The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved state funding to continue a program that keeps some parents convicted of nonviolent property crimes out of prison and connected with their children.
The state Department of Corrections is providing about $553,000 to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for the program. The funding pays for a community corrections deputy to supervise the parents, a recovery mentor and substance abuse treatment, Cmdr. Mike Hartford said at the meeting.
The program provides “intensive supervision, treatment and programs geared toward parenting and families,” according to a 2021 report to Oregon legislators. It is intended to divert people with custody of their children from prison to probation, reducing their risk of reoffending and keeping their children out of the foster care system.
The sheriff’s office has received such funding since 2015 and contracts with Bridgeway Recovery Services, a Salem nonprofit addiction treatment provider, to provide the services.
Commissioners also unanimously approved paying Salem Hospital up to $475,000 to provide psychiatric treatment to any patients who live in Marion County and are unable to pay for services.
It is a renewal of a longstanding agreement Marion County has had with Salem Health, according to Ryan Matthews, administer of the county’s Health and Human Services Department.
Matthews said at the meeting that the funding is intended to help patients who don’t have insurance get initial treatment at the hospital. “Salem Health works to get them the benefits they need to cover that beyond that,” he said.
The board also unanimously approved providing $350,000 to Soaring Heights Recovery Homes to purchase a new home for people recovering from addiction at 609 Greenwood Dr. N.E.
The Keizer nonprofit operates three homes where 13 adults with or without children can stay for up to 18 months to help them reunite with their families. Residents are required to find employment, participate in recovery-based activities and random drug testing, according to the organization’s website.
The county funding will only pay for the property and not operations.
Commissioners unanimously approved or advanced other agenda items, including independent contracts with four health providers, as well as beefed up contracts with a group care home, an event planner for the Marion County Fair, and hauling and disposal of used tires from the Salem-Keizer Recycling and Transfer Station.
Original story below:
The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday will consider accepting state funding to continue a program that keeps some parents convicted of nonviolent crimes out of prison and connected with their children.
READ IT: AGENDA
The state Department of Corrections would provide about $553,000 to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for the program, which provides “intensive supervision, treatment and programs geared toward parenting and families,” according to a 2021 report to Oregon legislators.
The program is intended to divert people with custody of their children from prison to probation, reducing their risk of reoffending and keeping their children out of the foster care system,
The sheriff’s office has received such funding since 2015 and contracts with Bridgeway Recovery Services, a Salem nonprofit addiction treatment provider, to provide the services, according to the agenda item.
To participate
The commissioners meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Senator Hearing Room at 555 Court Street N.E. Anyone can attend or sign up to give public comment in-person at the meeting. The meeting is streamed live on YouTube.
Mental health and addiction treatment
Commissioners will consider paying Salem Hospital $475,000 to provide psychiatric treatment to any patients who live in Marion County and are unable to pay for services.
The funding is intended to help people who have no third-party insurance such as Medicare or Medicaid and have used all their benefits. The county is required to do so under a 2022 agreement with the Oregon Health Authority, according to the agenda item.
The board will consider providing $350,000 to a Keizer nonprofit to purchase a new home for people recovering from addiction at 609 Greenwood Dr. N.E.
Soaring Heights Recovery Homes operates three homes where 13 adults with or without children can stay for up to 18 months to help them reunite with their families. Residents are required to find employment, participate in recovery-based activities and random drug testing, according to the organization’s website.
The county funding would only pay for the property and not operations.
Independent contractors and appointments
Commissioners will consider approving contracts with four providers totaling about $2.5 million for mental health services. The county’s Health and Human Services Department is seeking to bring on two nurse practitioners, Tihana Sladic and John Michael Sholar to provide psychiatric care and two medical doctors, Kay Dieter and Jeffrey Luty, to provide medical care and supervision, according to the agenda.
The board will consider appointing Jackie Follis and Chad Cox to the Marion County Mental Health Advisory Committee. Follis is an addiction counselor working with people who are homeless and experiencing mental illness, and Cox is a certified mental health first aid instructor.
Also on the agenda
Commissioners will consider adding $101,000 to a contract with Carroll’s Group Care Home, Inc.to continue providing residential services to people who are not eligible for Medicaid or receive Social Security Income benefits. The new contract would total $200,000.
The board will consider adding $125,000 to a contract with Republic Services for hauling and disposal of used tires from the Salem-Keizer Recycling and Transfer Station. The facility transports trash and recyclables from customers throughout Marion County. The new contract would total $200,000.
They will also consider adding $230,000 to a contract with Ingalls and Associates, Inc. to coordinate the Marion County Fair. The new contract would total about $1.03 million and last through September 2024.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
