Board approves four contract renewals for court-ordered psychiatric evaluations

The Pima County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved four one-year contract extensions for inpatient, court-ordered evaluation (COE) services that the county uses when individuals require court-ordered psychiatric evaluation.

Ms. Pereira told the board these contracts are the final one-year renewal under terms from a prior request for proposals (RFP): the county originally issued a three-year initial term with two one-year renewals, and the current action extends the agreements for one additional year. She explained that the county has limited psychiatric inpatient bed capacity and must contract with licensed providers to deliver COE services; different providers have different dollar values tied to their patient volumes, and Banner and Sonora hospitals receive the majority of COE patients, while Palo Verde and Connexion see fewer.

Deputy County Administrator Holmes clarified statutory responsibilities, saying the county’s statutory obligation in this behavioral-health space is limited to providing court-ordered evaluation services; the county owns a CRC building but subcontracts operations. Ms. Pereira added that contracts include performance and reporting requirements and the county requires prior authorization documentation before paying claims.

The board voted to approve the four items (25–28) unanimously. Staff confirmed the county will go out for a new RFP after this renewal cycle.

Next steps: procurement will prepare for a new RFP and staff will continue to monitor provider reporting and performance metrics under the renewed contracts.