Eleven central Arkansas counties and cities agreed to help fund a regional crisis-stabilization unit for mentally ill people through a Pulaski County Quorum Court action Tuesday evening.
The agreement, approved unanimously by Quorum Court members, is among Pulaski, Grant, Perry, Saline, Jefferson and Lonoke counties and the cities of Little Rock, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Jacksonville and Maumelle.
In establishing the unit, Pulaski County agreed to provide service to its residents as well as people from the participating entities.
Crisis units exist to give police officers another place to take people who are in the throes of a mental health crisis. Those people often end up at an emergency room, which can be expensive, or in jail, which is not conducive to treating a mental illness.
Four crisis units are in development across Arkansas. They were authorized by Act 423 of 2017.
For each center, the state agreed to provide roughly $1.6 million a year to cover operational costs.
In tandem, the four counties that sponsor the centers -- Pulaski, Sebastian, Craighead and Washington -- agreed to pay for the physical locations and the buildings' utilities.
To offset the ongoing utility costs, participating cities and counties agreed to pay $50 a day, up to the length of stay, for each person they deliver for treatment.
Patients at the Pulaski County center are expected to stay no more than four days. They will be evaluated by a team from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Upon leaving, the patients will be connected with community services for ongoing treatment.
Participating cities and counties also agreed to share data and to screen for mental illness and substance abuse at their jails.
In October, the Pulaski County Quorum Court agreed to spend up to $1 million to renovate the future crisis center. A section of the county-owned juvenile justice complex at 3001 W. Roosevelt Road was selected.
Currently, two pods at the youth lockup are undergoing construction, said Justin Blagg, director of Quorum Court services.
Those two pods have been completely sealed off from the rest of the complex, which, in addition to the jail, accommodates Pulaski County district and juvenile court.
Pulaski County's unit is expected to open in May, though a date has not been set.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson will speak at the Sebastian County unit's ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. today at 3113 S. 70th St. in Fort Smith.
Metro on 02/28/2018