The Uintah County Commission approved a contract during Monday’s Commission meeting for consulting and lobbying services focused on public safety matters. The $100,000 dollar contract hires SML Strategic Consulting, LLC to seek funding for Uintah County’s short term and long term public safety goals. Uintah County Attorney Jaymon Thomas explained that funding would be for such things as setting up a pretrial service program as well as to get a Receiving Center in the area. Commissioner Stringer commented that area hospitals have made it clear that the ER is regularly terrorized by individuals in crisis while under the influence and that there needs to be a more appropriate situation to help these individuals. Facing similar challenges, some areas of Utah have established Receiving Centers that serve as a crisis response site for individuals experiencing behavioral, mental health, or substance abuse challenges in need of immediate intervention and stabilization. Usually law enforcement responds to these situations and the Receiving Centers offer an alternative to the ER or jail for individuals needing crisis intervention. State funding is expected to be available during the 2023 Legislative session for two new Receiving Centers in the state and the consulting and lobbying services would work to see Uintah County among the two.
