Kittitas County Jail Project Narative for Opioid Settlement Funding Request 3-2026 (updated)

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haven’t always been two therapists due to recruitment and retention issues, so when the grant was ready to sunset in September of 2025, a no cost extension was granted for an additional 12 months. With the raising costs of mental health professionals in the region, the funding remaining only allows for this team to be fully funded through quarter 2, or until June 30th, 2026, roughly. The Kittitas County Jail leadership team has looked for multiple avenues to apply for funding through available federal or state dollars, but there has been nothing released or indicated that it would become available before the jail runs out. We are asking for an additional $583,152.70 through the end of 2027 for the purpose of continued funding for the jail-based therapy team. (see attached budget) This team is contracted to have assessments completed on all booked individuals (if they are still incarcerated) within 72 hours. In 2025 every person who met those criteria was assessed either in person, or if they refused to speak with the mental health team, their records were researched to determine any necessary assistance or treatment they could beneflt from while in the facility. This was possible because for most of the year we had all three positions fllled but currently are looking for the 2nd therapist. This same team was able to provide 2015 one on one services (therapy sessions or meetings), and case management towards reentry for 55 clients. They also worked closely with regular medical staff, MOUD (medications for opioid disorders), and a psychotropic provider to ensure that co-occurring disorders were being addressed as well as additional medication treatment needs based on their time spent with the clients while incarcerated. These stats don’t refiect the immediate impact this team has on the jail overall, the care and custody of individuals, helping with behavioral matters or intervening prior to someone having a crisis. The future of this program has different treatments and approaches they want to take including group therapy, anger management and domestic violence therapy, and increase involvement with the jail reentry group for a more comprehensive handoff for those being released to both the Kittitas County community, and other places. The jail is working with Comprehensive Healthcare leadership to flnd a second therapist, to develop processes and procedures to allow for Medicaid eligible client’s treatment to be billed by the jail under the 1115 reentry waiver initiative, and how we can increase the programming we provide to those incarcerated. Like every program in the facility, the jail leadership team continues to evaluate, communicate, and implement enhancements to the base level of each programming that they have begun with. The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office vision statement is “a physical infrastructure and agency culture that enable us to provide the same level of service to our community that we would to our own families.” This programming was the start of most of the other community based, reentry focused programming that has grown to the point it’s outgrown