Spokane briefing: county asked to proceed with DSHS-funded jail behavioral-health pilot to speed competency restoration

Sheriff's Office staff and corrections leadership presented a Department of Social and Health Services pilot at the Feb. 24 Spokane County commissioners briefing that would embed state-funded clinical positions in the county jail to serve individuals subject to competency-restoration evaluation (referred to in the briefing as the Trueblood population).

Presenters said the pilot would provide state-funded clinicians and support staff — two psychology associates, one psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner, an administrative assistant and a clinical intervention specialist — and would request county-provided sergeant and lieutenant positions to be assigned to the program. County positions would be filled by promotions/backfills as needed; presenters said the state would reimburse the county for any required county-supplied costs identified in the contract.

The pilot’s stated goals are to stabilize individuals earlier in custody, shorten time to competency restoration and speed reintegration by strengthening reentry and care-coordination services. Presenters said the program would be at no cost to the county while funded by the state and that program metrics and data would be provided to the county under the grant to evaluate outcomes.

Commissioners asked whether the pilot would increase local bed days and whether the county would be compensated if people remained in county custody longer than they would have at Eastern State Hospital. Presenters said the program is designed to supplement and expedite access to treatment, not replace Eastern State Hospital, and noted that previous implementations produced both shorter and longer stays for different cohorts; the contract will include data collection to track bed days.

Sheriff’s staff requested approval to continue risk-management review and proceed toward a July 1 contract start; commissioners discussed tracking bed days and contract protections and did not record a vote during the briefing.