COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Services Agency

DATE:

August 29, 2003

BOARD MEETING DATE:

September 23, 2003

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Margaret Taylor, Director of Health Services
Charlene A. Silva, Director of Aging and Adult Services

SUBJECT:

Approval of the Submission of the 2003-04 Updates for the Strategic Plan for Services for Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities and the Title III E Family Caregiver Support Program Addendum

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution:

1.

Authorizing the submission of the Updates for 2003-04 for the Strategic Plan for Services for Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities and the Title III E Family Caregiver Support Program Addendum to the California Department of Aging; and

2.

Authorizing execution of the transmittal letter as required by the California Department of Aging.

Background

The New Beginning Coalition's Strategic Plan for Services for Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities for 2000-2005 (Strategic Plan) is the long-range plan for the continuum of services intended to meet the needs of San Mateo County's older adults and adults with disabilities. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors officially adopted the Strategic Plan on August 21, 2001. It serves as the countywide umbrella plan for all other plans regarding older adults and adults with disabilities in San Mateo County, including the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Area Plan required by the California Department of Aging (CDA) to receive Older Americans Act (OAA) and Community-Based Services Program (CBSP) funding.

The OAA was re-authorized on November 13, 2000 by the federal government to include a new federal program, Title III E, the Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP). Recipients of these funds are required to develop a plan based on locally identified needs and to explain how the FCSP funds will be used to provide informal family caregiver support in five areas: Information, Assistance, Caregiver Support, Respite, and Supplemental Services. The FCSP Addendum to the Strategic Plan, which you approved on January 29, 2002, fulfills this requirement.

Discussion

Each AAA Planning and Service Area in the State submits an Area Plan every four years, with updates of the Plan for years two, three, and four, as a condition for receiving Title III, Title V, and Title VII OAA funding, as well as State CBSP funding. The New Beginning Coalition's Strategic Plan is a multipurpose document that fulfills CDA's requirement of San Mateo County for the submission of an Area Plan.

The workplan section of the Strategic Plan contains the activities that will be undertaken under the proposed Area Plan Update for 2003-04. The activities reflect a comprehensive picture of the services provided, as well as the program development, advocacy, and coordination efforts that will be undertaken by San Mateo County's network of service providers who provide resources and support for older adults and adults with disabilities. The workplan also incorporates the respective workplans of the Commission on Aging and Commission on Disabilities that were developed at their annual study sessions.

Highlights of this Plan update for 2003-04 include objectives from the recently completed Strategic Plan for Transportation Services (SPATS), which have been woven into Goal 3 of the workplan, as well as numerous new objectives which focus on promoting exercise for targeted, sedentary seniors as part of Goal 6. SamTrans and San Mateo County Public Health Education will be primary partners respectively in these new objectives. The FCSP Addendum workplan is similar to that of the Strategic Plan, but focuses on the services provided with Title III E funding. In the future, CDA will eliminate the requirement for a separate addendum, and information relating to FCSP will be integrated into the Strategic Plan.

Vision Alignment

The Area Plan Update and FCSP Update keep the commitment of ensuring basic health and safety for all and goal number 8: helping vulnerable people-the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at-risk youth and others-achieve a better quality of life. The Area Plan Update is contained within the Strategic Plan for Services for Older Adults and Adults with Disabilities, which contributes to this commitment and goal by providing a countywide blueprint for a coordinated system of care for those two populations.

Fiscal Impact

There is no fiscal impact to the County General Fund associated with the submittal of this Strategic Plan and Family Caregiver Support Program Addendum updates for 2003-04 to CDA.