Board approves $12.36 million jail‑based competency treatment contract with state

The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors approved a three‑year agreement, retroactive to July 1, 2025, with the California Department of State Hospitals to continue the county's jail‑based competency treatment (JVCT) program.

Captain Frank Martinez and sheriff's staff described the JVCT program as an alternative to sending people found incompetent to stand trial to state hospitals. The program keeps eligible individuals in a local, clinically supervised unit that provides restoration services similar to state hospital care but within the county jail context. The county opened its JVCT program in 2018 with 12 beds and later expanded to 18 beds.

Officials reported that since 2018 the county has treated 566 individuals in JVCT and restored 394 to competency, with an average restoration time of about 60 days — shorter than typical state‑hospital timelines cited by staff. Captain Martinez said the county also uses an early access and stabilization team to begin treatment while individuals await JVCT or state placement; that team has worked with 449 people since 2022 and recorded 31 restorations.

The proposed contract totals $12,356,511 for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028; the state changed reimbursement to an 'actuals' model and the county requested additional funding to support 0.75 FTE of a sergeant and 0.5 FTE of an account clerk for program operations. Staff said program lines are roughly cost‑neutral under the reimbursement terms and recommended the board authorize the sheriff to sign the agreement and adopt a state‑required resolution. The board approved the staff recommendations unanimously.

Supervisors asked clarifying questions about diversion opportunities and how the program interacts with the state's growth cap for IST referrals; staff said JVCT placements still count toward the county's IST referral totals and that the county faces a growth cap it has recently been within.