VIA Health urges McDowell County to expand jail mental‑health access and consider in‑county detox

Tracy Hayes, area director and chief executive officer of VIA Health, told the McDowell County Board of Commissioners on May 11 that a recent sequential intercept model (SIM) mapping process identified three top priorities for the county: improve access to mental‑health services inside the jail, develop an in‑county detox and crisis stabilization facility, and establish a recovery court to divert people into treatment.

Hayes said VIA Health — the local management entity/managed‑care organization that oversees behavioral services for a multi‑county region including McDowell — can provide training and technical support to help the county implement those priorities. “We do a tremendous amount of training, including crisis intervention team training for law enforcement and first responder partners,” Hayes said, offering to provide CIT training free of charge "at your request." She described SIM as a tool that helps communities visualize where people with mental‑health and substance‑use challenges intersect the criminal‑justice system and identify points for diversion into treatment.

VIA officials noted a federal prohibition on using Medicaid dollars for services provided in jails, which complicates in‑custody care. Hayes said the county should map current jail services and look for ways community‑based organizations could offer support using non‑Medicaid funds, and that VIA can assist with that mapping and with identifying potential funding sources. “We have to create avenues for more community‑based organizations to work within the jail and figure out how we can help support them with non‑Medicaid dollars,” Hayes said.

On the in‑county detox and crisis stabilization priority, Hayes said regional models are common because it is not feasible to locate a brick‑and‑mortar crisis center in every county, but VIA would like to explore options with McDowell County to site services closer to local needs. She said having a detox or diversion center near a hospital often eases transportation and coordination with law enforcement.

Hayes also described VIA’s reentry work and related pilot funding, noting one example of transitional housing that helped a recently released person secure employment and stability. She emphasized follow‑up care: “If somebody is released and we can connect them to supports, they are far less likely to reoffend,” Hayes said.

Commissioners asked about funding and sustainability. Hayes said the Division of Mental Health is often more supportive when it can see local matching contributions — which may be cash, county‑owned property or other in‑kind resources — and that operational costs can often be supported in part by claims‑based reimbursement, supplemented by state and local funds for overhead.

Hayes closed by offering VIA’s continuing partnership — including participation in local coalitions, regular meetings with DSS, and workforce development initiatives — and by listing upcoming trainings and community events where VIA staff will be present.

The board did not take a formal vote on any VIA proposal at the meeting. The presentation ended with commissioners and law‑enforcement representatives thanking VIA for the work and availability to partner on training and services.