Volusia To Improve Mental Health Services
Volusia County FL corrections could have a local agency providing mental-health services in the jail by Jan. 1.
The Volusia County Council and County Manager Jim Dinneen made a surprise move Thursday to take steps to open the mental-health portion of the jail health care contract to Act Corp. The arrangement could be a subcontract with Prison Health Services or a separate contract with the county.
The move brought praise from local community leaders who for months have called for a change. County administration and the corrections division were originally recommending extending Prison Health Services’ overall contract for 18 months until further review can be made. Its contract ends Sept. 30.
Prison Health Services, which along with the county has faced criticism and lawsuits over the care of inmates, will negotiate over the next 45 days with officials at Act and Stewart-Marchman Center, the area’s main mental-health and substance-abuse providers, which are merging services in October. Prison Health Services will continue providing mental-health care until the county approves a new arrangement…
Since Act many times treats the clients that end up in the jail and when they leave, County Chairman Frank Bruno said, “If we can put this together, it will be a win-win for the whole community.” Councilman Jack Hayman said he’s had serious concerns with Prison Health Services. He agreed working with Act is a “first step in the right direction.”
More details at the News-Journal.