Benton, Franklin counties go separate ways on mental health consultants

Benton and Franklin counties will pursue different consultants to help map out a mental health program after nine months of negotiations with an expert in Texas failed to yield a contract.

In 2016, the two counties agreed to hire Leon Evans, president and CEO at the Center for Health Care Service in San Antonio, to advise them on how to improve mental health services in the Tri-Cities.

Contract talks are at an apparent standstill and no visit is scheduled.

While Franklin County still hopes to hear from Evans, Benton County commissioners say they’re done waiting and want to hire their original choice, Rick Weaver, chief executive of Yakima’s Comprehensive Health.

“We’ve been prepping long enough,” said Jim Beaver, chair of the Benton County Commission.

At its regular Tuesday session, the commission directed Kyle Sullivan, head of Benton-Franklin Counties Human Services, to develop an agreement with Weaver to create a road map to comply with Washington’s changing model for delivering health services by 2020.

Weaver attended the session.

While the selection of a consultant would normally be a minor governmental matter, mental health advocates are paying keen attention. The mental health road map will play a key role in helping Benton and Franklin counties repair what virtually all sides agree is an ineffective patchwork of services that fails to serve people with mental health issues and their families.

The results became apparent in local jails in 2012, when corrections officials observed an uptick in the number of inmates with significant mental health issues that only worsened in custody. Both counties agree too many people who should be in treatment end up in custody instead.

The crisis peaked a year ago when Marc A. Moreno, 18, of Pasco, died at the Benton County jail after being arrested for minor misdemeanors when he became disruptive at a mental health facility.

His family sued and Benton County Sheriff Steven Keane has said Moreno shouldn’t have been in jail. His death was ruled a drug-related accident after an autopsy revealed synthetic marijuana in his system.

Just this month, a former Tri-City resident complained she couldn’t get help for her adult son before he fled a home nearly naked and punched two Pasco police officers. Thomas “Caleb” Andrus was arrested for lewd conduct and assault. He was lodged at the Franklin County jail March 3. Although the jail roster indicated he remained an inmate on Wednesday, his family said he has been moved to a mental health facility.

Rick Weaver was Benton County’s original choice for a mental health consultant in 2016, but Franklin County commissioners worried it would be a conflict of interest if his company ended up bidding for services identified in a plan he wrote.

Franklin County countered that Leon Evans would be a better option, based on the successful center he operates in Bexar (pronounced “Bear”) County in Texas. Benton deferred to Franklin and the two counties agreed to use Evans, with Weaver providing some input.

Regardless of who develops the road map, Benton and Franklin counties face a deadline of 2020, which is when Washington plans to integrate health services in a move to make them more efficient.

Weaver advised the Benton County Commission the Tri-Cities needs to develop its own plan — or have one imposed on it by the state and its contractors.

“This is your last opportunity to have a tightly organized system,” he said.

Benton County Commissioner Shon Small said Franklin is welcome to work with Weaver. But Benton has waited nearly a year.

“We need to move forward,” he said.

Keith Johnson, Franklin County administrator, said his commissioners remain concerned about the potential conflict of interest with Weaver.

At its meeting this week, commissioners directed the prosecutor’s office, which handles its legal matters, to reconsider if Evans really needs to have professional liability insurance.

“It’s been a challenge” he said.

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 8:27 PM with the headline "Benton, Franklin counties go separate ways on mental health consultants."