County, Tribal Health Agree On MOU
The Roosevelt County commissioners approved a memorandum of understanding with tribal health regarding treatment in the county jail.
The agreement will allow public health to come into county jail to test tribal members for sexual transmitted infections. Inmates will need to consent for the treatment.
Roosevelt County Health director Jenny Fuller explained the agreement will allow to provide inmates the treatment that they need at a consistent location. Such treatment has challenges when the individual can’t be located or uses alcohol during the time.
Fuller supports the efforts of the new agreement.
“We are leading the pack in the state as far as sexual transmitted infection instances go,” Fuller said.
During commissioners’ reports, Commissioner Gordon Oelkers said that Eastern Montana Mental Health will provide mobile crisis units for its 17-county area.
Part of the program will be hand-held tablets for the sheriff’s offices that people in crisis can call to receive behavioral and mental health assistance.
“We’ve been talking about it for a couple of years, but couldn’t find the funding for it,” Oelkers explained.
Commissioner Robert Toavs said, “The ultimate goal is getting people the treatment they need rather than on suicide watch.”
All three commissioners attended the annual Montana Association of Counties conference. After serving the past year as MACo’s president, Oelkers is now the immediate past president.
“The journey he went on for that brought eastern Montana a voice,” Toavs said.
Oelkers added, “I enjoyed it.” Toavs reported that during the ag committee meeting there was discussion of offering crop insurance for grain corn.
Commissioners approved pay raises for Fuller as public health director and Kristi BigLeggins as aging services employee.
Derik Pierce was re-appointed to the planning board.
