photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Douglas County commissioners meet in a work session on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.

Douglas County commissioners raised questions about a proposal to expand local social detox services, directing providers to further refine the plan and address concerns about funding and coordination.

The proposal shared on Wednesday was to redirect funding from existing social detox services to Avalon Wellness & Recovery Center to provide four to six dedicated social detox beds in Douglas County for people experiencing substance use-related crises, as the Journal-World reported.

The proposal aims to provide interpersonal support to intoxicated individuals and individuals in substance use withdrawal with a more locally based detox program while expanding capacity and reducing barriers to care. The restructuring is expected to increase the available social detox bed days by 50% to 60%.

Partners also shared it would help address a greater need in Douglas County – social detox beds for men, as there are currently none anywhere in the county. While county commissioners said they understood the need, they weren’t sure if the proposal on the table was completely ironed out yet.

Commissioner Erica Anderson questioned whether stakeholders at the work session – such as the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, DCCCA, Heartland RADAC and others – actually sat down together to create the proposal. The providers then indicated to commissioners that they discussed the concept generally, but didn’t work through operational details together.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

Kenneth Vick, executive director of Avalon Wellness & Recovery, talks with Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday, June 17, 2026 during a work session.

“I would like to see all of these folks … in one room at the same time to work out any issues that could arise from this thing,” Commissioner Gene Dorsey said. “Where everybody’s in the room and working on any issues or unintended consequences.”

To fund the first six months of this proposal, Avalon is requesting $142,350 to support staff and program implementation. After six months, Avalon would bill the county $195 per occupied bed night. Several commissioners were uncomfortable with Avalon’s request for six months of upfront funding, adding that the county generally reimburses providers based on services actually delivered.

In addition, Anderson was skeptical of using taxpayer dollars for a private business when nonprofit providers are already delivering similar services. She argued that Avalon should build partnerships, receive referrals and pursue other funding sources rather than rely on county funding.

With the current proposal from Avalon, those seeking a social detox would be referred to Avalon for a typical one- to three-day stay before being connected with ongoing treatment providers such as DCCCA, Mirror Inc. or Heartland RADAC. The facility would offer 24-hour supervision, trauma-informed support, case management, peer support, discharge planning and connections to ongoing treatment services.

The current proposal’s annual cost for 2027 is not expected to exceed $284,700 and would include monthly reporting on bed utilization, referrals, admissions, discharges and treatment outcomes.

Commissioners did not take action on the proposal on Wednesday, as the presentation was for informational purposes only. Commissions directed staff and partners to further collaborate on the proposal and make sure all of the related partners gave their input on the proposal’s impact and feasibility.

IN OTHER BUSINESS, COMMISSIONERS:

• Approved a site plan for a landscape and lawn care business on 18.5 acres south of North 1800 Road. The plan involves the construction of a new 11,900-square-foot building, a 16-space asphalt parking lot and an exterior storage area to the west of the building.

According to a memo in the agenda, the development was asked to include plans for fire protection measures. The plans include a 4,000-gallon cistern for fire protection and this was approved by Consolidated Fire District 1.

• Authorized the disposal of surplus furniture and technology equipment following the expansion of the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center and the construction of the new Public Safety Building.

This process is a part of the county’s finance policy where usable items are first transferred to other county departments, then the remaining items are offered free of charge to community partners, townships and special districts on a first-come, first-served basis. Any remaining items may be sold through the online auction platform, Purple Wave, or a potential employee sale for valuable equipment, with proceeds going into equipment reserves. Property that cannot be reused or sold and has little value will be disposed of.

• Authorized a contract with Nextran Truck Centers for a Mack Granite 64BR heavy truck, dump bed, snowplow and salt spreader in the amount of $288,560. The new truck will be replacing an existing truck purchased in 2017.