Sumner County committee approves $564,032 appropriation for jail scanners and behavioral health liaison, requires quarterly reports on indirect costs

The Sumner County Opioid Abatement Committee on May 8 approved an appropriation to fund new scanner equipment for the county jail and to pay for a behavioral-health liaison position in partnership with Volunteer Behavioral Health, with committee members requiring quarterly reports on how the nonprofit spends indirect costs.

Committee members voted to provide roughly $500,000 to the sheriff’s office for equipment and about $132,000 to Volunteer Behavioral Health (VBH) for staffing and clinical services, a combined total the meeting packet identified as $564,032. The equipment request covers two body scanners and two mail scanners; the staffing component funds a 50% full-time-equivalent behavioral-health liaison (including benefits) and associated clinical services for inmates returning to the community.

The sheriff’s office representative…