To: Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Barbie Robinson, 565-7876
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Diversion Program Grants
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt a resolution accepting the Community Services Infrastructure Grant Program award of $2,266,191 from the California Health Facilities Financing Authority for a pre-trial jail diversion program and authorizing the Department of Health Services Director to execute the grant agreement.
B) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement for the pre-trial jail felony mental health diversion award with the State of California Department of State Hospitals for $3,839,100 through November 4, 2022.
end
Executive Summary:
The Department of Health Services has received a Community Services Infrastructure Grant Program award of $2,266,191 from the California Health Facilities Financing Authority to fund the purchase of a facility to support a pre-trial jail diversion program. The Department has also received a grant from the State of California Department of State Hospitals to support the provision of pre-trial jail felony mental health diversion program services in the amount of $3,839,100 through November 4, 2022. The overarching goal of the pre-trial diversion program is to divert program participants from incarceration. Grant funding will allow the Department to expand access to community mental health, substance use disorder services, and trauma treatment as an alternative to incarceration by developing facility space for both housing and service delivery to individuals who are being diverted to the community from the County jail. This item requests approval to execute the grant agreements.
Discussion:
Community Services Infrastructure Grant Program
Senate Bill 843 (2016) established a competitive grant program to disburse funds for the purpose of creating and expanding community alternatives to incarceration. The Community Services Infrastructure Grant Program intends to expand access to jail and prison diversion programs and services; create or expand mental health treatment facilities, substance use disorder treatment facilities, and trauma-centered service facilities in local communities; and reduce the need of mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, and trauma-centered services in jails and prisons. Community Services Infrastructure grants are disbursed by the California Health Facilities Financing Authority to California counties to support acquiring and expanding facilities.
The Department of Health Services submitted a grant application to California Health Facilities Financing Authority for Community Services Infrastructure Grant Program first round funding. Eight California counties were approved for funding on July 25, 2019, including an award of $2,266,191 to the County of Sonoma.
Community Services Infrastructure grant funding will provide for the purchase a facility that will include space for six transitional housing beds to support jail diversion services for both misdemeanants and felons in the criminal justice system who are facing mental health and substance use disorder challenges. The facility will also house two Assertive Community Treatment teams from the Behavioral Health Division that will provide services to individuals in the transitional housing facility, as well as other individuals in the community. The facility will allow the Department to provide transitional housing while offering behavioral health services necessary for success.
The Department is working to identify suitable properties to purchase utilizing grant funds. At least two potential properties have been identified through the evaluation process for recent property purchases under the emergency homelessness declaration. These properties remain on the market currently and are being evaluated for Community Services Infrastructure grant suitability. Grant funding is sufficient to purchase a facility that will satisfy grant requirements.
Department of State Hospitals Diversion Program
The Department of State Hospitals Diversion Program is a collaboration between the Department of State Hospitals and county governments to develop or expand diversion programs for individuals with serious mental illness who face felony charges and could be determined to be incompetent to stand trial. The Department of State Hospitals Diversion Program provides funding to counties to support community mental health treatment and other services for these individuals.
Some people who are incompetent to stand trial committed felonies that stem from serious mental illness or being homeless. They have difficulty accessing mental health services and committing to treatment and often cycle through the criminal justice system. The goal of the Department of State Hospitals Diversion Program is to provide these individuals, when a judge deems it safe and appropriate to do so, with long-term community mental health treatment and other services and to avoid criminal charges and institutionalization.
The Department of State Hospitals Diversion Program provides funding to counties to serve primarily individuals who are 1) eligible for diversion under Penal Code Section 1001.35, et. seq., Diversion of Individuals with Mental Disorders; 2) diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder; 3) charged with a felony; and 4) not a significant safety risk if treated in the community. In addition, there must be a significant link between the individual’s mental illness or homelessness and the crime they are charged with.
Counties requesting Diversion Program funding are expected to develop or expand diversion programs that provide evidence-based community mental health treatment and wrap-around services; serve individuals where there is a significant link between their serious mental illness or homelessness and the alleged felony crime and who do not present a significant safety risk if treated in the community; reduce incompetent to stand trial referrals to the Department of State Hospitals by twenty to thirty percent; and contribute twenty percent of program funds.
The Department of Health Services applied to the Department of State Hospitals for Diversion Program funding in January 2019 Statewide, the three-year program is funded for $100 million, of which $99.5 million is being awarded to counties. The majority of funding, $91 million for the three-year program, will support programs in the fifteen counties that refer the greatest number of incompetent to stand trial referrals to the Department of State Hospitals. The County of Sonoma has received an award of $3,839,100 through November 4, 2022. It is expected that the successful implementation of a Diversion Program will result in ongoing program funding from the Department of State Hospitals.
Over the term of the Department of State Hospitals Diversion Program grant, Health Services expects to use approximately $1,486,000 to support salaries and benefits for program staffing. Approximately $1,883,000 will be used for contacted services including housing within residential care facilities, training and consulting services, and other living skills training services. Remaining funds of approximately $470,000 will be utilized for other operational expenses and supplies within the program to provide these supportive services.
Strategic Plan Alignment - Implementation of a diversion program supports the County’s goal of a Safe, Healthy, and Caring Community by ensuring that the County’s most vulnerable population has access to behavioral health services. In addition to alignment with the County’s Strategic Plan, Behavioral Health programs support the Department’s Strategic Plan goal of ensuring that individuals have access high quality and coordinated services for health, recovery, and wellbeing by strengthening the behavioral health infrastructure.
Prior Board Actions:
On September 10, 2019 the Board adopted a personnel resolution adding 13.70 full-time equivalent positions to the Department of Health Services, including 2.40 time-limited full-time equivalent positions to support the Department of State Hospitals Diversion Program grant.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY 20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
350,843 |
610,581 |
1,369,751 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
2,996,649 |
|
|
Total Expenditures |
350,843 |
3,607,230 |
1,369,751 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
350,843 |
3,607,230 |
1,369,751 |
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
350,843 |
3,607,230 |
1,369,751 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Department of State Hospitals Diversion Program Grant: Expenditures and revenue of $350,843 are included in the Department’s FY 19-20 budget to cover staff costs associated with the grant. Anticipated staff expenditures and revenue of $610,581 were included in the FY 20-21 budget. Additional FY 20-21 appropriations totaling $730,458 for contracted services will be added to the Department’s FY 20-21 budget through the consolidated budget adjustments process. Revenue and expenditures for remaining grant funds will be included in the appropriate year budget (FY 21-22 - $1,369,751 and FY 22-23 - $777,467). Program revenue is partially dependent on the number of clients successfully completing the Program.
California Health Facilities Financing Authority Grant: Additional FY 20-21 appropriations for revenue and expenditures of $2,266,191 will be added to the Department’s FY 20-21 budget through the consolidated budget adjustments process.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
1) Resolution; 2) California Health Facilities Financing Authority Community Services Infrastructure Grant; 3) California Department of State Hospitals Pre-Trial Jail Felony Mental Health Diversion Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None