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Legislature approves $49,244 transfer to cover county costs for two residents in state psychiatric hospitals
Summary
Delaware County legislators approved a 2024 budget transfer of $49,244.74 to cover hospitalization costs for two county residents in state psychiatric facilities, part of roughly $327,557.78 the county spent last year on similar placements, officials said.
Delaware County legislators approved a 2024 budget amendment that transfers $49,244.74 to the Department of Mental Health to cover hospital stays for two county residents in state psychiatric facilities, a county staff member said at a February meeting.
A county staff member told legislators the $49,244.74 transfer is part of $327,557.78 the county spent last year on hospitalizations for two residents. “One of them is for a total of 72 days. One of [them] for a total of 174 days,” the staff member said.
The staff member said the county’s mental health office has limited control over placements and that the county now bears the full cost of these stays because of a state policy change several years ago. “There’s not really a limit to how many days they can spend in there,” the staff member said. “It’s 100% on the county when it used to be shared by the state.”
Legislators asked whether courts determine the length of stays; the staff member said placement and timing are driven by state processes and court schedules and that the county receives few updates about court dates. The staff member said the county expects the two residents to remain in those facilities and that additional cases could add to the expense.
The resolution was presented as a routine budget transfer and carried on a roll call vote. The measure moves existing county budget funds to cover the hospital billing noted by staff.
County officials did not provide a statutory citation for the state policy change during the discussion, nor did they give a precise estimate of how many additional residents might require similar placements this year. The staff member noted an acute cost difference for children, saying the per-child cost would be far higher, but did not provide a figure for the current county population of juvenile placements.
The transfer will be incorporated into the county’s 2024 mental health budget. Legislators did not direct additional policy changes during the meeting; the discussion centered on clarifying current costs and limits of local authority over placement decisions.
