COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Department

DATE:

February 22, 2007

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 27, 2007

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Four-fifths

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Charlene A. Silva, Director, Health Department

Mary Hansell, Director, Family Health Services Division

SUBJECT:

Prenatal to Three Strategic Plan 2006-2010 and Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health Grant

RECOMMENDATIONS:

A.

Accept the Prenatal to Three (Pre-3) Strategic Plan (Plan) for 2006-2010;

B.

Adopt a resolution accepting a grant of $200,000 from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health (LPFCH) to implement portions of the Plan;

C.

Adopt a Salary Ordinance Amendment adding a full-time unclassified Community Program Specialist III position; and

D.

Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request recognizing unanticipated revenue in the amount of $62,667 and increasing appropriations in Salaries and Benefits ($51,853) and Services and Supplies ($10,814).

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Ensure basic health and safety for all.

Goal 6: Children grow up healthy in safe and supportive homes and neighborhoods.

Acceptance and implementation of the Plan contributes to the commitment and goal by allowing Pre-3 to continue to focus on improving services and coordination for children newborn to five and to improve risk assessment.

Performance Measure(s):

Measure

FY 2006-07 Projected

FY 2007-08 Projected

FY 2008-09 Projected

Number of Family Health Services programs/community agencies using risk assessment tool

0

5

15

BACKGROUND:

Since September 1996 Pre-3 has provided an integrated model of health services to expectant parents and families with children to age five years. The program has experienced considerable success in the areas of prevention and early intervention. The primary services Pre-3 offers to high risk families include home visiting, parenting education, and mental health treatment. Additionally, Pre-3 operates Radio Central, a single point of entry to any of the programs in Family Health Services (FHS).

In 2005 your Board accepted a grant from the Peninsula Community Foundation to fund a strategic planning process to focus Pre-3 efforts into the future. The Strategic Plan for Pre-3 was developed between September 2005 and February 2006 with a large group of stakeholders. When the process was complete, Pre-3 staff drafted a work plan with a timeline and implementation activities. With your Board’s approval, the Plan will be distributed to all participants in the Planning process including County and community partners, funders, statewide advocates, and policymakers.

DISCUSSION:

The grant from LPFCH will be used to implement two components of the strategic plan. The first deals with identifying a child abuse risk assessment instrument, developing protocols, piloting the instrument, and implementing it within FHS and partner community agencies. A second entails identifying best practices in service coordination and piloting these practices with 30 families. The grant will also provide funding for a Community Program Specialist to conduct the research, work with an existing Risk Assessment Committee, provide training, and pilot service coordination efforts. These activities will be carried out in close coordination with Children and Family Services (CFS) and First 5 San Mateo County.

The risk assessment tool will enable FHS staff to identify families at risk of child abuse before they reach the attention of CFS. This will allow for targeting of limited resources, one of the priorities in the Pre-3 Strategic Plan. Service coordination within FHS and with partner agencies will result in better outcomes for clients and more efficient use of limited resources. County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution and Grant Agreement as to form.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The total amount of the grant award is $200,000,which will meet the costs of the new position and some operating expenses; $62,667 will be used in FY 2006-07 and the remaining funds will be included in future budget requests. There is no new Net County Cost as a result of accepting this grant. The County match that is required ($15,234) will be paid from existing resources in the FY 2006-07 Adopted Budget and the FY 2007-08 Recommended Budget. Other costs of implementing the recommendations in the Strategic Plan will be incorporated into the FY 2007-08 Recommended Budget.