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Benton County approves clinical supervision contract despite lower liability coverage
Summary
The board approved a contract with clinician Cathy Lagow to provide clinical supervision to county social workers; the contract carries $1 million per‑occurrence liability coverage versus the county's usual $1.5 million tort limit, a risk Assistant County Attorney Daniel Shub described as 'relatively remote.' The motion passed unanimously.
Social Services Supervisor Nikki Knowles asked the board to approve a contract with Cathy Lagow to provide clinical supervision for social workers who deliver mental health services, including co‑responder and outreach staff support.
Board members questioned the contract's liability insurance limits, noting Lagow's policy would provide $1 million per occurrence compared with the county's standard tort limit of $1.5 million under Minnesota law. Assistant County Attorney Daniel Shub advised members that while the shorter coverage amount creates a potential gap, the risk was "relatively remote" given the contract's limited scope and hours and the administrative controls described in the proposal.
After discussing the tradeoff between increased insurance limits and substantially higher contract costs, the board judged the benefits of contracting for clinical supervision outweighed the relatively small legal risk and approved the contract on a motion by Commissioner Ed Popp, seconded by Commissioner Jared Gapinski; the vote was unanimous among members present.
The contract will allow Lagow to meet regularly with co‑responder and outreach staff to review cases, provide guidance on adult mental health and crisis response, and support program development. The county did not require immediate additional insurance changes; staff will proceed with the approved contract and implement the supervision arrangement.
