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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 12a - Mobile Crisis Response Pilot Program DATE: July 19, 2022 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Roy Nakamura, Chief of Police By: Amber Abeyta, Management Analyst Dr. Jennifer Brutus, Senior Management Analyst SUBJECT: PARTICIPATION IN SAN GABRIEL VALLEY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT’S MOBILE CRISIS TEAM AS PART OF A REGIONAL HOMELESS, MENTAL HEALTH, AND CRISIS RESPONSE PILOT PROGRAM Recommendation: Approve SUMMARY The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (“SGVCOG”) received Measure H Funding to operate a Mobile Crisis Team (“MCT”) as part of a Homeless, Mental Health, and Crisis Response Pilot Program (“Pilot Program”) aimed at providing additional support to law enforcement during calls for service related to homelessness, mental health, and other crisis incidents. The Arcadia Police Department welcomes the additional support as a co-response to help individuals experiencing homelessness and/or suffering from mental health or other crises obtain specialized services from trained clinicians. Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council approve the City’s participation in the SGVCOG’s MCT for the period of July 1, 2022, through May 31, 2023, at no cost to the City. BACKGROUND On July 13, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Measure H Funding recommendations. These recommendations included funding to be allocated to each subregion in Los Angeles based on the 2020 point-in-time (“PIT”) homeless count, which for Arcadia was 106. In our subregion, the SGVCOG is scheduled to receive a total of $3.525 million from January 2022 through June 2023 to support programs in the San Gabriel Valley. All funding must be expended by June 30, 2023. In Summer 2021, SGVCOG conducted outreach to its member agencies to identify the region’s most significant priorities and gaps in the homeless services system. One item Participation in SGVCOG’s Mobile Crisis Team July 19, 2022 Page 2 of 4 identified was the need for a more immediate response to those experiencing a crisis. Currently, in many communities, law enforcement is the first responder for individuals experiencing homelessness and/or a mental health crisis. To provide an alternative response for law enforcement, in August 2021, the Governing Board of the SGVCOG allocated funding to establish an alternative Mobile Crisis Response Program (“Program”) in the San Gabriel Valley. The intent of the program is to support the establishment of regional or sub-regional programs that can maximize the reach of funding and services. In Fall 2021, the SGVCOG released an application to identify which cities might be interested in participating in a regional Program to establish an alternative MCT to respond to certain types of non-violent calls for service, including individuals experiencing homelessness and mental health crises – rather than law enforcement. To identify potential program participants, the SGVCOG asked cities to submit data indicating the volume and type of calls for which cities would dispatch the MCT. Cities were also made aware that additional funding might be required from cities for participation; however, it was later determined that there would be no capital outlay from participating cities. Given the short turnaround for expending the funds, cities were also informed that immediate buy-in and coordination from the cities – including City Council, law enforcement, and support staff – would be essential for program success. Based on responses from the cities, SGVCOG staff determined that it was most appropriate to move forward with a small Pilot Program – in a limited number of cities – to establish, review, and evaluate the Program. DISCUSSION Given the City’s strong interest and engagement in launching the Pilot Program, Arcadia was included as one of participating cities in a cohort with South Pasadena and San Marino. An additional MCT will provide services in the City of Montebello, supplementing the Montebello Community Assistance Program (“MCAP”). Over the last six months, City staff has participated in a working group to establish the parameters of the initial pilot, which will include a two-member MCT consisting of a Mental Health Clinician and a Peer Support Specialist or a Substance Use Disorder Clinician. The MCT will be provided by Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (“LA CADA”), in a contract managed by the SGVCOG. It should be noted that although the initial concept was to supplant police services, after discussion with the working group, the cities opted for a co-response to increase safety during calls for service and mitigate liability risk. This will be evaluated over the course of the Pilot Program to determine whether a separate response is feasible or desirable. The MCT will be available to respond to the cities’ 911 emergency response calls as designated and approved by a law enforcement official. For example, during a call for service involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis, a responding Officer will Participation in SGVCOG’s Mobile Crisis Team July 19, 2022 Page 3 of 4 determine the need for the MCT and request the team’s co-response over a dedicated cell phone line. The City will provide a physical workspace location for the MCT members. The team will operate out of a retrofitted van, which will provide a space to serve clients and be used to transport individuals when needed. The City will also provide storage space for the MCT Van to be stationed during and outside of the City’s service hours, on an as needed basis. The Pilot Program will launch in July 2022 with a limited number of hours in each cohort city, which have been selected based on peak mental health and homelessness volumes in each City: Tentative Mobile Crisis Team Deployment Schedule City Day of the Week Shift San Marino Monday 5 hours South Pasadena Thursday 10 hours Arcadia Friday 10 hours *Subject to change based on data collection and needs of each city. As more data is collected and analyzed, the days and shifts might change depending on the needs of each city. Through the Pilot Program, participating cities will establish a strong program foundation, build trust, and collect data to inform program expansion. Call data collection began in June 2022 to help inform the program design and deployment schedules. For this initial pilot phase, the primary purpose will be to collect data, evaluate the resources needed for each city, and establish strong connections with local service providers. Call data will also inform how the MCT should expand if the Program advances beyond the pilot. Overall, two key components of launching the Pilot Program are: data collection and service connection. As part of its contract with the