Committee authorizes contracts with psychiatrists for court-ordered evaluations amid rising demand

Lynn Gramley, Department of Community Services, told the committee the county has seen a sharp rise in court-ordered evaluations and has struggled to find psychiatric providers. "Over the last three years we have seen a 400 percent increase in AOT evaluations and 730 evaluations (court-ordered)," she said, and requested contracting with four psychiatrists/agencies to provide evaluation services. The contracts were described as a flat rate of $250 per hour not to exceed $30,000 for each contract; an additional $100 per hour would apply if in-person testimony is required. The committee approved the contracts unanimously.