Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08161988 - 1.39 i.. 1-0-39 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - Mark Fin.ucane , Health Services Director Contra FROM: By : Elizabeth A. Spooner , Contracts Administrator Costa DATE: August 4, 1988 County Approval of Facility Use Agreement 4424-305-5 with SUBJECT: Concord Mt . Diablo Trail Ride Association SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I . RECOMMENDED ACTION : Approve and authorize the Health Services Director to execute on behalf of the County, Facility Use Agreement . 4124-305-5 with Concord Mt . Diablo Trail Ride Association for the period August 21 , 1988 through August 26 , 1988 , at no cost to the County, to provide facilities for the East County Mental Health Services ' annual Therapeutic Riding Camp for mentally disturbed children. II . FINANCIAL IMPACT : Approval of this agreement will require no additional County money. County Mental Health Treatment Specialist Staff will conduct the camp. Expenses such as food for the campers and staff , feed for the horses , tack, and camping equipment are either donated or covered by funds which were appropriated to the Department ' s Director of Children' s Services for treatment of adolescents . Camp counselors and cooks work without pay as volunteers . .III . REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS/BACKGROUND: This 'is the sixth year for the Therapeutic Riding Camp , a pro- ject of the Children' s Staff of East County ' Mental Health Services and of the Concord Mt . Diablo Trail Ride Association. The Therapeutic Riding Camp is an extension of the County' s out- patient treatment for severely disturbed children between the ages of 9 and 15 . It provides eight weekly activity group meetings in preparation for camp and one week -of residential treatment in a setting which is highly appropriate for children in this age group , , particularly for our patients, who come from poor families and do not usually go to camp or have access to horses . The social interaction between the children offers opportunities .for therapeutic intervention. Disciplined physical activity promotes the re-ordering and re-structuring of the child' s internalizations . Animals as representations of certain attri- butes of the child and of members of his/her family open a new avenue for mastering the conflicts between the child and his/her family. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X__ YES SIGNATURE: • _ / / RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDAT OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON AIJ � �TS APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER L VOTE OF SUPERVISORS 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS (ABSENT �- ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES:_ NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. AUG 16 1988 cc: Health Services (Contracts) ATTESTED Risk Management PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE BOARD OF Auditor-Controller SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Contractor41) M382/7-83 BY._ - QL�� DEPUTY BOARD ORDER Agreement 24-305-5 Page 2 Professionals from the Mental Health Clinic conduct the weekly activity groups and the riding camp. In both phases they are assisted by teenage and adult volunteers . Friends in the equestrian community lend horses and tack. The Concord Mt . Diablo Trail Ride Association lends its entire facility. Thus , an added value of the Therapeutic Riding Camp is that it creates community involvement , understanding , and'. support . Activities with horses have a somewhat higher risk of injury than our other summer activity programs for our child patients . However , this camp has not experienced any injuries in the pre- vious five years of operation. The horses , lent by members of the Concord Mt . Diablo Trail Ride Association , are selected carefully for their reliability in the hands of inexperienced riders . This year there will be four mental health professionals at the camp, with a minimum of two overnight . In addition , there will be one counselor for every two children . These ' counselors are excellent riders . The County treatment 'staff include experienced equestrians , one of whom is a registered nurse. Safety rules for being around and on horses are stressed in the eight preliminary meetings of the prospective campers , as well as during camp. Staff believes they have done everything possible to make the experience as risk-free as possible and that the therapeutic benefits outweigh the risks of physical injury. The Facility Use Agreement ( "Application for Use of Facilities") is in the same form, containing a standard indemnification clause , that was approved by the County Counsel ' s Office for the 1983 camp and was , therefore , approved by the Department ' s Contracts and Grants Administrator in accordance with the guide- lines approved by the Board ' s Order of December 1 , 1981 (Guidelines for contract preparation and processing, Health Services Department) .