Fayetteville mental health crisis unit may close

FAYETTEVILLE -- A facility meant to keep people with mental health issues out of the criminal justice system will likely close temporarily while Washington County seeks a new medical services provider.

The Northwest Arkansas Crisis Stabilization Unit, on Mill Street in Fayetteville, opened in June 2019 with Ozark Guidance providing the mental health services. The unit is one of four pilot programs in the state. The others are in Pulaski, Sebastian and Craighead counties.

Kathryn Griffin, justice reinvestment coordinator in Gov. Asa Hutchinson's office, said Friday the funding for the unit has been reduced from about $133,000 per month in the first two years of operation to about $52,800 per month. The new funding level is set to begin Thursday, the start of the state fiscal year.

Griffin said the new funding level was set based on a review of expenses and reimbursements at the unit. Clients with private insurance or Medicaid are eligible to have some of their costs covered.

Griffin said after the new rate was questioned, the Arkansas Department of Human Services "took a deeper look at expenses" and is working on a new funding level. She said the review isn't final and a new funding level hasn't been approved.

The crisis stabilization units in Pulaski and Sebastian counties both had reductions in funding, but not to the extent of the Northwest Arkansas unit. Griffin said the Pulaski and Sebastian county units both had state funding cut from the $133,000 per month level to about $110,000 per month. Griffin said Human Services set the funding levels based on information about expenses and reimbursement at those units. The Craighead County unit is still in the initial two-year funding period.

The contract with Ozark Guidance expires at the end of June. Griffin said there will be a "transition period" and the unit may be shut down for some time. She said arrangements have been made to allow law enforcement agencies in Northwest Arkansas to take people to the crisis unit in Sebastian County.

Local law enforcement agencies and community health providers refer people who are in a mental health crisis to the units where they can be evaluated and treated.

Chief Mike Reynolds of the Fayetteville Police Department said the unit has been a valuable resource and served the community well. Reynolds said closing the unit even temporarily will limit the availability of the service for those who need it. He said the department will have to consider the time and distance from Fayetteville to Fort Smith as part of the process while the unit in Fayetteville is closed.

"When it's in your backyard, it's very convenient to be able to take someone there," Reynolds said. "We also have to be concerned about keeping our community safe. It's a difference of minutes as opposed to hours that we have to take an officer off the streets."

Reynolds also noted since admission to the unit is voluntary, the need to take someone to the Sebastian County unit might make it harder to persuade someone to use the services.

Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder said the funding has been the subject of a "back-and-forth discussion" for the past several months between state and local officials. He said it's important the unit be funded and people with mental health issues avoid going to jail.

"It's providing a vital resource," Helder said. "We don't want to incarcerate somebody for being sick."

Brian Lester, Washington County attorney, said the Quorum Court's County Services Committee will be briefed on the status of the Fayetteville unit when the committee meets at 6 p.m. Monday.