Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Behavioral Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears how behavioral care center and diversion programs fit the campus plan
Summary
Staff and Criminal Justice Advisory Council representatives said the behavioral care center (BCC) will provide screening and short-term care (reported 60 beds with 30-day stays) and that new diversion programs and facilities (Bob Rabbits Mental Health Center, Diversion Hub, restoration center) aim to reduce future jail population; CJAC reiterated support for an 1,800-bed target tied to diversion investments.
Melissa Walton, executive director of the Criminal Justice Advisory Council (CJAC), described the role the behavioral care center and other diversion programs will play in the county's plan. Walton said the BCC will provide mental-health screening, potentially detox services and other clinical supports and that the center's design aims to allow screening partners and community providers to work on site to reduce repeat screening and streamline referrals.
Walton said CJAC's earlier assessment recommended an 1,800-bed footprint in 2021 and argued that diversion programs and other community investments would reduce future demand. Several public commenters questioned whether a 60-bed behavioral care center would be large enough to meet demand, and staff acknowledged the BCC's 30-day stays and its complementary role alongside new community facilities coming online.
"We are going to stick with our recommendation of 1,800, that we had back in 2021," Walton said, and committee members discussed how to reflect that recommendation in any ballot language or caps.
The discussion framed the BCC as part of a broader strategy intended to screen people out of jail when appropriate and provide a link to community behavioral-health services.
