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Bayfield County seeks behavioral health manager as detention costs pressure budget
Summary
Behavioral Health manager post remains open and staff say emergency detentions that lead to treatment placements strain the county budget—detention stays average about $800 per day and can last three to six months; grants have been pursued to offset costs.
Tom Croteau, Behavioral Health and Community Services Manager, told the Family & Behavioral Health Services Advisory Committee that the Behavioral Health Section’s manager position remains vacant and that the job description may be revised to attract more applicants.
Croteau reported staffing levels in behavioral health have been steady since October but said emergency detentions that result in treatment placements are a significant budget pressure: he gave an average cost of about $800 per day for placement stays that can last three to six months. Croteau said several grants have been applied for to help offset those costs but that mental-health and substance-use services continue to represent a large portion of the section’s budget.
Croteau also said behavioral health staff have become skilled and require minimal oversight. The committee discussed recruitment and job-description changes intended to broaden the candidate pool.
Why it matters: Long out-of-county treatment placements tied to emergency detentions can quickly consume local budgets, affecting service availability and county financial planning. The committee identified recruitment and external funding as short-term mitigation.
Next steps: Continued recruitment for the manager position and application for external grants.
