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Commissioners approve methadone and medication services agreement for Kent County Detention Center, contingent on revised exhibit
Summary
The board approved an agreement with University of Maryland Medical Center to deliver methadone and other medication-assisted treatment to the county jail at no cost under a grant; commissioners approved signature contingent upon receiving a revised fee exhibit.
The Kent County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 9 authorized an agreement with the University of Maryland Medical Center to provide medication-assisted treatment services — including methadone delivery and counseling — to inmates at the Kent County Detention Center under a 2025 grant.
Captain Steve Wallace, who presented the item for the detention center, said the program will allow the hospital to deliver methadone directly to the facility “the same day or next day” and relieve staff previously required to transport doses to distant clinics. Wallace said the arrangement is funded through a performance-enhancement grant for fiscal 2025 and “will provide counseling, medication assistant treatment, and methadone to the detention center at no cost to the county.”
Wallace told commissioners that an exhibit in the contract (Exhibit A, page 8) lists professional-service fees currently totaling $1,460.68 per month (about $17,552 annually) but that University of Maryland will amend the contract to remove duplicated billing for services already accounted for under other grant billing. Wallace asked that the commission authorize signature of the agreement while withholding delivery to the other party until the county receives the revised page.
Commissioners approved a motion to accept the agreement with the University of Maryland Medical Center for the medication-assisted treatment program “contingent upon us receiving a revised copy as presented here today.” The motion carried on a voice vote.
County staff said the agreement runs through the current fiscal year to June 30 and will be amended to reflect the corrected fee exhibit before full execution. Under the new arrangement, University of Maryland will arrange delivery to the jail, a facility nurse will sign and log deliveries, and jail staff will administer doses as appropriate. Wallace said the change reduces transport and staffing burdens and that the grant will fund the service for qualifying inmates.
