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Commission funds two ARPA‑funded mental‑health liaisons amid dispute over racial‑equity dollars
Summary
The commission approved two ARPA‑funded mental‑health liaison positions to be placed with reentry and drug‑court programs. Debate focused on whether $500,000 of racial‑equity ARPA monies remain unencumbered and whether community grants should be released now or referred for budget detail.
A resolution adding two full‑time mental‑health liaisons to support reentry and drug‑court clients (Item 26) passed the Shelby County commission on Aug. 27. Division of Community Services staff said the positions would be funded through ARPA and run through December 2026 to connect justice‑involved individuals with treatment rather than incarceration.
The item passed after extended discussion about a separate $1,000,000 appropriation previously allocated by the Racial Equity ad hoc committee. Commissioners pressed staff on whether roughly $500,000 remained unencumbered and whether a proposed $500,000 package for community youth mentorship grants (Item 27) should be considered now. Vice Chair Charlie Caswell, who sponsored Item 27, argued the money should be deployed quickly to community partners; Commissioner Edmond Ford and others objected that the item lacked required summary language and legal/finance clearances and successfully moved to refer Item 27 to the Budget Committee for further review.
Sandy Bromley of the Division of Community Services told commissioners the two liaison positions would help people leaving jail access medications and services and are two of five recommended actions from the county’s mental‑health mapping project. The commission approved the positions and the appropriation of $228,016 by recorded vote.
