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Board reviews plan to add behavioral-health navigation focused on youth and families
Summary
Staff proposed adding behavioral-health navigation services to connect families, pediatricians and daycare providers with community mental-health resources; the role would be referral and coordination rather than direct, billable treatment, and it would be funded from public-health dollars.
Health-department staff outlined a plan to expand clinical services to include behavioral-health navigation and coordination aimed primarily at children and families. Staff described the function as a 'navigator' who would help caregivers and local providers find appropriate resources and make warm handoffs rather than provide intensive clinical treatment onsite.
Board members emphasized coordinating with existing resources — for example, the Reliance/Relia Center and the 988 crisis line — and asked staff to preserve provider-agnostic referral pathways so a contracted navigator does not funnel clients only into a single system. Staff said the proposed navigation service is unlikely to be billable to insurance and would be funded with public-health dollars, and that initial contracting could be a trial with the option to hire an in-house navigator later if demand and outcomes justify it.
Staff also flagged outreach to pediatricians and daycare providers as a priority to ensure early identification and referral for children with behavioral needs; the board discussed marketing and partnership strategies and the need for data reporting from any contracted provider.
