This recorded City Club of Idaho Falls presentation, “When Cuts Cost More,” examines how recent Medicaid and behavioral health policy changes in Idaho are increasing pressures on law enforcement, jails, and local communities. Sheriff Sam Hulse and behavioral health leader DeVere Hunt discuss the regional crisis system they helped build, including crisis centers, recovery programs like Center for Hope, and the Rise Up youth crisis center. They also talk about how cuts to services such as peer support and the disbanding of regional behavioral health boards are leading to higher jail populations, more mental health holds, and worse outcomes for vulnerable Idahoans.
The following slides contain information referenced by the guests during the presentation (3/19/2026) and KISU radio broadcast (3/23/2026):
