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Sheriff's Office and Health and Health & Human Service Agency recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Accept the grant award for the Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction (MIOCR) Grant in the amount of $950,000 with a 29% in-kind match funded through the State Recidivism Reduction Fund and administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections;
2) Authorize the Sheriff to sign the MIOCR Grant Program Agreement for the term July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018;
3) Authorize the Chair to sign the MIOCR grant required Governing Body Resolution 131-2015 for the purpose of authorizing the submission of the grant proposal, grant agreement, and providing grant required assurances; and
4) Authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 127-2015 amending the Authorized Personnel Allocation Resolution by adding 3.5 Limited Term Full Time Equivalent Mental Health Worker I/II.
FUNDING: MIOCR Grant Funds, 29% County Match, $388,400 (to be delivered as in-kind contributions).
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Sheriff’s Office and Health and Human Services Agency recommend acceptance of the MIOCR Grant to provide funding for services to prevent recidivism of mentally ill offenders.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
Research shows that offenders with mental illness recidivate at a much higher rate than non-mentally ill offenders. At the recommendation of the MIOCR Strategy Committee, El Dorado County has applied for and was awarded the MIOCR Grant funding because it was determined that seriously mentally ill inmates and those with co-occurring substance abuse issues in the South Lake Tahoe area have demonstrated an inability to maintain the treatment gains achieved through services provided in custody. Once released, these offenders face a variety of impacting factors including housing, employment, access to treatment services, and crisis intervention and management.
The El Dorado project is a multi-faceted service approach for the seriously mentally ill offender population in the South Lake Tahoe area. First, an effective and collaborative crisis intervention response to individuals in crisis will better assess, identify, triage, and link offenders with severe mental illness, and those with co-occurring disorders, to alternatives to incarceration. Second, those individuals in a custodial environment or Behavioral Health Court will have a realistic and focused reentry plan, including necessary treatment, support, and housing resources, prior to their transition back to the community. Third, a court-based intervention, including mental health assessment, will be established to identify offenders and connect them with transitional housing, Behavioral Health Court and intensive case management services.
El Dorado County received a MIOCR grant in 2007 that was successful in developing a strategic plan that identified and developed a number of resources for severely mentally ill offenders. This funding was most successful in providing the necessary resources to accrue critical mental health data that had previously gone uncollected so the County could better identify the size of the mentally ill offender population. Evaluation data was collected through a randomized controlled trial of which certain offenders were provided mental health interventions under the project and others were placed in a control group. The results were compared accordingly. Additionally, the previous MIOCR Strategy Committee acted as the model for the current proposal and worked to strengthen the relationship between the partner agencies through regular communication, data and information sharing, and conducting an initial gap analysis of services available throughout the County.
The MIOCR Grant is intended to support appropriate prevention, intervention, supervision, services, and strategies to reduce recidivism in California’s mentally ill offender population, as well as improving outcomes for these offenders while continuing public safety. As a result of this program the primary outcomes for the offenders served will include a reduction in days incarcerated, a reduction in court costs, and a reduction in day of psychiatric hospitalization.
In addition, as a requirement of the grant award, the County is obligated to contribute a minimum 25% match. In developing the grant proposal, it was determined the in-kind matching requirment could be met using direct and indirect costs from HHSA. The matching costs include administrative and other costs incurred for data collection, program evaluation, and sustainability planning at an annual estimated cost of $31,667. Furthermore, the grant proposed an estimated in-kind match of $97,900 for the annual cost of leases for transitional housing units funded through HHSA. Over a three year period, the proposed in-kind matching contributions equal an estimated $388,700, which calculates to a 29% in-kind match.
As part of the grant acceptance, a four year strategic plan had to be built allocating monies to provide integrated services between county departments and community based organizations to serve adult offenders collaboratively with mental health issues for reducing recidivism and increasing positive quality-of-life outcomes. Therefore the programs and services outlined in this program must continue through June 30, 2019, with the additional year of operation funded by savings gained through outcomes of the MIOCR grant program. General fund savings will be realized through a reduction of days incarcerated and court costs, as well as savings in mental health funding resulting from a reduction in days for psychiatric hospitalization.
ALTERNATIVES
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel will review and approve grant agreement and Governing Body Resolution. Human Resources Department will recruit and/or assist the Health and Human Services Agency to hire 3.5 FTE Limited Term Mental Health Workers I/II. Health and Human Services Agency will utilize the MIOCR grant funding for staffing and provide the in-kind match for services.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
The Chief Administrative Office recommends approval of this grant agreement noting that the matching requirement will be met through the use of in-kind contributions from both direct and indirect costs from the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). It should also be noted that there is a requirment for the County to continue the program for one additional year through June 30, 2019 even though funding under the grant is only available through June 30, 2018. It is anticipated that there will be sufficient savings to cover the additional year resulting from decreased bed days in jail, reduced supervision time for Probation and a decrease in services provided to incarcerated mentally ill offenders. An overall reduction in recidivism will result in decreased costs as a result of implementing this program.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
No impact to Net County Cost. Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction (MIOCR) Grant Funds will fund the program in the amount of $950,000, and a 29% County Match, $388,400, will be met as in-kind contributions.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Please forward signed Governing Body Resolution to the Sheriff's Office for submittal.
Provide a copy of the signed Resolution to the Sheriff's office.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Public Safety
CONTACT
Undersheriff Randy Peshon and Don Ashton - Director, HHSA