“I think it’ll be a seamless transition between the folks, whether they’re here in Springfield or the lane county jail.” Chief of Springfield Police, Andrew Shearer.
At a ribbon cutting event Friday he and city officials started a new partnership with WellPath.
It’s a company that will provide around the clock medical and mental health services to inmates at the Springfield Municipal Jail.
“We’ve had good medical care in the past, but it’s been a 12 hour a day level of care. And so, not only is this going to be an improvement because we’ll have people around the clock, but it’s also the same company that provides services to the lane county jail. I think we all know, there’s a lot of people that transfer back and forth between the two,” says Shearer.
The chief says this was something much needed, especially since the pandemic started. WellPath already provides services to the Lane County Jail, which houses close to 400 inmates. The Springfield Municipal Jail houses almost 100. People there will now have access to therapy and treatment plans 24 hours a day, including addiction therapies.
Shearer says, “We have about 20 hours a week of a mental health professional that is here in the jail. And if there’s a need for that kind of service, when that mental health professional is not here, we still have nurses on staff that have immediate access to different levels of care through WellPath that we can provide.”
Chief Shearer says WellPath collaborated with Springfield leadership to ensure a smooth and transparent transition for the well-being of current staff and patients.
Making a difference for not only inmates but the community at large.
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