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Rich County adopts interlocal agreement making Bear River Health Department a United Local Health Department for behavioral health
Summary
Commissioners approved Resolution R25-4 to adopt a regional interlocal agreement that expands the Bear River Health Department’s role to administer and oversee behavioral-health contracts and to create a Director of Behavioral Health and an advisory council.
Rich County commissioners voted unanimously Feb. 1 to adopt Resolution R25-4, approving an interlocal agreement that reaffirms the Bear River Health Department as a multi-county health department and expands it into a United Local Health Department under state law.
Jordan Mathis, director of the Bear River Health Department, told the commission the key change is moving oversight of behavioral-health contracts (integration of mental-health and substance-abuse programs) into the health department. The agreement directs the department to continue and re-execute existing contracts with mental-health providers so they explicitly reflect an integrated approach. It also authorizes a new Director of Behavioral Health position and establishes a Bear River Behavioral Health Advisory Council (BHAC) to advise the director and the counties on an integrated area plan.
Mathis said Box Elder and Cache counties have progressed on the item; Cache County approved the agreement by resolution the previous night and Box Elder was expected to act in its meeting the same day. The commission approved Rich County’s resolution and directed staff to send the signature page for recording. Mathis requested county representation on the hiring panel for the Director of Behavioral Health and said advisory-council appointments would follow once contracts and staffing were in place.
