COUDERSPORT — At Thursday’s meeting, Potter County Commissioners adopted a resolution pledging to reduce the number of incarcerated individuals suffering from mental health illnesses.
The resolution pledged support for the Stepping Up Initiative, a federal program with grants that provide funds for implementing aspects of the program. The 20-percent match required can be paid for through additional grants, and new specialty courts do not have to be developed. Instead, measures can be taken through traditional courts or previously established specialty courts, already utilized in Potter County to address substance abuse issues.
Commissioners “pledge support for the Stepping Up Initiative, specifically agreeing to pursue strategies designed to reduce the number of people with mental illness in our county jail, and to encourage county officials, employees and residents to participate in Stepping Up.” Emphasis has been placed on safely reducing the numbers through assessment of individuals’ needs to identify adults with mental illness and their risk of reoffending and to use that information in the decision-making process; examination of treatment and service capacity and ways to make treatment more accessible; implementation of research-based approaches; and development of a way to track progress to determine best practices and report successes.
The resolution indicates that prevalence rates of serious mental illnesses in jails are three- to six-times higher than in the general population and that nearly 75 percent of individuals with serious mental illnesses also have co-occurring substance abuse disorders. Adults with mental illnesses tend to stay longer in jail and are at higher risk of being reincarcerated after release. County governments are required to pay for medical services for incarcerated individuals, and adults with mental illnesses that require treatment cost two- to three-times more than adults without service needs.
Also at the meeting, Commissioner Doug Morley said two municipalities have already pledged their support for a merger of the Potter County Visitors Association (PCVA) with Tioga County’s tourism promotion agency.
“So far, all the reports coming in have been positive and we expect we’ll get the 50 percent support to be able to send to the state,” Morley said. The county must garner the support of more than half of the municipalities for the move to be officially approved. “We will benefit from the strength of Tioga’s visitors’ association, which has an extensive promotion network built in that we couldn’t probably match with the funding we have.”
Commissioners discussed the potential impacts to counties due to proposed structural changes in the human services departments at the state level. Potter County Human Services Director Jim Kockler stated that, while it’s too early to tell exactly what will come from the proposed changes, it appears as though the state is attempting to combine a number of departments and reduce duplication of some services.
Kockler stated that a lot of the cost savings in the early stages will result from the state closing offices and no longer paying to lease space at multiple locations. The combination of fiscal and technical departments is likely, as well, and it has been suggested that mid-level managers should be eliminated, and directors should take on more active roles.
“In Potter County, our model has demonstrated since 1987 that we can offer a unified, cost-effective human services department,” said Kockler, who stated that he invited officials to Potter County to see how their approach is different than that taken in larger areas.
Kockler stated that in looking at the preliminary budget, it appears as though Potter County will not face a funding cut.
Commissioner Susan Kefover said the fundraising goal for the Galeton Borough’s dam feasibility study has almost been met. Organizers are also pursuing grant money to expand the study to include recreational activities linked to dam and lake.
Kefover also commended local school superintendents, staff and students for engaging in the various downtown improvement programs being undertaken across the county.
“The schools are such an important component of building who we are today as a community,” said Kefover. “The students are being a part of movements to take pride in their communities, and that’s great.”
Potter County will host an Early Childhood Expo from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 8 at the Coudersport Elementary School. Screenings, information on community resources, lunch and snacks, activities and prizes will be available to families with young children. The program is being organized by the Potter County Early Childhood Team, sponsored by JKLM Energy. More information is available by calling 814-274-4877.
The next meeting of the Potter County Commissioners will be held at 11 a.m. March 2.
