Juvenile director: KCR beds could generate up to $2.2 million but detention still faces a $542,004 shortfall
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Summary
Dan Golden told commissioners county-operated KCR beds under Oregon Youth Authority contract can generate significant revenue if staffed and occupied, but juvenile detention still shows a roughly $542,005 shortfall and staff cautioned against overreliance on one‑time opioid funds.
Dan Golden, director of the Klamath County juvenile department, told the board that program development for the KCR (Klamath County Rehabilitative) program and related case management work can generate substantial revenue under contract to the Oregon Youth Authority, while juvenile detention continues to carry a multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar shortfall.
Golden said the KCR contract could be worth roughly $2,200,000 a year if 12 beds were consistently occupied. He outlined recent revenue runs: monthly client revenues averaged about $70,000 July–November, rose to $96,000 in December after occupying a new home, and showed variable levels in subsequent months. "Each bed in that program valued at a 184,000 plus per year," he said, and noted that state proposals would increase per‑day rates by about 15% in the next biennium, pushing daily client payments to just over $600.
Despite KCR upside, Golden described a shortfall in the juvenile detention subaccount. The transcript records the detention line at roughly $542,004.91 short at present, while KCR revenues exceed expenditures. Golden recalled that a state grant for detention case management fell through after county budgeting, creating a structural hole; he said the county has tried to reengage the Oregon Health Authority with limited success and cautioned that reliance on opioid settlement dollars should be conservative and backed by program hours that justify the expenditure. "I don't wanna commit, you know, over commit those funds," Golden said, urging the county to ensure sufficient activity and documentation to support use of those funds.
Board members discussed options including transfers of earned KCR fees into detention, targeted transfers from general fund contributions and partial use of opioid settlement money, but emphasized the need to preserve funds for ongoing program operations and to avoid unsustainable commitments.
Golden asked for continued investment to sustain juvenile facility operations, staffing and program development while the department continues recruitment for two critical positions and builds program capacity to capture the full revenue potential of KCR beds.