Board approves new facility integrity and compliance coordinator for West Central juvenile center

The Clay County Board approved creating a facility integrity and compliance coordinator position for the West Central Regional Juvenile Center after hearing that recent regulatory changes and increased oversight have substantially increased staff time devoted to reporting and investigations.

James, who presented the request, told the board that safety‑based separation (SBS) rules and state reviews have grown more time‑intensive and that responses to DHS inquiries and licensing reviews under the cited rule (29 60) now require a centralized, inspection‑ready file for incidents. "We're getting a lot of youth with significant mental health issues ... and the amount of regulatory ... reviews that are happening and how often we're having to respond to investigations from the state," James said, urging a dedicated coordinator to manage documentation, instant reports and state interactions.

Commissioner Ebinger, who moved to create the position at the recommended line in the budget and to allow internal backfill, said the advisory board had received the proposal and that the West Central facility has demonstrated fiscal responsibility. Commissioner Bair seconded and the motion carried on a voice vote.

The board noted the change was included in the 2026 budget process and had been reviewed by the advisory committee. The coordinator is intended to reduce distributed workload among supervisors and to improve readiness for state inspections and DHS inquiries. The motion authorizes hiring at the position line noted; specific job description details and start date will follow the human resources process.

No dissenting votes were recorded.