SGVCOG, Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (“LA CADA”) – the group’s contracted service provider – will be required to collect data on the services being provided to each city, which will be an important component of program evaluation. The City will provide call data on a weekly basis and the SGVCOG will provide cities with monthly reports illustrating program effectiveness to include quantitative data analysis and performance metrics. While the MCT will be focused on responding to emergencies, a critical component is connecting the clients served to appropriate wraparound services, such as those provided by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (“LAHSA”), Union Station Homeless Services (“USHS”), the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (“DHS”), the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (“DMH”), and other local organizations and entities that are critical participants in the homeless services system. LA CADA is an active participant in the County’s coordinated entry system (“CES”), as well as the Participation in SGVCOG’s Mobile Crisis Team July 19, 2022 Page 4 of 4 County’s mental health and substance use disorder (“SUD”) system; therefore, the agency is well-positioned to maximize resources. In addition, the City recently selected LA CADA to provide homeless case management/housing navigation services with three Case Managers beginning July 1. Therefore, LA CADA will be collaborating with the City on two fronts - engaging with the City’s homeless population in the field acutely through the MCT and providing ongoing case management to provide housing solutions and connect individuals to other services as needed. Overall, participation in the MCT will provide a greater focus on individuals experiencing homelessness and mental health issues in Arcadia. Since there is no cost to the City to participate in the Program, the City is not required to sign a Memorandum of Agreement. Rather, with City Council approval, the City Manager will sign a Letter of Agreement (Attachment “A”) to confirm the City’s participation. The Letter of Agreement provides an outline of key details and responsibilities for both the SGVCOG and the City. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), and it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA under Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines. FISCAL IMPACT Currently, there is no cost to the City to participate in the MCT. The initial Pilot Program is fully funded by Measure H and all costs will be handled by the SGVCOG. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a project and is therefore, exempt under, the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and approve participation in the San Gabriel Valley Council of Government’s Mobile Crisis Team as part of a Regional Homeless, Mental Health, and Crisis Response Pilot Program. Attachment “A”: Draft Letter of Agreement for Mobile Crisis Team Participation REGIONAL HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM LETTER AGREEMENT July 1, 2022 Dominic Lazzaretto City Manager City of Arcadia 240 W. Huntington Dr. Arcadia, CA 91007 RE: Arcadia’s Participation in SGVCOG’s Homeless, Mental Health and Crisis Response Pilot Program Dear Mr. Lazzaretto, This letter is in response to the City of Arcadia’s (“City”) request to participate in the following San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments’ (“SGVCOG”) Homeless, Mental Health and Crisis Response Pilot Program (“Program”), in which non-violent 911 calls related to behavioral health and homelessness are diverted to a two member Mobile Crisis Team (“MCT”) consisting of a Clinician and a Peer Support Specialist or Substance Use Disorder Counselor. The initial pilot phase will launch as a co-response model. The SGVCOG approves the City’s request and will therefore authorize services to the City throughout the duration of the Program. Through participation in this Program, the City will receive the homeless and mental health related services as described above. Key details and responsibilities of each agency are outlined below. ●Anticipated Start Date: July 18, 2022 ●Anticipated Completion Date: May 31, 2023 ●SGVCOG Responsibilities: o Undertake procurement and execute a contract with Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (L.A. CADA) to implement the Program. o Manage, make eligible payments, and administer L.A. CADA’s contract to ensure the Program is being implemented as contemplated under this MOA. o Manage the operating budget for the Program. o Provide any updated point-of-contact to serve as the SGVCOG’s Project Manager with name, title, and contact information. o Respond to and address City concerns regarding service provider performance. o Coordinate conference calls and/or meetings with City as necessary. o Hold monthly check-in meetings with City’s Project Manager to support information sharing. o Gather data from City related to homeless, mental health, and crisis calls for service and utilize/interpret the data to enhance program effectiveness. o Provide City with monthly reports illustrating program effectiveness to include quantitative data analysis and performance metrics. Attachment "A" ● City Responsibilities: o Maintain membership in the SGVCOG during the entire term of this MOA. o Participate in monthly Homeless Working Group meetings. o Provide any updated point-of-contact to serve as the City’s Project Manager with name, title, and contact information. ▪ Project Manager will serve as a liaison to help integrate the Program into the City’s emergency response network. o Be willing to change or modify existing processes in order to integrate the MCT. o Partner with SGVCOG and L.A. CADA to implement the Program. o Actively participate and utilize the Program services. o Provide feedback and raise issues to the SGVCOG on the implementation and iteration of the Program. o Attend and participate in regular Program check-in meetings. o Identify any existing City services to help coordinate care. o Respond to requests for data and information, review materials, and provide input to the SGVCOG and its selected service provider(s) to support the implementation of the Program. o Provide a physical workspace location for the Mobile Crisis Team members. o Provide storage space for the MCT van to be stationed during and outside of service hours when needed. o Should the City not provide the required resources to support the Program, the SGVCOG reserves the right to withdraw Program services from the City. Should you have any questions regarding this Program, please contact Caitlin Sims at csims@sgvcog.org. Sincerely, Marisa Creter Executive Director ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACCEPTED: City of Arcadia __________________________________ ___________________ Dominic Lazzaretto, City Manager 7/1/2022 Cc: Caitlin Sims, Principal Management Analyst