The Knox County Commissioners have approved an agreement to support a behavioral health service coordinator at the Knox County Jail. This decision was made during their meeting on July 8.
According to the commission's agenda for that day, the agreement involves the Knox County Sheriff's Office, the commissioners, and Mental Health and Recovery for Licking and Knox Counties. This arrangement has been in place in previous years.
The text of the agreement specifies that the Mental Health and Recovery Board will provide up to $40,000 between July 1 and June 30, 2026. These funds are intended to support the position of Behavioral Health Service Coordinator within the sheriff's office, focusing on services for adults aged 18 and over who are incarcerated in the Knox County Jail. The sheriff's office will be responsible for selecting and managing this coordinator, as well as providing service coordination within the jail. Additionally, they will submit semi-annual and annual reports to the Mental Health and Recovery Board detailing the number of individuals served and evaluating the program's success.
The agreement states that commissioners will invoice the Mental Health and Recovery Board quarterly for actual costs related to delivering these services. These costs may include wage or salary expenses, fringe benefits, and other associated expenses. Upon receiving invoices and billing documentation, the board will issue payments to the commissioners, who will then process payments to support this position within the sheriff's office.
"We have a proven agreement between the sheriff's office, the Knox County Commissioners, and Mental Health Recovery for Licking and Knox Counties," said County Manager Jason Booth during a meeting video. "And this is for behavioral health services coordinator."
