To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Behavioral Health
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of Funding Made Available Through the California Department of State Hospitals’ Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt the attached resolution which authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services - Behavioral Health Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all agreements, amendments and other documents necessary to accept and secure funding made available through the California Department of State Hospitals’ Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program; and
2. Direct the Clerk of the Board to return one fully executed certified copy of the attached resolution to the Department of Health and Human Services - Contract Unit for submission to the California Department of State Hospitals.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Behavioral Health Fund
DISCUSSION:
On May 8, 2020, the California Department of State Hospitals awarded the County of Humboldt, by and through its Department of Health and Human Services - Behavioral Health (DHHS - Behavioral Health), grant funding in the amount of $979,800 for the purpose of implementing a Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program in Humboldt County. Such funding will allow DHHS - Behavioral Health to hire several mental health professionals that will be responsible for providing, in collaboration with various criminal justice partners, mental health triage services, including, without limitation, necessary diversion across a continuum of care settings for individuals with significant mental health challenges who have been, or are at risk of being, found incompetent to stand trial on felony charges.
Implementation of the Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program will help DHHS - Behavioral Health work toward accomplishment of the following goals:
• Integrate the population of individuals with serious mental illness into ongoing and future diversionary programming efforts;
• Examine the feasibility and need for formalized alternatives to detention and pre-adjudication diversion options for individuals with mental health disorders;
• Address the Incompetent to Stand Trial population;
• Gather data to document the processing of individuals with mental health and substance use disorders through the criminal justice system locally;
• Expand the utilization of peer support; and
• Reverse the cycle of ongoing criminal justice involvement.
Accordingly, DHHS - Behavioral Health recommends that the Board adopt the attached resolution authorizing the DHHS - Behavioral Health Director, or designee thereof, to execute any and all agreements, amendments and other documents necessary to accept and secure funding made available through the California Department of State Hospitals’ Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Upon execution of the attached resolution, DHHS - Behavioral Health will be eligible to receive a total of $979,800 in Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program funding. Such funds will be used to pay the salary and benefit costs for the following positions for a period of 3 years: one full-time Supervising Behavioral Health Clinician; one full-time Behavioral Health Clinician; one full-time Behavioral Health Case Manager; one half-time Nursing Case Manager; one full-time Peer Coach; and one half-time Peer Coach.
The funding made available through the California Department of State Hospitals’ Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program, as well as personnel allocations for the positions that will be funded thereby, have been included in the proposed FY 2020-21 budget for DHHS - Behavioral Health Administration budget unit 1170-424. DHHS - Behavioral Health plans to sustain the Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program beyond the 3-year period covered by the above-referenced funding through the effective use of Medicare and Medicaid billing and health care reform opportunities, such as expanded benefit enrollment strategies, cross-agency financing strategies and redirection and maximization of federal matching funds. Acceptance of the funding made available through the California Department of State Hospitals’ Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program will not impact the Humboldt County General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
The recommended actions support the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Framework by protecting vulnerable populations, creating opportunities for improved safety and health and providing community-appropriate levels of services.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may choose not to adopt the attached resolution authorizing DHHS - Behavioral Health Director, or a designee thereof, to accept the Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program funding that has been awarded by the California Department of State Hospitals. However, this alternative is not recommended since it would not allow DHHS - Behavioral Health to obtain funding that would be used to support the provision of necessary mental health diversion services to individuals who have been, or are at risk of being, found incompetent to stand trial.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of Funding Made Available through the California Department of State Hospitals’ Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program
2. Request for Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Grant Applications
3. Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Grant Application Dated January 28, 2020
4. Sample Pre-Trial Felony Mental Health Diversion Program Agreement
5. California Department of State Hospitals All-County Letter 20-001
6. California Department of State Hospitals All-County Letter 19-001
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: 20-645