To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nolan Sullivan, 707-565-4774; Jan Cobaleda-Kegler, 707-565-5157
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Behavioral Health Driving Under the Influence Program Staffing Request
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt a resolution amending the Department of Health Services allocation list, adding 2.0 Full-Time Equivalent Alcohol and Other Drugs Services Counselor II, effective October 14, 2025
B) Adopt a resolution adjusting the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Adopted budget, increasing appropriations in the Department of Health Services by $440,396 to reflect revenue and expenditures associated with the requested position allocations. (4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
The Department of Health Services (hereinafter “DHS”, or “The Department”) is requesting the addition of 2.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Alcohol and Other Drugs Services Counselor II allocations to be housed in the Behavioral Health Division’s Driving Under the Influence (DUI) program. The salaries and benefits for these positions will be fully covered by DUI Fees.
Adding these positions will help reduce the month-long waitlist for program entry and decrease the reliance on overtime for DUI program operations. The DUI program has experienced an average annual client growth of 10% over the past two years and anticipates significantly higher growth in 2025. These positions are critical to addressing current service delays and mitigating future capacity challenges.
Discussion:
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Program Staffing Request
The DUI program is mandated under state contract and licensed by the Department of Health Care (DHCS) under Title 9, CCR, Division 4, Chapter 3, commencing with Section 9795 as well as Health and Safety Code, Chapter 9 (https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/DUILaws-Regulations.aspx <https://sonomacounty.sharepoint.com/sites/DHS-ADM/Shared%20Documents/Board%20Item%20Collaboration/BH%20Under%20Development/2025-9064%20DUI%20Positions/DUI%20item/(https:/www.dhcs.ca.gov/individuals/Pages/DUILaws-Regulations.aspx>).
The DUI program is currently allocated 7.05 FTE Alcohol and Other Drugs Services (AODS) Counselor II. The program has been staffed at this level since 2019. The DUI program currently borrows 1.0 FTE total AODS Counselor II at any given time from other programs to cover workload within the DUI program.
Adding 2.0 FTE AODS Counselor II will allow borrowed staff (1.0 shared AODS Counselor II FTE as described below) to return to their jobs full-time and reduce associated overtime costs and inefficiencies. The DUI Program has an ongoing 2.0 FTE staffing gap that is being patched through Extra Help, managers, and staff borrowed from other programs. Approving these 2.0 FTE will allow DHS to permanently cover DUI services, discontinue reliance on higher-paid classifications, and eliminate the need for multiple Extra Help positions currently being used.
The AODS Counselor II performs the following duties for the DUI Program:
• Interviews and evaluates potential clients including criminal justice referrals to determine the nature and extent of their problems and service needs.
• Develops a treatment/service plan.
• Maintains a caseload and provides individual, group, and family counseling.
• Refers clients to other appropriate service providers.
• Provides consultation, information and education, including public presentations, to community groups, other public agencies, other service providers, and individuals on alcohol and other drug abuse and dependence.
• Reviews client records to monitor treatment compliance and progress.
• Prepares client progress reports for courts and probation
• May testify in court concerning an individual’s amenability for treatment.
• Performs urinalysis or breathalyzer testing.
Currently, these duties are covered by managers and other AODS staff that are not part of the DUI program, reducing their day-to-day operations at their normal job duties and effectiveness.
Two years ago, enrollment wait times were on average 7 days. Implementation of virtual services has resulted in DHS experiencing a higher number of enrollments, and the current wait time is 3.5 weeks due to lack of available staff. DUI program enrollments show a clear upward trend after a small dip in 2022:
• 2021: 2,660 clients
• 2022: 2,620 clients (down 1.5%)
• 2023: 2,868 clients (up 9.5%)
• 2024: 3,188 clients (up 11.2%)
• 2025 (forecasted): 4,824 clients (up 51.3%)
As noted above, staffing has been the same since 2019, despite the increase in clients and workload.
The recently completed DUI fee study has shown justification of a DUI fees increase that were approved by the Board on August 12, 2025 <https://sonoma-county.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7504594&GUID=1786E346-A18A-4C57-B3A7-E6C1FE24E795&Options=&Search=>. These fees will cover the entire cost of these positions.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Healthy and Safe Communities
Goal: Goal 1: Expand integrated system of care to address gaps in services to the County’s most vulnerable.
Objective: Objective 3: Create a “no wrong door” approach where clients who need services across multiple departments and programs are able to access the array of services needed regardless of where they enter the system.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY25-26 Adopted |
FY26-27 Projected |
FY27-28 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
$431,208 |
$442,344 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$440,396 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$440,396 |
$431,208 |
$442,344 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$440,396 |
$431,208 |
$442,344 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$440,396 |
$431,208 |
$442,344 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
DHS is requesting an additional $440,396 in appropriations for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Adopted Budget to fund 2.0 FTE positions. The salaries and benefits for these positions will be fully covered by DUI Fees. These additional 2.0 FTE will reduce overall Extra Help costs and staff that are utilized from non-DUI programs to cover this workload.
Funding and expenditures for future years will be incorporated into the respective annual budgets.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Alcohol and Other Drug Services Counselor II |
$7,353.62-$8,938.09 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
DHS will work with Human Resources to conduct recruitments to fill the positions.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Budget Resolution
Attachment 2 - Personnel Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None