FAYETTEVILLE — The Northwest Arkansas Crisis Stabilization Unit is closing for what Washington County Judge Patrick Deakins says will likely be the final time.
“In my opinion, this is the death of the CSU,” Deakins said Thursday afternoon.
Washington County received a verbal notice Wednesday from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences informing Deakins that UAMS is ending its contract with the county to provide services at the crisis unit.
The 16-bed facility serves as an alternative to jail for some individuals. Participation is voluntary for those treated, who are usually accused of creating a disturbance, trespassing or other disruptive behaviors, law enforcement officials said. The facility operates on a referral basis, with potential clients being identified by local law enforcement agencies, hospitals and other medical facilities, families and friends.
Deakins said the Northwest unit has never reached the levels of participation that others in the state have and the support from state government has never been sufficient to cover the costs of operating the facility.
“The utilization is just not there,” Deakins said. “We’ve not been able to attract the utilization from a regional standpoint like all of the other CSUs have.”
Washington County and UAMS agreed in January 2022 on a contract for the school to operate the unit. The Pulaski County Crisis Stabilization Unit is also operated by UAMS.
According to information provided in September by Leslie Taylor, vice chancellor for communications and marketing with UAMS, the Northwest Arkansas unit has been less successful in getting client referrals from non-law-enforcement sources. According to UAMS, from April through July 2023, the Pulaski County unit had 563 referrals, with 47 (8%) coming from law enforcement agencies. The Pulaski County facility reported 256 admissions during that time.
During the same period, the Northwest Arkansas unit had 253 referrals, 44 (17%) of which came from law enforcement agencies. The Northwest Arkansas facility reported 100 admissions in that period.
According to the Department of Human Services, the Northwest Arkansas unit has averaged 14 admissions of people in need of emergency services per month since it reopened in August 2022.
During that time, the Sebastian County unit has averaged 80 admissions, Pulaski County has averaged 67 and the Craighead County unit has averaged 38 admissions per month.
In a statement released by email Thursday, Taylor cited the lower utilization numbers at the Northwest unit as the reason for the decision
“After careful consideration, UAMS has made the difficult decision to withdraw from our contract to operate the Northwest Arkansas CSU,” Taylor said in the email. “As a state institution, UAMS strives to provide needed and necessary service where we can around the state. It is our responsibility to apply our resources where they will serve the greatest number of people. Unfortunately, this facility is lightly utilized relative to its designed capacity, and it’s no longer feasible for us to continue to provide the necessary staff and resources needed to maintain the facility. We hope to work with the County, the State, and the community to transition the facility to a new partner or to connect patients to other suitable services in other settings in Northwest Arkansas.”
The program was begun in 2019 with about $5 million from the state. That level of state support was reduced in 2021, and the Northwest Arkansas unit was closed for about a year after the original service provider, Ozark Guidance, said it couldn’t operate the facility at the lower level.
For the state’s fiscal 2023, which began in July, the Legislature approved $3 million in annual money for the units.
The state Department of Human Services announced in September that Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders approved a plan for additional money, in the form of direct one-time federal grants to the state’s four crisis stabilization units, so they can work to enhance services and achieve financial sustainability over the next nine months, according to a news release from the department. The federal grant money was meant to keep the units operating through the end of June.
On Thursday, Gavin Lesnick, chief of the office of communications and community engagement with the Department of Human Services, issued a statement by email acknowledging the closing of the unit.
“We are aware that the Northwest Arkansas Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) in Fayetteville is planning to close at the end of the current state fiscal year, and we will work closely with UAMS and the county in this transition period,” Lesnick said in the email. “Although the state continues to provide support, the NWA CSU is the most underutilized in the state and the provider feels it cannot continue to provide the needed care and services for limited referred clients beyond the current contract. The Arkansas Department of Human Services continues to work with stakeholders to find alternative care and treatment options for those in the area who need it.”
Fayetteville Police Chief Mike Reynolds said the closing of the CSU was both concerning and frustrating.
“Once again, it’s a concerning setback for our community’s growing mental health needs,” Reynolds said in a text message in response to questions about the CSU closing. “It’s one less resource for my police officers to utilize when they encounter persons who are battling a mental health crisis where jail is not helpful or appropriate for the treatment they need. Although this is a frustrating situation, my officers and social service advocates will work diligently with local stakeholders to explore alternative solutions or resources in an effort to ensure those in crisis receive the care and support they desperately need and deserve.”
Also on Thursday, Deakins said he had notified the state Division of Community Correction that Washington County is giving notice of its intention to end the lease with the state for the former Washington County jail at 114 N. College Ave. The lease gives the county the right to end the agreement after giving nine months notice to the state.
Deakins said the county will attempt to renegotiate the lease to provide the county with a higher reimbursement for the facility or take over the building to provide more jail space for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. He said the lack of action by the state to reduce the number of people sentenced to prison who are being held in county jails was a major factor in the county’s decision on the lease.
“The prisoner backlog is not going to solve itself in any meaningful time frame,” Deakins said. “Ideally, we would be able to negotiate a new lease with some adequate revenue for the county to cover some of the cost we’re incurring down in our jail.”
Dina Tyler, communications director for the Arkansas Department of Corrections, said the state has leased the former jail since April 2008. The center provides rehabilitation and supervision programs for nonviolent and nonsexual offenders, aiming to reduce recidivism and promote successful reintegration into society, according to the department’s website.
The county moved to the current Detention Center location in March 2005, according to Sheriff Jay Cantrell.
Tyler said the facility, which houses women inmates who are nearing their release dates from the prison system, had 113 inmates in residence on Thursday. The building as used by the state has a capacity of 114 inmates. She said Thursday afternoon the department had only just received the letter from Washington County.
“We’ll have to see what the letter says and what action we need to take, if any,” Tyler said.
Cantrell said the county could put the former jail back into service as a detention center with some work and additional staffing. When it was serving as the county jail the maximum capacity of the facility was about 240 detainees. He said there had been some preliminary discussions and the facility could be used to house women detainees to provide more space at the Detention Center. State law requires women and men be completely separated while in county jails. On Thursday, Cantrell said, there were 138 women being held in the Detention Center.
Cantrell also said the old jail could be used to house the detainees awaiting transfer to the state prison system. On Thursday, he said, there were 119 detainees awaiting transfer to the Department of Corrections.
“We’ll have to think about how to best and most efficiently utilize it,” Cantrell said of the old jail space.
Sarah Moore of Fayetteville said the decision to close the CSU and possibly reopen the old jail were both disappointing. She said voters showed in November 2022 they don’t support increasing incarceration. Moore is with the Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition, which has been active in promoting the crisis unit and other alternatives to incarceration.
“These are short-sighted decisions that don’t really look at the evidence or the return on investment to the community of providing alternatives to incarceration,” Moore said. “More than that it’s a slap in the faces of the voters and the taxpayers who resoundingly rejected a jail expansion.”