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IPRTF behavioral-health subcommittee prioritizes reentry, job-training partnerships
Summary
At a February Whatcom County IPRTF steering meeting, the behavioral health subcommittee outlined a reentry-focused work plan that emphasizes community-based services, job training partnerships with local colleges and employers, and centralized data support; members said final recommendations will form later this spring.
At a February steering meeting of the Whatcom County IPRTF, the behavioral health subcommittee said it will prioritize reentry preparation and community-based services for people leaving jail, and pursue local job-training partnerships to support workforce reintegration.
The subcommittee co-chairs, Steven (co-chair, Behavioral Health subcommittee) and Dan (co-chair, Behavioral Health subcommittee), told the committee they have shifted the subcommittee’s immediate emphasis to reentry services — such as case management, peer support, intensive navigation and behavioral health and substance-use treatment — and to identifying partner organizations that can provide job training and employer connections.
Why it matters: Members said successful reentry programs depend on services outside the jail and on pathways to work, and that local partnerships could reduce costs and improve outcomes. The subcommittee plans to recommend program components rather than a single vendor or model.
Steven said the subcommittee will focus on policy-level recommendations, and added, “We need a job training component in a successful reentry program,” framing employment as a central part of reintegration. Dan and other members said they are cultivating connections with trades employers, local colleges and community partners to identify placement and training opportunities.
Several members described specific outreach already underway. Satpal (identified in the meeting by his first name) recounted prior work at Bellingham Technical College (BTC) that included students on day-release permits and suggested leveraging BTC’s existing courses and instructors rather than duplicating facilities. Dan said he had met with construction employers and discussed possible public–private partnerships to integrate people returning from custody into trades employment. The group also cited an ongoing effort to contact Franklin County, Ohio, for comparative practices.
Members said reentry work will coordinate with the subcommittee’s data efforts and with other task-force groups to avoid duplicative data collection. The co-chairs expect to finalize a structure for study groups and work groups this spring and to report back to the full IPRTF later in the season.
Next steps: The behavioral health co-chairs plan to convene study groups, refine recommended program components and bring examples and draft recommendations to the full IPRTF in the spring.
