To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Mental Health
Agenda Section: Time Certain Matter
SUBJECT:
title
10:00 AM - Behavioral Health Crisis Triage Center Grant Application
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive and file a presentation from Department of Health and Human Services Director, Connie Beck; Mad River Community Hospital Chief Executive Officer, David Neal; and Cal Poly Humboldt Director of Initiatives, Connie Stewart;
2. Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to submit a joint application to the California Department of Health Care Services for Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program, Round 5: Crisis and Behavioral Health Continuum funding with Mad River Community Hospital in order to build a Behavioral Health Crisis Triage Center in Humboldt County;
3. Authorize the commitment of up to $3 million in County of Humboldt funding to the proposed Behavioral Health Crisis Triage Center;
4. Authorize the County Administrative Officer to sign a grant match letter detailing the proposed funding structure of up to $3 million;
5. Approve, and authorize the Chair of the Board to sign, the attached Letter of Commitment required to apply for Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program, Round 5: Crisis and Behavioral Health Continuum funding; and
6. Direct the Clerk of the Board to return one fully executed original copy of the attached Letter of Commitment for submission to the California Department of Health Care Services.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Behavioral Health Fund, American Rescue Plan Act, California Department of Health Care Services
DISCUSSION:
On May 24, 2022 (Item K-1), Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) - Behavioral Health staff presented to your Board on Sempervirens, services, structure and community mental health crisis response. The discussion reflected the ongoing lack of appropriate mental health crisis triage services in Humboldt County. Conversations about Humboldt County’s need for appropriate mental health crisis triage services, and other services across the behavioral health continuum of care, have also been taking place at the North Coast Health Leadership team, comprised of high-level decision makers in the health field in Humboldt, with representatives from DHHS, Mad River Community Hospital, St. Joseph Health-Humboldt, Independent Practice Association, Open Door Community Health Centers, Hospice of Humboldt, United Indian Health Services, North Coast Clinics Network, Cal Poly Humboldt and Humboldt Senior Resource Center. These executives meet regularly to discuss all aspects of health service provision in Humboldt County in order to prioritize and address regional issues.
As a result of the conversation about the needs and gaps in Humboldt County, DHHS Director Connie Beck, DHHS Assistant Director Michele Stephens, DHHS - Behavioral Health Director Emi Botzler-Rodgers, DHHS - Behavioral Health Deputy Director Paul Bugnacki; Cal Poly Humboldt Director of Initiatives, Connie Stewart; Mad River Community Hospital Chief Executive Officer, David Neal; Providence Director of Community Investment, Martha Shanahan; and Dr. Ruby Bayan from Waterfront Recovery Services travelled to Orange County to learn about the Orange County behavioral health system of care, specifically the Be Well Orange County campus, housing their crisis triage services. The Be Well Orange County campus is a 60,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that features mental health crisis stabilization services, a sobering center and residential care for both mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
Inspired by the Be Well Orange County campus facility and driven by the need for mental health crisis triage services in Humboldt County, DHHS and Mad River Community Hospital have collaborated to respond to a California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program, Round 5: Crisis and Behavioral Health Continuum Request for Applications (RFA).
The Round 5 Infrastructure RFA is a potential funding source for construction costs for a Behavioral Health Crisis Triage Center in Humboldt County that would provide crisis stabilization beds, mental health crisis residential beds, residential substance use disorder treatment beds and sobering cots. Mad River Community Hospital owns land that could host such a facility. Accordingly, DHHS and Mad River Community Hospital are preparing a joint application in response to the RFA.
Humboldt County has additional funding possibilities to support the furtherance of this critical project, including, without limitation, $1.5 million unexpended American Rescue Plan Act funds and available Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Funds monies. The County Administrative Office has been exploring multiple options for funding support, and will be able to prepare the detailed funding match letter required with grant submission, should your Board authorize the commitment of funds. DHHS is preparing a County Medical Services Program (CMSP) application for $500,000 and will return before your Board for authorization to submit the grant.
The deadline for requesting a required pre-application consultation appointment is Jan. 13, 2023 and the deadline to submit the full application is Monday, Feb. 15. A Letter of Commitment from the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors is required for submission of a joint application.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There are no direct costs associated with the initial submission of an application in response to the RFA except for staff time. The application being prepared will request the maximum allowable 90% of direct construction costs. The remaining 10% required match will include up to $1.5 million American Rescue Plan Act funds (budget unit 3232-120200) redirected from a previously authorized broadband allocation. There are other opportunities for in-kind contributions such as the CMSP Infrastructure Match Grant Program that will also be sought to reduce the need for the aforementioned funding contributions to meeting matching needs. Sustainability of service provision at the site will be addressed in the grant, and will reflect anticipated billing of Medi-Cal and private health insurance.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
The recommended actions support the Board of Supervisors Strategic Framework by providing for and maintaining infrastructure, creating opportunities for improved safety and health, providing community appropriate levels of service, seeking outside funding sources to benefit Humboldt County needs and facilitating public/private partnerships to solve problems.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Mad River Community Hospital
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board could choose not to authorize the Chair of the Board to sign the attached Letter of Commitment. However, this alternative is not recommended as it will prevent continued collaboration between DHHS and Mad River Hospital in pursuing critically needed infrastructure funding.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Letter of Commitment
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: K-1
Meeting of: May 24, 2022
File No.: 22-584