Vernon County staff say Northwest Connections crisis contract reduced costly hospital stays; county paid about $119,000 last year

Vernon County Human Services staff reported that the county’s contract with Northwest Connections, a 24-hour telephone and mobile mental-health crisis provider, handled 223 calls from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 and helped reduce inpatient emergency detentions that can cost the county more than $2,000 per day.

The department told the committee that Northwest Connections provided 223 total calls in the year, 53 assessments and six mobile contacts. Of the telephone calls, 24 concerned minors and 182 concerned adults; 28 calls involved substance abuse and two were dementia-related, staff said.

Why it matters: county staff said using Northwest Connections generally costs the county less than inpatient hospital care. A regular inpatient stay at one regional facility was listed as $1,596 per day; the county reported an add-on…