Mental Health and Domestic Violence Services
At a glance
- What: residents asked the board to examine local mental health and domestic violence services during domestic violence awareness month, including funding, an audit of facilities, and stronger protections for strangulation survivors.
- Where it stands: commissioners expressed interest in taking up the mental health system later; no vote. The county manager announced a new 24/7 crisis line.
- Next: watch for a mental health item on a future agenda.
What was said
- Sonia Blackwell of Snow Camp asked the board to investigate funding of mental health and community services, audit local facilities, restore canceled grants of about $75,000 and ensure continuous care, including for veterans.
- A survivor named Nicole urged support for stronger protections and a strangulation registry.
- Sam Powell and other commissioners said the mental health system, changed under state managed care, deserves a closer look; one commissioner described a resident reportedly billed for a visit that Medicaid also paid.
- Heidi York reported a new Via-operated 24/7 crisis line for users of RHA services that also records complaints and performance data.
Discussion time
About 11 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-09-21 - Board of Commissioners | 11 |
Log
- 2026-09-21 - Board of Commissioners — Two residents spoke in public comment; commissioners promised to revisit mental health services; manager announced the crisis line.
- 2026-07-20 - Board of Commissioners — A commissioner raised concern that this year's budget cut funding for the supervised visitation program, sending court-ordered families out of county (from captions).