Bear River Health Department presents annual report; commission approves integrated mental-health and substance-use area plan

Bear River Health Department staff presented the department's annual report, highlighted a new public dashboard developed with the CDC Foundation and described service trends including increases in behavioral-health demand.

Esty Hunt (public information) and Jordan Mathis reviewed leading causes of death and service metrics, noting that small-case changes can make large percentage swings; Mathis said the department's audited 2024 expenditures and revenues were each around $15,000,000. Staff explained the department applied for a five-year grant to support suicide-prevention work and described a new dashboard accessible on the department website.

The commission then considered and approved the annual substance abuse and mental-health area plan, a statutorily required document. Trevor Cook of Bear River Mental Health summarized the plan and said the counties are integrating substance-use services into the regional structure, changing the organization name to Bear River Behavioral Health on July 1 and transferring about 21 health-department employees as part of the consolidation. Commissioner Lee Perry moved to approve the area plan; the commission voted in favor.

Staff described the accounting change that will show a roughly $10,000,000 increase in the health department's budget next year because behavioral-health contract dollars will be passed through that department; they emphasized the change is an accounting consolidation rather than a program expansion. The commission asked no substantive changes and approved the plan during the meeting.