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Carroll County weighs options after termination of mental-health contractor; interim coverage and potential PrimeCare agreement discussed
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Summary
The county discussed replacing Northern/Noble Human Services in jail mental-health coverage; options include expanding existing contractor hours, hiring a clinician through PrimeCare at higher annual cost, and maintaining a 12-hour-per-week contract with local provider Secura Counseling.
County officials told commissioners on Sept. 22 that Noble Human Services (Northern Human Services in the transcript) terminated its mental-health contract in July, prompting an interim search for replacement services in the jail. County leadership described an interim plan using an independent contractor for limited weekly hours and discussed a potential larger contract with PrimeCare that would provide 20 hours per week at an estimated annual cost of roughly $88,000–$90,000.
The superintendent said the county has budgeted for mental-health services and that, as of Sept. 1, the account had roughly $69,862 remaining from the initial appropriation of about $117,400 for the contract year. Using current contracted hours with an existing provider (Secura Counseling) and the proposed PrimeCare hours, county staff estimated available funds would cover the remainder of the current budget year but that next fiscal year would need an additional roughly $35,000 if PrimeCare provided 20 hours per week on the budgeted terms discussed.
Officials said there are two candidate staffing options under consideration: continuing and expanding use of local contracted providers (including Secura Counseling at $100/hour for 12 hours per week) and contracting with PrimeCare for a 20-hours-per-week clinician on PrimeCare payroll, which would transfer certain liability and administrative responsibilities to PrimeCare but increase the county’s budgeted service cost. The superintendent said the proposed PrimeCare clinician would bring a higher level of clinical qualification (a clinician rather than a licensed clinical social worker), and PrimeCare had indicated it could place a provider in county facilities by mid-October.
Commissioners asked for more definitive paperwork and cost breakdowns; staff said PrimeCare would provide official documents and that the county would likely return to the commission for emergency approval or formal action once the provider details and costs were finalized. No contract award was made at the Sept. 22 meeting.
