More Discontent over Mental-Health Services at Santa Barbara County Jail
Supervisors Get an Earful About Wellpath’s Shortcomings Amid Contract-Extension Negotiations
The Santa Barbara County supervisors got another earful about the shortcomings of the mental-health care provided in the county jail and the extent to which the jail’s privately contracted health-care provider, Wellpath, has been allowed to violate the terms of its contract without consequence.
Mental health advocates with the League of Women Voters exhorted the supervisors — and jail administrators — on Tuesday to keep Wellpath’s noncompliance front-and-center when negotiating a one-year contract extension. For Wellpath, this would be the second contract extension.
For the supervisors, it’s a tricky problem. Wellpath is pretty much the only contractor out there when it comes to mental- and medical-health treatment for people behind bars. Privately, most county administrators acknowledge a severe paucity of choices. But it remains unclear to what extent the county’s Public Health Department might be a viable contender for the contract. About 20 years ago, Public Health had the contract.
High-ranking spokespeople for the Sheriff’s Office told the supervisors they’ve held 50 negotiating sessions with Wellpath already with no end in immediate sight given the complexity of the contract. A recent management audit and a recent Grand Jury report revealed that Wellpath failed to meet minimum staffing levels on numerous occasions during COVID and that the Sheriff’s Office, charged with overseeing contract compliance, failed to levy any of the penalties called for in the contract.
While there is considerable unrest at the fourth floor of the county administration building with the level of oversight by the sheriff, the jail remains very much under the sheriff’s domain politically and legally. The current deadline for arriving at a new extension is June 30.
Related Posts
