FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County's Crisis Stabilization Unit has an Aug. 16 target date for reopening after being closed more than a year ago over funding issues.
Kristen McAllister, who oversees the Crisis Stabilization Unit for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, told members of Washington County's Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee on Thursday the facility is close to reopening.
"If we don't run into any issue with on-boarding staff or getting some final touches on the physical plant," she said.
McAllister was director of the facility for Ozark Guidance when it opened and has been retained by the university to fill the same post when it reopens. Washington County and the school agreed to a contract for UAMS to operate the facility in January. The university has been working to hire a staff for the facility.
Lisa Evans, associate professor in the university's Department of Psychiatry and medical director of the Pulaski County Regional Crisis Stabilization Unit, said in February the Northwest Arkansas unit requires 20-25 staff, with the positions being a combination of registered nurses, patient services associates, nurse practitioners, social workers, case managers and psychiatrists.
The 16-bed facility serves as an alternative to jail.
Participation is voluntary for those treated, who are usually accused of creating a disturbance, trespassing or other disruptive behaviors, law enforcement officials said.
The unit closed June 30, 2021. Ozark Guidance President Laura Tyler said in July 2021 the company, a nonprofit group, couldn't absorb a state funding cut of $43,000 a month -- from $133,000 to $90,000 -- and still operate the unit.
The Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee includes law enforcement representatives, judges, prosecutors, public defenders, mental health professionals and some community representatives.
The committee was formed to explore alternatives to a 2018 proposed jail expansion project.
The Quorum Court recently voted to put a $113.5 million bond issue for a jail expansion project, to be paid for by a 0.25% sales tax increase, on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Another $28.5 million bond issue to expand the county's Juvenile Justice Center will also be on the ballot.
The committee agreed on the need to proceed with alternatives to the jail expansion project and Nick Robbins, panel co-chairman, said it needs to develop a presentation for the Quorum Court on the mental health court program the group has been discussing as well as the pretrial programs.
Robbins said the group needs to have budget and staffing requirements and estimates on how many people the programs could serve and divert from the jail.
"That's the metric we need to give to the Quorum Court," he said.
Crisis units
Arkansas opened four 16-bed crisis stabilization units as a pilot program through June 2021. The Sebastian County unit in Fort Smith opened in March 2018. The Pulaski County unit in Little Rock opened in August 2018. The Northwest Arkansas unit in Fayetteville opened in June 2019, and the Craighead County unit in Jonesboro opened in October 2019. The state paid the operating costs of the units through June 2021 while evaluating the program’s effectiveness.
Source: NWA Democrat-Gazette