Commission approves new part‑time RSAT counselor position and permission to apply for opioid settlement funds for jail program and K‑9 replacement

St. Francois County commissioners voted to approve permission to open a part‑time licensed counselor position in the sheriff’s office for the county’s Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) program and granted the sheriff permission to apply for opioid settlement funds and Whitfield settlement funds to support wages and program needs.

The RSAT counselor will be a licensed, part‑time position paid at $40 per hour, and the sheriff said that funding for the counselor is “already in the grant and that budget’s already been approved.” Sheriff’s department staff said the hourly rate is lower than typical private counseling rates. “We’re looking at $40 an hour,” the sheriff’s representative said.

Why it matters: county officials say the counselor and associated funding will help sustain the RSAT program, which provides group and individual counseling inside the detention center. Commissioners were told the county has renovated a visitation area to create a dedicated RSAT meeting room, purchased equipment such as computers and a smart board with RSAT grant funding, and enrolled 10 individuals in the program.

Details and…