Douglas County hearing spotlights $1.4 million shift to crisis services and multiple behavioral health supplemental requests

Douglas County behavioral health leaders and community partners presented their 2027 budget requests and multiple supplemental asks at a public hearing, and county staff said they have reallocated funds from two previously county‑funded programs into a crisis services pool.

Bob Tryansky, director of behavioral health projects for Douglas County, told commissioners that two programs historically funded by the county — the RAP program and Transitions — now appear to be self‑sustaining after program‑specific financial reviews. "Those two allocations have been transferred over into the crisis services space for Bert Nash so that we can begin to more carefully monitor what the cost for uncompensated care in the crisis services space looks like," Tryansky said. The transcript identifies the transferred figures as $860,000 for RAP and $645,000 for Transitions.

Tryansky also described three supplemental requests from the administration: $200,000 to continue work on justice‑involved housing; a $100,000 placeholder to explore expanding the county’s referral tool with a closed‑loop product; and a one‑time $140,000 capital request to secure and renovate a colocated headquarters for Anchor Point and Alive Inc. Tryansky characterized these items as a new way the administration is bringing supplemental asks to the commission.

Partners at the table detailed their agency requests and how they are funded. Heartland Community Health Center requested one additional community health worker to support patients engaged in substance use disorder (SUD) services, noting many patients served through the health center are uninsured and that CHWs help connect people to coverage and services. DECA described three supplemental items: continuation of school‑based prevention funding, a new school‑based youth SUD treatment program, and an addition of roughly $45,600 to cover a full year of rent and utilities for a new 10‑unit transitional housing project.

Bert Nash representatives urged caution about long‑term revenue assumptions for crisis services. The treatment and recovery center (TRC) operating contract expires in October, and the agency’s 2027 request assumes continuation. Bert Nash said crisis services generate fewer fee‑for‑service receipts than anticipated and that some budget lines reflect revenue on a different timing basis than cash on hand; staff noted improvements in billing and claims processing but warned negative cash positions remain a planning challenge.

Commissioners pressed for clarity on timelines and contingencies. On the youth recovery center capital ask, Bert Nash said the county’s contribution would be contingent on the agency raising the majority of private funds first; construction work is underway on some exterior elements, and agency representatives said they are continuing fundraising with the expectation of finishing the project when private commitments are secured.

The commission did not take votes on these items during the hearing. Staff and partners said they will return to the commission with clarified figures (including a confirmed DECA spreadsheet vs. narrative discrepancy) and any formal proposals for new partners or contract changes. The hearing was adjourned and will resume the next morning with the sheriff’s office and justice partners.