By Kiera Morgan

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners discussed a potential property transaction. Health and Human Services Director Cheryl Connell will announced that the county has located and is prepared to purchase a facility for the restoration of short term mental health respite care in the community. The property is located in Newport off of Cottage Street near the American Legion. Connell stated that this would be a respite facility for those suffering from mental health issues and need a temporary safe place to be. She explained that the county lost its mental health respite facility, which had been operated in conjunction with the substance use detoxification and residential addiction treatment program at the Trueman Recovery Center, when Trueman closed nearly five years ago. The county has subsequently been without a community based facility for those who are in crisis and potentially at risk of harming themselves. The current planned facility would be a standalone program for short-term care up to 28 days of clients who do not require intensive psychiatric care or hospitalization and can be better cared for in the local community where they have easy access to family and other familiar social supports. The county Behavioral Health Division will provide clinical supervision and case management and the facility will be staffed 24/7. The board is taking public comment now and will discuss the matter further on December 7th.