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County staff asks commissioners to support returning criminal justice treatment funds to local control
Summary
Stan Hope asked the board for a letter supporting return of Criminal Justice Treatment Account (CJTA) funds to Benton County. Staff said the county would receive roughly $417,000 per biennium and could improve accountability and faster access to treatment if funds are locally managed.
Stan Hope, a county treatment coordinator, told commissioners that Benton County has not directly managed Criminal Justice Treatment Account funds in recent cycles; Greater Columbia Behavioral Health has been administering the funds and distributing them to local providers. Hope said the county’s share is roughly $417,000 every two years and asked the board for a letter on county letterhead supporting returning the funding to the county as early as Jan. 1, 2027.
Hope said that county staff performing required assessments has saved the county about $1,010,000 over the past two years and that local management would allow quicker access to inpatient care, expanded housing, urine‑analysis supplies, assessments and peer support. He told commissioners that the Health Care Authority (HCA) requires quarterly reporting, a biennial spending plan and an advisory council to manage the funds.
Commissioners pressed staff on current reporting practices and who has been receiving funds; staff said reporting from the current manager (Greater Columbia / Merit Resource Center) has been incomplete and the HCA is working to improve reporting. Several commissioners supported staff continuing discussions with HCA and asked county staff to provide a draft letter for the board to consider.
What happens next: Staff will follow up with HCA and county counsel and prepare a draft letter for the commissioners to consider; no formal vote was taken at the meeting.
