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Staff outline plan to contract with outside agency for children waiting in ERs
Summary
County staff described plans to research a contract with a community agency to have staff sit with children waiting for placements in hospitals; no authorization or formal vote was taken at the meeting.
Staff told the committee that hospitals sometimes keep children in emergency rooms while they await placement in residential facilities and that this creates operational burdens for hospital staff and county caseworkers. Committee staff said the county is exploring a contract with a community-based organization that could provide appropriately titled staff to sit with children and reduce ER staffing strain.
Members asked whether the county would pay hospitals’ costs (staff said hospitals currently bear ER costs) and whether similar contracts exist in other counties; staff said other counties do have models and that they are analyzing contracts to avoid restrictive terms. No motion was taken at the meeting; staff said they will return with recommended contract language after further analysis.
