MARSHALL – Some of the costs to provide medical and mental health services at the Lyon County Jail will be going up this year. However, Sheriff Eric Wallen said the increases would reflect ones that were originally planned when the county contracted with its provider.

In separate actions Tuesday, Lyon County commissioners renewed contracts with Western Mental Health Center for medical services and mental health services at the jail.

“We currently work with Western Mental Health Center for our medical needs, nursing, medical director and nurse practitioner within the jail,” Wallen said.

The new medical contract reflected some cost increases that were supposed to have been implemented already, he said.

“Our initial contract had a stipulation in there that rates would increase 3% every year. However, that had not been done. They had not increased our rates for the last couple of years,” Wallen said. “So when they prepared this renewal for us, they did factor in increases for the years that they missed into the new pricing.”

Wallen said rates for nursing services at the jail would be going up $5 an hour, while the rates for the medical director and nurse practitioner were staying the same.

The contract presented to commissioners said there would be a rate of $55 an hour for nursing services, a $250 per hour rate for the medical director, and a $130 per hour rate for a nurse practitioner.

WMHC began providing medical services at the jail in 2022.

“We’ve been very happy with Western Mental Health,” Wallen said.

There was a similar situation for the renewal of the county’s contract with WMHC to provide mental health services at the jail. Previous contracts hadn’t factored in the 3% annual price increases, Wallen said.

Wallen said WMHC provided services like substance abuse support groups, other types of therapy, and training for jail staff to recognize the symptoms of chemical dependency.

“A lot of it is screening with inmates coming in, for any mental health concerns that need to be addressed immediately,” Wallen said. “Other things are just support groups that are offered, and some services that are offered . . . Some of that stuff is required from the Department of Corrections, that we have a program for mental health services.”