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Operations report: CTAS progress, staff shortages and transport gaps at Knox County juvenile center
Summary
Operations manager Megan Lively told the board that 73.7% of CTAS recommendations are complete, but the facility faces 11 staff vacancies, overtime strain, and an urgent need to replace a retiring transport position that affects placements to residential treatment.
At the Jan. 13 Knox County Juvenile Service Center board meeting, operations manager Megan Lively reviewed three reports showing monthly processing, CTAS progress and facility issues. Lively said December 2025 showed 53 processed intakes (an exit-based count) and emphasized that processed-through numbers differ from the in-custody census because some juveniles are held only for short periods.
Lively told the board the facility has completed roughly 73.7% of CTAS report recommendations since receiving the CTAS update in October; twelve recommendations were identified, with 25 still in progress. Completed items included updated medical protocols (with help from the health department), records disposition and destruction, dining-hall meal documentation and a finalized policy-and-procedure manual (the last prior update dated to 1999).
Operations still face personnel gaps. Lively said 11 positions are effectively unfilled because of retirees and open lead/health roles; six qualified applicants are awaiting open positions but cannot be immediately hired under current constraints. A posted part-time LPN role drew one applicant who later canceled an interview. Staff reported high overtime and difficulty maintaining staff-to-youth ratios when any worker is off-duty; the board discussed creating holiday/sick-relief positions or shift changes to 12-hour coverage for medical staffing.
Board members and staff flagged transportation as an immediate operational risk: the facility’s transport officer is retiring late this month and staff said losing that role would make it difficult to move a child to a residential treatment placement quickly, risking lost placement opportunities. Staff also described routine ambulance calls and suicide-watch incidents that require reliable transport and medical coverage.
The chair and administration said county finance and executive staff would work on budget and hiring barriers in parallel with the governance transition. The board asked operations to return with governance documents and candidate recommendations for the advisory board at upcoming Feb. 10 and March 17 meetings.
Next steps: continue CTAS implementation work, prioritize hiring for the most critical vacancies (including transport and medical relief), and coordinate with finance and HR on backfilling positions and potential budget adjustments.
