PORT ANGELES — Clallam County Commissioners are reviewing a proposed Memorandum of Understanding that would expand medical and behavioral health care for people preparing to leave the county jail.
The agreement, still pending approval, outlines a partnership between the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and the North Olympic Healthcare Network to provide coordinated pre-release services under the state’s new Reentry Demonstration Initiative. That initiative allows Medicaid—known as Apple Health in Washington—to cover essential care for incarcerated individuals during the 90 days leading up to their release.
If approved, county nursing staff would screen inmates for medical and mental health needs within 24 hours of booking, while NOHN clinicians would conduct twice-weekly sick-call clinics in the jail. The plan also includes medication-assisted treatment for substance-use disorder and connections to community care after release.
Sheriff Brian King says the goal is to ensure a “warm handoff” from jail to community health providers, improving outcomes and reducing repeat offenses.
The proposed agreement carries no direct cost to the county beyond maintaining clinic space and software access for NOHN providers and would run from this December through November 2028