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Rosebud County joins regional tele-mental-health pilot; deputies to use tablets to connect crisis callers to Abel
Summary
Board members discussed a regional tele-mental-health partnership (Abel) that allows deputies to hand a tablet or phone to people in crisis to speak with remote counselors; county staff estimate program costs at roughly $12,000–14,000 per year and plan to seek state match funding.
Bill Anderson, identified in the transcript as the outgoing director, described a tele-mental-health program called Abel that Rosebud and Treasure counties have signed up for through the sheriff’s office. Anderson said deputies can hand a tablet or phone to a person in crisis so the remote counselor can speak directly with them; the deputy steps away during the encounter and later coordinates with the provider to produce a plan and next steps (SEG 123–146).
Anderson said the program has been used in other counties with relatively few readmissions and that the counties will pursue state funding or a cost-share to sustain it: "About $12.13, 14,000 a year, I think, based upon the population," he said, and suggested the state might cover a portion with counties matching. He said the service provider is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and that local deputies would carry tablets or phones for remote counseling connections (SEG 154–163).
