While there has been several stories about the opening of the much needed new triage center, some are wondering what the mission and goals will be for clients after they are released. We do know what the purpose of the center is and that it has received plenty of outside funding for construction, but many questions remain;
• How will operational costs be funded if there is a shortfall in insurance, donations and federal funding? Do county and city tax payers pick up the tab? This isn’t such a bad thing, because helping folks on the front end actually save taxpayers money on the back end. My frustration comes from not being open with us about that funding.
• Will all individuals be directed (triaged) to a safe transition after they leave? This is the biggest question, because we know that relapsing even for people who have a strong family and friends support network is high. What about those that were taken in from the streets? Where do they go post triage? Do we want The Link to become a revolving door?
While I support The Link, and think this facility is long overdue in our community, I believe the public needs to hear a real plan on how it will operate, who will fund it, and most importantly what we are doing with the clients after they leave.
“Do your thoughts continue and repeat a cycle Seed, growth, bloom, and seed againâ€
― Richard L. Ratliff
Something oriented toward people instead of developers is a good thing. This is not empty parking ramps or play palaces. Likely, it’s hard to envision respective services. The focus should be a temporary assist. Those beyond help can be qualified and placed accordingly. Give them a few years for functional design and budget.
The financials for operation of The Link Triage Center have always seemed to be ‘TBD’ contingent the selection of the service provider.
Avera was selected as the service provider in December 2020, so the costs which they forecast in their response to RFP should form some basis for ongoing cost.
Still unknown (probably even to the partners), the volume of services required (i.e. number of clients) and the total cost of providing services to the clients. To the partners in this (Minnehaha County, Avera Health, Sanford Health and the City of Sioux Falls) the total costs are very likely to be ‘less than is currently spent’ and using less resources than are currently expended in cycling some of these prospective clients in and out of jail or hospital emergency departments.
As a taxpayer, I have confidence in that outlook.
As a human, I hope that the trajectory of a life (or ten) will be raised the result of this project, rather than is the case with the present approach. The limiting factor in success of intervention treatment with substance abusers is the same regardless of placement of the client on the socioeconomic scale – receptivity to treatment and changing their life.
“Do we want The Link to become a revolving door?”
This will be inevitable. The recidivism rate for clients will never be zero. Worst Case Scenario: The lives of no clients are changed. This revolving door will be less costly to Minnehaha County than cycling the person through hospital Emergency Care Departments.
The result in this has nothing to do with ‘want’, yours or mine.
The ‘want’ of a client that The Link Triage Center is not a revolving door is the only ‘want’ which going to matter in providing an answer to your question.
I was told yesterday by a city official that the budget shortfall for operational costs for the first year is approximately $400k. But when you look at the money pit called the Denty that costs us well over $10 million a year, it’s a spit in the bucket for a healthier community, as long as they dont F’k it up.