PORT ANGELES — Clallam County approved $382,500 in contracts Tuesday to help low-income people with chemical dependencies or mental health problems.
The eight contracts were funded by the one-tenth of 1 percent sales tax that the state Legislature approved in 2006 to assist unfunded clients with drug addictions, brain disorders or both.
Unfunded clients are those who meet low-income guidelines but are ineligible for other funding.
Judith Anderson, treatment coordinator for the Clallam County Health and Human Services Department, said the county will award 15 contracts worth a combined $872,500 in 2011.
“They are similar to last year’s contracts,” Anderson said.
Treatment providers throughout the county bid for the contracts. The county funnels state money to the providers.
“We simply do the fiscal piece of it,” Anderson explained.
Asked if the economy has driven up demand for chemical and mental health services, Anderson said: “Absolutely, yes.”
“Certainly more people have lost jobs,” she said.
The one-year contracts approved Tuesday are:
■ $111,500 to Peninsula Community Mental Health Center to provide behavioral health services to juveniles in the court system.
■ $89,000 to Peninsula Community Mental Health Center for psychiatric nurse practitioner services for patients with co-occurring disorders.
■ $42,500 to New Growth Behavioral Health Services Inc. for mental health services.
■ Two contracts to Dr. Marian Birch totaling $33,000 for postpartum depression treatment and education.
■ $71,000 to Trillium Treatment Center of Port Angeles to treat low-income adults for chemical dependency.
■ $29,000 to Bill Maier for mental health services.
■ $6,500 to Cedar Grove counseling clinic of Port Angeles for chemical dependency treatment.
Anderson said the providers have to work together.
For example, if a patient gets a chemical dependency assessment and is found to also have mental health problem, that patient is referred to a mental health specialist.
$1 million annually
The county distributes about $1 million per year from the sales tax, commonly referred to as the Hargrove fund, named for state Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, who sponsored the legislation.
“If you look at some of the contracts we signed today, those folks are getting professional help instead of sitting in the county jail,” Commissioner Mike Chapman said.
Another round of chemical dependency and mental health contracts will be awarded next week, Anderson said.
In other action, commissioners approved a $13,543 change order with Advanced Construction Inc. to complete renovations of the historic Clallam County Courthouse.
About half of the $360,930 contract is covered by a state grant from the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.
The exterior and main floor interior work is scheduled to be completed Thursday.
The board also approved a cooperators agreement with the Sequim-Dungeness Water Users Association and the state Department of Ecology to establish guidelines for water management in the Dungeness Valley.
A work group has been formed to try to implement Ecology-mandated in-stream flow rule within the next 18 months.
Meanwhile, Helen Hamilton was appointed to the Housing Authority Board as a resident representative.
Stephen Deutermann was appointed to fill an unexpired term on the Civil Service Commission through March 2013.
Skye Eastman-Newlin, Diane Wheeler and Bill Plumley were reappointed to the Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee for terms that end in December 2013. There are openings for five more positions on this board.
Dan McKeen, Clover Gowing, Carey Melmed and Lorraine Wall were reappointed to the Public Health Advisory Committee for terms ending in December 2013.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
