To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Tina Rivera, 707-565-4774
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Department of Health Services Staffing Allocations - Homelessness Encampment Resolution Funding Grant & Equity Manager Positions
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt a personnel resolution amending the Department of Health Services Department Allocation List, effective October 24, 2023, to add 1.0 full-time equivalent Health Program Manager position allocation, add 3.0 full-time equivalent time-limited Senior Client Support Specialist position allocations through June 30, 2026, and delete 1.0 full-time equivalent Department Program Manager position allocation.
B) Adopt a budget resolution authorizing budgetary adjustments to the fiscal year 2023-2024 adopted budget to reflect additional revenues and expenditures associated with requested position allocations in the amount of $380,000 within the Department of Health Services. (4/5th Vote Required)
(4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
The Department of Health Services (hereinafter, “DHS” or “the Department”) is requesting to modify the Department Allocation List to support a new grant funded program in the Homelessness Services Division, and additionally, requesting a modification to the Health Policy, Planning and Equity (HPPE) unit. The Homelessness Services Division is requesting the addition of 3.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) time-limited Senior Client Support Specialist position allocations. Funding from the Future of Public Health (FoPH) state allocation by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and 1991 Health Realignment will cover the HPPE position within the Administration Division on an ongoing basis. Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF) proceeds from the CA Business, Consumer Services, and Housing (BCSH) Agency will cover the positions for a duration of five years within the Homeless Services division.
In addition, DHS management through an add/delete approval is requesting the deletion of a vacant 1.0 Department Manager allocation and adding a Health Program Manager position within the Health Policy, Planning and Equity unit, which oversees the DHS Equity program.
These changes have been vetted and approved by County Human Resources.
Discussion:
Homelessness Services Division - 3.0 FTE Time-Limited Senior Client Support Specialists
DHS is requesting the addition of 3.0 FTE time-limited Senior Client Support Specialists (SCSS) to the Homelessness Services Division. These three new positions will help support services related to two newly awarded Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) grants totaling $4,567,130 and covering a period of 08/08/203 to 03/31/2027, as well as establishing a new ERF Cohort within the Homelessness Services Division
The DHS Homelessness Services Division currently contains three cohorts (HEART - Homeless Encampment Assistance and Resources Team; SOUL - Solving Obstacles for Unsheltered Lives; and a Project Homekey team that works largely with clients in the region’s Homekey sites).
The Homelessness Services Division will need to dedicate a new ERF Grant Cohort unit to manage deliverables to comply with the two new ERF grants, which call out the positions as supportive services positions for persons coming off the Joe Rodota Trail (JRT) and the Syar Industries encampment in northern Sonoma County. These two sites were requested in the grant application, and the grant award must be used for those locations accordingly.
There is currently no capacity for the other existing Homelessness Division Cohorts to complete this new work. The work’s objective is to provide actionable, person-centered local proposals that help permanently house people residing in or formerly residing in the two encampments noted above. The focus of work will be resolving the experiences of homelessness by addressing the safety and wellness of people within encampments, resolving critical encampment concerns, and transitioning people into interim shelter with clear pathways to permanent housing or directly into permanent housing. The three new positions are time-limited to cover the deliverable period of the ERF grants, which is a two-year period, starting with final hiring of staff, and culminating with all grant funds spent no later than June 30, 2026.
Health Policy, Planning and Equity Unit - Add 1.0 FTE Health Program Manager/Delete 1.0 FTE Department Program Manager
DHS is additionally requesting the deletion of a vacant 1.0 FTE Department Program Manager (DPM) and addition of a 1.0 FTE Health Program Manager (HPM) classification to oversee its new Health Equity team made up of 3 FTEs (in addition to the HPM, the team includes one Department Analyst and one Administrative Aide), tasked with developing and overseeing the Department’s racial equity efforts. To appropriately support the Department’s equity goals, DHS is requesting the current allocation be converted to a Health Program Manager to appeal to experienced and talented individuals who bring experience in leading equity efforts in a large government agency and who have a track record of success. Equity leadership is a new and highly sought-after skill set. Adding an HPM to the leadership of this team will make us more a more competitive employer. In addition, the tasks assigned to this position are parallel in size and scope to other HPMs in DHS Admin which oversee centralized functions for DHS (Health Data and Equity HPM, Health Planning HPM, for example).
The Equity Health Program Manager function is to be responsible for the successful implementation of the both the Future of Public Health grant and the California Equitable Recovery Initiative (CERI) Grant deliverables as well as for establishing the Health Equity Program within DHS. The Health Equity Program focuses on ensuring that equity is central to the work of DHS through development of training programs, supporting equity champions within the department, developing the DHS Health Equity Plan (a deliverable of the CERI grant), and working closely with leadership to develop and execute equity-focused organizational and programmatic strategies. This current and converted position has ongoing financing from Future of Public Health and 1991 Health Realignment funds. The net change in annual staffing costs is $10,000.
Strategic Plan:
The amendment of 1.00 full-time equivalent Health Program Manager directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Racial Equity and Social Justice
Goal: Goal 2: Establish equitable and data-driven distribution of services
Objective: Objective 1: Identify opportunities to enhance recruitment, hiring, employee development, and promotional processes to reflect the value of having the perspectives of people of color represented at all levels in the County workforce.
The addition of 3.00 Senior Client Support Specialists 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 2: Identify gaps in the Safety Net system of services and identify areas where departments can address those gaps directly and seek guidance from the Board when additional resources and/or policy direction is needed.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
On April 5, 2022 the Board adopted a personnel resolution amending the Department of Health Services allocation list, effective April 5, 2022, to add a 1.0 full-time equivalent time-limited Department Program Manager allocation through May 31, 2023 for the Health Equity Team.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$10,000 |
$435,000 |
$450,000 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$380,000 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$390,000 |
$435,000 |
$450,000 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$390,000 |
$435,000 |
$450,000 |
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$390,000 |
$435,000 |
$450,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The Department is requesting to add appropriations in the amount of $380,000 for the three Time Limited Senior Client Support Specialists and $10,000 for the requested Health Program Manager (add/Delete Department Program Manager). Funding for the Senior Client Support Specialist of $380,000 will be drawn down from the Encampment Resolution Fund grants for 5 years. Funding for the Health Program Manager payroll cost of $10,000 will be covered through current salary savings in FY2023-2024, and future costs will be from the Future of Public Health and 1991 Health Realignment funds. Full year payroll costs in subsequent fiscal years a assume COLA of at least 4%.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Senior Client Support Specialist (time-limited) |
$6,409.20 - $7,788.44 |
3.00 |
0.00 |
|
Health Program Manager |
$9,105.06 - $11,068.69 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
|
Department Program Manager |
$8,138.03 - $9,892.95 |
0.0 |
1.0 |
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
No impact on existing positions. The Department Program Manager position, proposed for deletion, is currently vacant.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Personnel Resolution
Attachment 2 - Budget Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None