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Pueblo County approves $274,994.55 contract to place juvenile in out‑of‑state residential treatment
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners approved a contract for placement of a youth at Youth Health Associates in Utah. The county says the placement is court‑ordered, fully reimbursable by state funding, and will expire when the youth turns 18.
The Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 23 approved a contract to place a juvenile at Youth Health Associates, a residential treatment facility in Utah, for $274,994.55.
Megan Espinosa, protective service program manager for the Pueblo County Department of Human Services, told the board the placement was court ordered and is part of the youth’s juvenile delinquency (JD) case: “This youth was court ordered to attend this treatment facility and successfully complete their YHA program.” The contract runs through June 14, 2025, the date the youth will turn 18, Espinosa said.
Espinosa said the youth was first placed out of state in March 2024 after county staff could not locate an in‑state placement able to meet the youth’s needs, and that probation declined to pay for the services. She said the contract amount is “fully reimbursable through state funding per our business office.” Portions of the contract were redacted to remove the youth’s personal information under Colorado law, Espinosa said, citing CRS 19‑1‑307.
Commissioners discussed the broader issue of children without placement (CWOP) in the county and the strain such cases place on staff and on children who remain without a home setting while awaiting placement. One commissioner commented the county will use opportunities during the legislative session to raise the issue. The motion to approve the contract was made and seconded; the board voted in favor and the motion carried.
The contract was processed as a direct service and no request for proposals was used, the department said. The county provided no additional details in the meeting about the youth’s identity or the clinical reasons for placement beyond what Espinosa said was included in the court order.
The board’s action authorized county staff to finalize the contract and proceed with the out‑of‑state placement, with reimbursement expected from state funds per the clerk/business office schedule.
