Daviess County works to expand mental health services

Note

This article was originally published by WEHT on March 22, 2023. See the original post here.

DAVIESS CO., Ky. (WEHT) — Daviess County is partnering with RiverValley Behavioral Health to expand mental health services.

The county’s fiscal court approved an agreement with RiverValley to administer the “Mental Health Court.”

The court would provide services to help people who have mental illness and have been in contact with the court system.

Officials with RiverValley say more than 60 percent of people in local jails have a mental health disorder and often don’t get the help they need.

“It’s a human cost because it’s an individual that because of their illness, they have not been able to function fully in society,” says Dr. Wanda Figueroa-Peralta, CEO of RiverValley Behavioral Health. “And with our support, they do well.”

This program will also help the county save money. She says any time someone is incarcerated, it costs the county more than $60,000 a year.