District delays action on HEART youth outreach agreement; trustees ask for more policy and privacy details
Loading...
Summary
Partnership Douglas County presented HEART, a youth follow-up program for behavioral-health referrals. Trustees praised the program but asked for written policies, procedures and privacy protections before approving an MOU.
Partnership Douglas County representatives briefed the board on HEART (Hope, Empowerment, Assistance, Recovery and Transformation for Youth), a new, grant-funded program to provide post-crisis follow-up, case management and referral services for youth with behavioral-health needs.
Partnership staff described HEART as a non-billing, community-based follow-up service that aims to reduce unnecessary hospitalization and detention by connecting youth and families to local behavioral-health resources. Presenters said the team includes locally based clinicians, a peer-recovery support specialist and bilingual community health workers. The program has existing MOUs with the sheriff's office and other community partners and is evaluating outcomes with a University of Nevada, Reno researcher.
Trustees raised questions about referral triggers, parental consent and how schools would initiate referrals. Partnership staff said HEART's role is not to supplant immediate crisis response; the program's goal is to provide a 72-hour follow-up window and longer-term case management for families who need connection to services. Staff emphasized they will not provide clinical services without parental permission and that referral intake will be coordinated with school social workers, SROs and other community agencies.
Trustees asked for written policy and procedures, privacy and data-handling documentation and clarifying information about the relationship between HEART and other county crisis services. The board voted to take no action on the MOU at this meeting and asked Partnership Douglas County to return with the additional documentation.
