The Richland County behavioral health unit presented its 2024 activity summary and early-2025 trends to the Community and Health Services Standing Committee, reporting growth in several programs and an increasing number of crisis incidents.

Manager Brandy Christiansen said the unit — which administers treatment courts, an outpatient clinic, crisis response, adult protective services (APS), comprehensive community services (CCS), children's long-term support (CLTS) and coordinated services for youth — served dozens of clients across programs in 2024. Treatment court served seven people in sobriety court with five graduations, and eight people in drug court with two graduations. The clinic completed 63 intoxicated-driver assessments, 54 mental-health assessments, 32 substance-abuse assessments, 22 psychological evaluations, 46 psychiatric assessments and 11 underage "choices" program completions in 2024.

Christiansen reported 1,467 crisis contacts in 2024: 1,088 handled by Richland County HHS staff and 379 by Northwest Connections, the agency's after-hours crisis contractor. The unit recorded 35 emergency detentions in 2024; managers said detention numbers rose sharply in early 2025, with April described as a particularly heavy month. Christiansen said most emergency detentions were clinically warranted and that only two of the April detentions were later dismissed. Committee members and managers expressed concern about the trend: "We're spending a lot of time with the emergency room," Christiansen said, and added the department is already closely collaborating with law enforcement and the local hospital on crisis responses.

Other 2024 figures included 222 APS referrals; 76 people served in CCS with 66 referrals; and nine placements in mental health residential group homes. The CLTS program served 87 children and received 32 referrals; Birth-to-3 served 49 children with 43 referrals. Christiansen said the behavioral health unit is fully staffed at 18 positions and recently added a behavioral health supervisor (Lori Cooley) to relieve frontline caseload duties, but she recommended adding at least one more APS/crisis worker if crisis trends continue.

Committee members asked about coordination with schools and law enforcement; Christiansen said the unit regularly responds to calls at schools, attends IEP meetings, and has improved collaboration with law enforcement and the hospital, which has increased referrals but also improved care coordination. There was no formal committee action recorded; the presentation will inform upcoming budget and staffing discussions.