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HOLLIDAYSBURG — The company that provides health care at the Blair County Prison is expected to get approval this week to hire a second full-time licensed clinical social worker to focus on inmate mental health care.
Commissioners on Tuesday reviewed a proposed amendment to the county’s agreement with PrimeCare Medical Inc. that will pave the way for hiring a second mental health clinician.
“The workload is just higher than what one person can handle,” County Administrator Nicole Hemminger told commissioners Tuesday.
The county’s cost of amending its contract with PrimeCare will be $7,586 a month,or $91,035 annually.
Because the county has about six months remaining on its current contract, Hemminger said the cost could be prorated, starting when services commence.
Commissioners are expected to vote Thursday on the contract amendment. The cost will be covered by the county’s general fund.
While Gov. Tom Wolf earlier this year proposed state budget increases to restore funding cuts to counties for mental health services, Erb said Tuesday that his latest information shows no forthcoming increase to the counties in their base mental health funds.
“This is a massive blow to an already crumbling mental health system that is suffering from a lack of services, (from) providers losing staff to other employers, county jails struggling with a steady increase of inmates with mental illness and the inability to address the mental health needs in the county in a planned and comprehensive way,” Erb said.
The state is expected to set aside $100 million from federal COVID-19 relief funds for distribution to schools and to physicians for some psychiatric services.
“There is a chance that counties could see a portion of the one-time $100 million pot, although this is uncertain,” Erb said. “And it doesn’t enable counties to sustain meaningful, long-term improvement to our mental health system.”
When the Blair County Prison Board met in July, it voted in favor of the county signing an amended contract with PrimeCare to allow the hiring of the second mental health clinician.
Warden Abbie Tate said the current clinician sees about 40 to 50 inmates a day in comparison to a previous job where she counseled seven or eight clients a day.
“I know she’s overwhelmed,” Tate told the prison board.
The warden also spoke of “multiple efforts” to address inmate mental health care needs.
“But the numbers just continue to increase,” she said.
A contributing factor could be the prison’s population — averaging around 300 — which changes regularly. Between June 13 and July 15, reports show that the prison released 130 inmates and admitted 148.
Erb said that he recently reviewed information about the need for more inmate mental health care treatment. He said he was “shocked” and “alarmed” by the information.
At the prison board meeting, Erb referred to the monthly cost of a second mental health clinician as “a small investment for something that’s desperately needed.”
Prison board Chairman A.C. Stickel, county controller, also voted to recommend that commissioners amend the contract with PrimeCare.
“While it’s an increased expense for the county, I’d support moving forward,” Stickel said.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.
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