COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Services Agency

DATE:

November 21, 2003

BOARD MEETING DATE:

December 16, 2003

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 to execute an agreement with Clara-Mateo Alliance, Inc.

Background

Since 1996, the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and the cities of Menlo Park, San Jose, Palo Alto, and Redwood City have collaborated to provide a 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 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, Inc. has served thousands of homeless individuals and has been successful in helping them 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, Inc. 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 more stable housing situations.

Under this agreement, 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.

The Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction (MIOCR) grant funds 5 dedicated transitional beds (the 3 emergency shelter beds are provided on a space available/as needed basis). The grant funding period ends December 31, 2003. Beginning January 1, 2004 all 8 beds stipulated in this agreement will be provided on a space available/as needed basis. This component of the housing continuum allows a cost efficient alternative to using more costly emergency services (i.e. Psychiatric Emergency Services, inpatient administrative days, and Corrections). It is expected that bed usage will be less than the maximum bed availability.

Consistent with contract approval level limitations in County Administrative Memorandum B-1, the Director of Health Services will be authorized to execute amendments and modifications to this agreement, not to exceed $25,000 in aggregate.

The performance objectives are as follows:

Performance Measure

2002-03 Objectives

2002-03 Actuals

2003-04

Objectives

Percent of individuals satisfied with the services received.

85%

*N/A

85%

* The State DMH discontinued required use of their data collection tool for this measure during last year. They are in the process of establishing a new required collection tool, which will be used for this measure for 2003-04.

Vision Alignment

This agreement 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 agreement contributes to this commitment and goal by providing transitional and emergency housing for this vulnerable population at risk of homelessness.

Fiscal Impact

The term of this agreement is effective from July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004. The agreement has been reviewed and approved by Risk Management and County Counsel.

The agreement maximum is $114,449 and has been included in the Mental Health adopted FY 2003-04 budget. The Mentally Ill Offender Crime Reduction (MIOCR) grant will fund $42,892 of this contract. The remaining $71,557 represents the net County cost.