Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Switc Start Payette Facility topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SWITC upgrades and STAR rollout discussed; department pauses purchase of Payette facility and leases instead
Summary
Committee members heard details Thursday about facility investments at Southwest Idaho Treatment Center, the status of START certification and a revised plan to lease rather than immediately purchase the Payette assessment facility.
Committee members heard details Thursday about facility investments at the Southwest Idaho Treatment Center (SWITC), progress on START certification and an updated approach to the Payette Assessment and Care Center.
Alex Williamson told the committee SWITC received past one‑time funding for demolition and construction and that fiscal 2024 included a supplemental for crisis patient treatment in the center. She said the budget for developmental‑disability and treatment services totaled about $37.6 million in fiscal 2024, with a significant portion going to personnel and operations.
Lawmakers asked about a permanent‑building‑fund item for a walk‑in cooler and lighting updates at SWITC. Lisonbee Tate, the division administrator introduced for Early Learning and Development, said buying and storing food in bulk can reduce costs for multiple facilities: “When you buy it in bulk, of course, is much less... we think we can probably cut their food costs close to half by buying in bulk,” Tate said, explaining the walk‑in cooler would allow centralized purchasing and distribution to units that prepare residents’ meals.
On START (a clinical certification and treatment model used at SWITC), the committee was told the program’s training and certification timetable has taken longer than initially presented. Allison Tate (identified in testimony as a division administrator later in the hearing) described recent progress: trained START staff are deploying the clinical model at SWITC and a court‑services and crisis‑prevention team adopted START on Feb. 3; enrollments at one team increased from five to ten people in the weeks following that change. The START certification request in the fiscal package is listed as a one‑time request in year three of four for $249,200; the agency also has reporting requirements due later in the summer on program progress.
Director Adams described the Payette Assessment and Care Center request: the department originally asked to purchase the facility but the governor’s office and agency worked to “smart size” the request and instead recommended leasing the facility while the department assesses long‑term needs. “At this time, last year I would have told you it made sense to buy it, but we’ve had quite a bit of conversations about what do we do with that facility long term… We needed the Payette assessment center… but what is the best long term need? We’re having those conversations on a daily basis,” Adams said. Williamson said the governor recommended $2.7 million ongoing to operate the Payette facility while it is leased.
Committee members asked whether state funds had been used to modify the Payette site; Williamson said she believed the state paid modification and maintenance costs, and Adams confirmed state funds and private partners had helped improve the leased facility. Adams also said the department and nonprofit partners bought equipment for the youth who use the facility.
No formal committee votes were taken on these items; lawmakers asked the department for follow‑up reports to demonstrate START progress and to justify any capital or ongoing operational investments as the department evaluates long‑term facility strategy.
