The court’s action included approval of the MOU and the business-associate agreement and the formal designation of Judge Irwin as Hutchinson County’s designee. Presenters and commissioners emphasized that the MOU places no cost burden on the county for TPC’s services, and that the arrangement is voluntary for participants. The court did not adopt any ordinance or statutory change; the vote authorized the interagency agreement and administrative designation only.

Next steps identified at the meeting: TPC will conduct training for local law enforcement about candidate screening and procedures; TPC will share routine reporting with the county; the sheriff’s office and county judge’s office will coordinate on the designee role and on monitoring the program’s use and outcomes.

The MOU was presented as a pilot-style option — county officials said they will reassess if they see patterns of repeated noncompliant behavior that suggest diversion is being exploited rather than used therapeutically.