Health District receives grant for mental health services

POMEROY–Martha Lanman, Public Health Administrator for the Garfield County Health District, announced at its regular monthly meeting with the Garfield County Commissioners on Monday, December 23, 2019, that they have received a $150,000 grant from the Group Health Organization for the use of mental health services. The Health District will be looking at setting up a program in the Pomeroy Schools to provide a mental health counselor for students. A similar program has already been established in the Dayton School District, and Lanman expects that the Pomeroy program will be modeled after that one.

Lanman also reported that she has been working with others to establish a Southeast Washington Health Partnership organization that would be joining diverse community organizations in Garfield, Asotin and Columbia counties, for the purpose of advancing programs in health and safety. The partnership will be a non-profit organization made up of six members and an administrator, which will be Lanman. The first meeting will be in January, where they will adopt bylaws and a mission statement, and complete the documentation for filing for a non-profit status. The formation of the partnership is being paid for through funds received from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for telehealth services.

The Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) has realized a budget gap created by decreased funds received through the vaping tax. They have requested that Governor Inslee fund this gap. The FPHS is also asking for more funding for school nursing in rural areas.

The Garfield County Health District is still looking

for an Environmental Health Services Specialist since they lost the contract with Whitman County. Environmental Health Services encompasses many areas of public health, including food services inspections, solid waste management, and even playground equipment inspections. Lanman has been in contact with Walla Walla, Asotin and Columbia Counties in an attempt to partner with them in using a specialist from one of those counties. Asotin County is also looking for a specialist and is interested in partnering with Garfield County if one is located. Temporary services may be obtained through Walla Walla County, and Lanman asked the Garfield County Commissioners to send them a letter of support for temporary services. The person needed for the position should be experienced in solid waste management due to the new regulations that will soon be forthcoming. She predicts that they will have to pay a higher hourly rate than before, maybe as much as $10,000 per year, much more than in the past. The specialist will have to be a public health employee. There are also new regulations expected that will require each restaurant to have a certified food manager on staff. She added that the cost of environmental health services will be going up, and the need for expertise will be more important than ever due to new regulations.

The county commissioners were also asked to approve and sign a new updated Garfield County Solid Waste Ordinance, Resolution 2019-27. The ordinance had not been updated since Resolution 2004-1 was approved. The update did not change any laws that were already in effect, but after reviewing them, Commissioner Justin Dixon asked that the ordinance be read aloud so that everyone is aware of the verbage they are being asked to sign. He was surprised that it states that burning garbage is prohibited, and that when an infraction has been issued and garbage clean-up is required, each day that passes without compliance is considered a separate offense, punishable by fines and/or jail time. He asked if the Pomeroy City Council has knowledge of this ordinance, because it appears that it is not being enforced effectively. Lanman assured him that the Health District has been working with the City in enforcement, but that currently it is only with investigations, and it is the responsibility of the City to enforce any penalties.

The next meeting of the Garfield County Health District will be held January 27, 2020, at the meeting with the Garfield County Commissioners, at 10 a.m. in the Garfield County Courthouse Board Room.