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Humboldt County authorizes transfer of mental-health advocate phone number
Summary
The Humboldt County board authorized transferring the cell phone number used by the county's mental-health advocate from the Rolling Hills Mental Health Region to the county and gave staff authority to complete the Verizon transfer before June 30.
Humboldt County board members voted to authorize transferring the cell phone number used by the county's mental-health advocate from the Rolling Hills Mental Health Region to Humboldt County and to allow staff to complete the necessary Verizon transfer steps before June 30.
The authorization came during a county meeting after staff outlined that the Rolling Hills region is ending its service agreement June 30 and that the existing governmental public-sector Verizon rate for an unlimited plan is $36.99 per month. A county official said maintaining the same number would help continuity for clients during a period of system transition beginning July 1.
County staff explained that Rolling Hills initiated the process to terminate the contract with Verizon and that the two affected advocates (one in Woodbury County and one in Humboldt County) asked to keep their current numbers. The presenter said they are not authorized to sign for the county and therefore brought the transfer request to the board for formal authorization.
Discussion addressed reimbursement timing from the new managed-care entities (ASOs). County staff said the former regions reimbursed expenses quarterly and that it was not yet clear whether the ASOs would follow the same schedule; staff estimated the ASOs may reimburse monthly but noted that was only a guess because definitive guidance had not been provided by the ASOs.
A board member moved to authorize staff to complete the transfer and to permit the designated county employee to sign the necessary forms; another member seconded. The board called for the vote and the motion carried.
Board members said they would be notified if circumstances change during the transfer process. The county will complete the Verizon online transfer steps and, if carried forward, seek reimbursement from the ASO or regional entity according to whatever schedule the new entities adopt.
Why it matters: Mental-health advocates use a single public contact number for casework related to civil commitments and other duties defined in state law; maintaining the number reduces disruption for clients and partners during the statewide reorganization of behavioral-health administration scheduled to begin July 1.
