Bear River Mental Health tries to catch problems early

Bear River Mental Health services never run out of service needs according to Executive Director Reed Ernstrom. In his annual report to the Cache County Council Tuesday night Ernstrom said the total budget this fiscal year was $7.7 million and the amount coming from Cache, Rich and Box Elder counties totals approximately $179,000.

Ernstrom says a few years ago the Utah legislature recognized that the majority of funds expended for mental health services go to the Medicaid populations.

“And we didn’t want to go all the way down that path,” Ernstrom told the council. “So the legislature appropriated $2.7 million in total dollars for the entire state, then that went out on formula.

“Our portion was about $179,000. We chose to use that money to put therapists into the elementary and middle schools and high schools.”

Ernstrom says it is important to intervene at that point. He told the council that Bear River Mental Health has a 24 hour crisis line and anyone needing help receives a response.

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