REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 22, 2023
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Award from the California Department of State Hospitals for the Community Collaborative Stakeholder Workgroup
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Accept grant award (State Agreement No. 23-79013-000) from the California Department of State Hospitals, to coordinate and facilitate the Community Collaborative Stakeholder Workgroup, in the amount of $500,000, for the period of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2028.
2. Authorize the Chief Executive Officer, the Assistance Executive Officer, or the Director of the Department of Behavioral Health to execute any subsequent non-substantive amendments to the grant award for the Community Collaborative Stakeholder Workgroup, as required by the California Department of State Hospitals, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Director of the Department of Behavioral Health to transmit any subsequent non-substantive amendments in relation to the grant award for the Community Collaborative Stakeholder Workgroup to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Georgina Yoshioka, Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Community Collaborative Stakeholder Workgroup Grant award amount of $500,000 ($100,000 annually) is funded by the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH). Approval of the necessary budget adjustments to the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2023-24 budget is not requested at this time but will be included in a future countywide budget report presented to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for approval and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
As part of the DSH 2022 Budget Act, funds have been allocated to counties to coordinate and participate in community collaborative stakeholder workgroups. The purpose of the workgroups is to focus on developing and implementing local solutions that reduce the number of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) who are arrested and incarcerated for behavior connected to their illness and reduce the number of felony Incompetent to Stand Trial (IST) commitments.
On January 30, 2023, the County’s Administrative Office submitted a Letter of Intent to apply for the annual funds to support coordinating and facilitating a collaborative stakeholder workgroup for this grant. The goal of the workgroup, which will be comprised of representatives from different criminal justice departments and DBH, is to reduce the criminalization of individuals with SMI in San Bernardino County.
Under the terms of the state revenue agreement, DBH will coordinate, participate in, and facilitate a community collaborative stakeholder workgroup to focus on developing and implementing local solutions that target the reduction of the number of individuals with SMI arrested and incarcerated for behavior connected to their illness. Members of the workgroup shall include at least four of the following entities: County Administrator/Executive Office, Superior Court, Public Defender’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Sheriff’s Department, DBH, and the Probation Department. The workgroup will meet quarterly and provide summaries directly to DSH.
Acceptance of the grant funding and approval of the state revenue agreement will allow DBH to utilize funding to plan, participate, and coordinate a community collaborative stakeholder workgroup to discuss and implement various countywide efforts intended to reduce felony IST commitments. These efforts include, but are not limited to, the implementation of the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court Program, pre-arrest diversion programs, and reentry services for individuals with SMI. The primary focus is to prevent individuals with SMI from being arrested and found IST, but funds may also be used for planning efforts related to expanding Community Based Recovery and Diversion programs aimed at serving individuals found to be incompetent to stand trial.
DBH was notified in March 2023 of the grant award; discussion with DSH on the state revenue agreement continued through June 2023, and was recently finalized on July 10, 2023. This item is being presented at this time, as this is the first Board date available due to the required program, legal, and administrative reviews. Approval of the acceptance of the grant award and state agreement by the Board at this time will not directly impact services as meetings have yet to be coordinated and scheduled with the various stakeholders and departments.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Natalie Kessee, Contract Manager, 388-0869) on July 25, 2023; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 27, 2023; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on August 3, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on August 7, 2023.