COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Human Services Agency

DATE:

January 27, 2006

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 28, 2006

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Glen Brooks, Interim Director, Human Services Agency

Stephen Kaplan, Director, Substance Abuse and Shelter Services

SUBJECT:

Community Needs Assessment for Safety Net Services

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a resolution :

1

Accepting the Safety Net Needs Assessment Report.

2.

Increasing the current fiscal year 2005-2006 funding for the Core Service Agencies by $50,000

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment 3: Ensure basic health and safety for all.

Commitment 9: Responsive, effective, and collaborative government.

Goal 8: Help vulnerable people, the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at-risk youth and others achieve a better quality of life.

Goal 20: Government decisions are the result of careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain.

This Report contributes to these commitment and goals by providing information regarding current and projected community needs for safety net services so that the County can better ensure access to services and support vulnerable populations achieve a better quality of life.

BACKGROUND:

At the Budget Hearings in June 2005, the Board of Supervisors allocated additional funding of $50,000 for the seven Core Service Agencies.  In order to determine the true community needs, the Board also asked for a community assessment of not only those currently being seen by the Core Service Agencies, but also of the those in the community who may be in need but are not accessing emergency services.

The objectives of the Safety Net Needs Assessment were to: (1) Identify current and emerging trends of San Mateo County’s most vulnerable residents in the seven core agency geographic areas; (2) Assess how the identified client and community needs compare to the present capacity/capabilities of community agencies to serve those clients; (3) Identify, for the Core Service Agencies, the gaps and implications for the Core Agencies to meet the gaps; and (4) Develop recommendations to address the gaps.

DISCUSSION:

HSA contracted with Applied Survey Research (ASR), consultants to complete this community needs assessment between August 2005 and January 2006. A Project Workgroup provided guidance for the process. Membership on the workgroup included representatives from the HSA staff, the Core Service Agencies, St. Vincent de Paul, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Shelter Network

The information presented in this report was collected through resident interviews, seven provider focus groups, discussion groups, and the analysis of secondary data.

Major findings of the needs fall into three primary areas. Phase One are improvements that can begin within the next year

1.

County wide improvement in existing safety services:

Recommendations are: Expand the motel voucher program, food stamp outreach; coordinated case management, delivery of food supplies; and increase utilization of Family Self Sufficiency teams.

2.

Expansion of access to services focusing on underserved populations:

Recommendations are: Establish regional safety net meetings, improve flexibility for shelter services and rental assistance; improve interagency referral system and determine feasibility of Core Service Database improvements and improve access to job resources.

3.

Improvement of outreach effort:

Recommendations are: Develop a cultural competent service delivery plan; increase awareness of affordability housing resources; increase awareness of safety net services for underserved populations and enhance multilingual service materials.

Phase Two will focus on long term strategies to coordinate, develop and sustain provider and community capacity to provide safety net services

FISCAL IMPACT

Current year funding for the seven Core Service Agency contracts, including previously approved COBI’s and the $50,000 restored during the June 2005 budget hearings, is $582,911. This agenda item recommends restoring an additional $50,000 in funding to the seven Core Service Agency contracts. The Net County Cost would increase by $50,000.