COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Services Agency

DATE:

June 7, 2002

BOARD MEETING DATE:

June 25, 2002

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Margaret Taylor, Director of Health Services

Gale Bataille, Director of Mental Health Services

SUBJECT:

Agreement with Clara-Mateo Alliance, Inc.

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution authorizing the President of the Board

1. to execute an agreement with Clara-Mateo Alliance for emergency housing, and

2. to delegate signing authority for the Health Services Director to execute minor amendments and adjustments up to $25,000.

Background

Since 1996, the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and cities of Menlo Park, San Jose, Palo Alto, and Redwood City have collaborated to provide a bi-regional, multi-jurisdictional, community-based rehabilitation shelter on the Menlo Park campus of the Veterans Administration. With the goal of ending homelessness, the mission of the Clara-Mateo Alliance, Inc. is to provide shelter and supportive services to people in need and to assist them in obtaining stable housing and self-sufficiency. Since opening in 1997, Clara-Mateo alliance has served thousands of homeless individuals and has been successful in helping them to find and maintain stable housing.

Discussion

Housing resources for seriously mentally ill individuals on fixed incomes are critically scarce in San Mateo County. The result is that many of these individuals are homeless or at high risk of becoming homeless. Since FY 1999-00 we have contracted with Clara-Mateo Alliance, to provide 8 specialized shelter beds for mentally ill San Mateo County residents. The shelter has enjoyed a 68% rate of success in discharging these individuals to a more stable housing situation.

Under this agreement, the Clara-Mateo Alliance, Inc. will continue to provide 5 transitional beds for short term housing and 3 emergency beds for seriously mentally ill clients who require immediate shelter. Clients are assisted in securing medical, psychiatric and social services, and Clara-Mateo Alliance, Inc. collaborates with other agencies and resources to assist these clients in finding permanent housing and securing other basic needs.short term housing and 3 emergency beds for seriously mentally ill clients who require immediate shelter. Clients are assisted in securing medical, psychiatric and social services, and Clara-Mateo Alliance, Inc. collaborates with other agencies and resources to assist these clients in finding permanent housing and securing other basic needs.

The performance objectives are as follows:

Performance Measure

2000-01 Actuals

2001-02 Objectives

2002-03

Objectives

Percent of individuals satisfied with the services received.

N/A

85%

85%

Percent of clients admitted to the shelter who obtain housing (permanent or transitional) upon discharge

68%

70%

70%

Vision Alignment

This contract with Clara Mateo Alliance, Inc. keeps the commitment to Ensure Basic Health and Safety for All and goal number 8: Help vulnerable people-the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at risk youth, and others- achieve a better quality of life. The contract contributes to this commitment by providing transitional and emergency housing for the vulnerable population at risk of homelessness.

Fiscal Impact

The term of this agreement is effective from July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2003. The agreement has been reviewed and approved by Risk Management and County Counsel.

The agreement provides for a maximum obligation of $113,150 for the term of the agreement and has been included in the recommended FY 2002-03 Mental Health Division's budget. The Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction (MIOCR) grant will fund $92,601 of this contract. The remaining $20,549 is the required match for the MIOCR grant and represents the net County cost.

We request that the Director of Health Services be given signing authority to execute minor amendments and adjustments up to an aggregate $25,000.