Madison County is seeking help from a private provider to accommodate a rise in mental health commitments.

The county commission approved an agreement with Wellstone Inc. to provide eight beds for mental health patients. It was a move County Attorney Jeff Rich said was necessary because Huntsville Hospital’s emergency room is “overtasked and overloaded.”

That “creates more delay in receiving necessary treatment for those suffering with mental health issues who are part of the commitment process,” Rich said.

“We’ve seen an enormous increase in petitions for involuntary commitments,” Probate Judge Frank Barger said at the commission meeting on July 19. “Some of it is coming out of COVID,” he said. “The majority is just the growth we are experiencing.”

As of the July 19 meeting, Barger said the county had 30 pending mental health care petitions.

“I have 33 people backed up for a bed for long-term care at Huntsville Hospital,” Barger added. “That’s not a negative reflection of Huntsville Hospital. That’s just a reflection of our growth and our ability to keep up with it. We manage this on a daily basis. These eight additional beds will provide a tremendous amount of relief in the intake and stabilization process.”