PORT ANGELES — Clallam County has renewed a series of contracts with mental health and chemical dependency treatment providers to help those with brain disorders, drug addictions or both.
Commissioners Mark Ozias and Randy Johnson voted Tuesday — Commissioner Bill Peach was absent from the county meeting because he was serving as vice chair of the state Board of Natural Resources in a meeting in Olympia — to approve $437,950 in contracts with First Step Family Support Center, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, Peninsula Behavioral Health and West End Outreach Services.
The one-year contracts were recommended by the county’s Chemical Dependency and Mental Health Fund Advisory Board.
Much of the funding for the services comes from the Hargrove fund, a one-tenth-of-1 percent sales tax for local jurisdictions to provide wrap-around care for those with drug and alcohol addictions and mental health disorders.
The fund was named for the sponsor of the legislation, retired state Sen. Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam.
County officials are monitoring other sources of state funding to help meet the needs of the community, Clallam County Health and Human Services Director Andy Brastad said.
“The need is much greater than the funding that we have,” Brastad told commissioners.
Ozias offered his support to the Health and Human Services Department as it seeks state funding in a complex, changing environment.
“Things aren’t clear at the Olympic Community of Health level yet,” said Ozias, board chairman.
“We don’t know exactly what areas they’ll be funding and how that’s going to play out.
“A year ago, the Salish Behavioral Health Organization didn’t exist, and now it’s working to evolve as quickly as possible to adapt,” Ozias added.
“So there are a lot of moving parts, which to me raises the need to try and do our best to keep our arms around it.”
Here are the seven contracts that were approved Tuesday with not-to-exceed amounts:
• First Step Family Support Center — $101,846 to offer a Parents as Teachers Program to eligible county residents.
• Lutheran Community Services Northwest — $95,404 to provide for behavioral health services.
• Peninsula Behavioral Health — $73,832 to provide screening and case management in the county jail and public health syringe exchange program.
• Peninsula Behavioral Health — $76,831 to provide behavioral health services to juveniles in the justice system.
• Peninsula Behavioral Health — $14,395 to provide mental health and chemical dependency services for underfunded clients.
• West End Outreach Services — $5,300 to provide behavioral heath services to juveniles in the justice system.
• West End Outreach Services — $70,342 to provide behavioral health services, case management and outreach.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
