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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 07201999 - C197 e lq7 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: PHIL BATCHELOR, County Administrator DATE: Jure °14, 1999 SUBJECT: PROPOSED RESPONSE TO REPORT NO. 9906 OF THE 1999-99 GRAND JURY—THE COUNTY HOMELESS SERVICES— DO THEY G FAR ENOUGH? s®.Sa............................ a... .....................®® ................................ SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUST€F€CATION RECOMMENDATION. ADOPT the report prepared by Contra Costa Health Services Public Health Director, Dr. Wendel Brunner, as the Beard of Supervisors' response to the Report No, 9906 of the Grand Jury entitled "The County Homeless Services ® Do They Go Far Enough? The 998-99 Grand Jury filed the above report, which was reviewed by the Board of Supervisors and subsequently referred to the County Administrator and the Health Services Director. After reviewing the report, the health Services Public Health Director prepared this report, which clearly specifies: A. Whether the finding and recommendation mendation is accepted or adopted, B� If the finding and recommendation is accepted, a statement as to who will be responsible for implementation and a definite target date; C. A delineation of the constraints if a recommendation is accepted but cannot be implemented within a calendar year; and D. The reason for not adopting a finding and/or recommendation. FINDINGS THE GRAND JURY AND RESPONSE BY THE DEPARTMENT: I There is no accurate count of homeless population In Contra Costa County, We agree with this finding. CONTINUED ON ATT", CHME T.' 3- YES SIGNATURE: -� RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY AD. M€NI TRAtOk _ RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD C€MMIT TEE --APPROVE OTHER SIGN WRE(s): ---ACTION OF BOARD ON July 7 . 1999 r'�fg��� RECOMMENDED XX_ OTS€ AS VOTE OF SUPERVISORS E HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS;S ATRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN )UX__€ € c #s i} (ABSENT T # 4 l AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE RATE AYES: '� E :� SHOWN. ABSENT: _ ABSTAIN: ATTESTED _T�s CONTACT:vet €Brunw. ,M.D.(9251,313-8712 K C3PHIL BATCHELOR,CRE _ E� BOARD OFSUPERVISORS AND COUNTY CC: Grand-jury Foraman ADMINISTRATOR PIS Judge of to sum€o Ccuf Hartll s D;r or GoutyAdmen tr s DEPUTY Z The Contra Gaeta County Homeless Program ("the Program") estimates between 13,000 and 20,000 homeless in the County, We agree with this finding. 3. The Program management does not require written reports by the ombudsman regarding visits, contacts, hours worked, miles traveled, or donated material dispens®da We partially disagree with this finding. The homeless ombudsperson submits time sheets every two weeks to his supervisor, the Homeless Program Director, who reviews the time sheets and signs them. Likewise, the homeless ombudsperson submits monthly travel demands, which document miles traveled and destinations on e daily basis. These travel demands are also reviewed and signed by the supervisor. We do not require weekly written reports from the ombudsperson about all his visits and contacts, although the ornbudsperson is in frequent contact with his supervisor and also in regular contact with the Public Health Director regarding ombudsperson activities. 4. The Program has one ombudsman for the entire county. We agree with this finding, There is a shortage of field personnel for health screening of the homeless population, We agree with this finding. . Many homeless are unaware of the Contra Costa County health services available to them. We agree sfith this finding, 7- The Health on Wheels (leo van is new, was built for the Program and was donated to the County Health Department by Standard Oil Company of California and operates exclusively for residents of the West County area, We partially disagree with this finding, The HoW van is new, beginning operation in January 1999. However, the HoW van was neither built for nor operated by the Homeless Programa. The van is operated by the Public Health Communicable Disease Unit in collaboration with Public Health Clinic Services. The Health Care for the Homeless Programa does not operate out of the HoW vary, but rather sets rip its mobile clinic in various homeless sites and facilities throughout the county. The Ho van was donated by Chevron. The HoW van does operate exclusively for residents of the West County area. 8. An old field van (a donated, small bus conversion) operates for the whole of Contra Costa County four(4) days per week and is not large enough to have a private examination room. We agree with this finding. The Health Care for the Homeless vamp is s small Contra Costa County transit van, which carries the Health Care for the Homeless team and its supplies to various homeless shelters and facilities, where the tear. sets Grp temporary clinics, gv The Program directors were unable to provide a mission statement, written reports or follow-up on accountability for disbursements or use of time. We disagree with this finding. Where is a mission statement for the homeless programs, prepared by the Homeless Program staff in 1997. There are s large number of written reports, which have been submitted to the Family & Human Services Committee and the Board of Supervisors on a regular basis since 1995. All of these reports are public documents, and they have been provided to the Grand Flury, All use of time by program staff; whether regular County employees or contract staff; are supported by signed time sheets logging daily hours of work. All disbursements of funds to the Homeless Programa are handled through the Health Services Department Financial Office and are subject to HUD and County edit, In 2 addition, Homeless program staff carefully monitors contras for homeless services with Center point, Shelter, Inc., and Rubicon. All payments to contractors are supported by appropriate documentation, which also form the basis of reports to Housing and Urban Development (HUD), CDGB and other funding sources. 10. The County has emergency shelters In both Richmond and Concord (both needing repairs for s combined capacity of 167 single persons and provides motel vouchers for families with children. We agree with the finding, except that the combined maximum capacity of the emergency shelters in Richmond and Concord is only 154 single persons. 11, The County can house eight single women and nine women wig children in an additional transitional shelter for up to mine months. We partially disagree with the finding. In addition to the Mt. View House operated by funding through the County, San Joaquin House in West County managed by Rubicon is also funded through the County program. That site has an additional capacity of two families and eight single residents. CONCLUSIONS BY TSE GRAND JURY AND RESPONSE BY THE DEPARTMENT. I The program lacks direction and management involvement at the highest level. We disagree with this finding. In addition to the Homeless program Director and her staff, the program has had extensive involvement from the Public Health Director since late 1994. The public Health Director's involvement is much greater than his involvement in any other comparable program in the Public Health Division, and reflects the focus that the Health Services Department as a whole places on the problem of homelessness. In addition, the Program reports from two to four times per year directly to the Board of Supervisors through written reports and meetings VWth the Family & Human Services Committee. In addition, the County Administrator is directly involved in the homeless programs, working with the public health Director and the homeless Program Director, as well as County leadership in other departments. It is this management ement involvement at the highest levels of County government, working with the Homeless Program Director and staff, that has lead to so much progress over the last year on the recommendations that the Grand Jury presented this May. . More field personnel are needed for health screening. We agree with this . A reasonably accurate count of the homeless population needs to be established. We agree with this conclusion. However, accurate courts of homeless populations are extraordinarily difficult to obtain. 4. One ombudsman cannot adequately maintain contact with the countywide homeless community. We agree with this conclusion. . The Brooide Shelter In Richmond is in serious need of repair or replacements We agree with this conclusion. S. The North Concord Shelters kitchen facilities, carpeting, and paint need to upgraded. Shelter improvements could be done as job training for qualified residents with the assistance of professional personnel. We partially disagree with this conclusion. The North Concord Shelter's kitchen facilities have not been completed and are scheduled to be installed in FY 2000-2001. The North Concord Shelter has recently been completely rehabilitated, and the carpeting and paint are in reasonably good condition, as in the rest of the shelter. 3 7. The County is doing ars adequate job given its resources, but could be doing more. We agree with this conclusion. RECOMMENDATIONS Y THE GRAND JURY AND RESPONSE BY THE DEPARTMENT: I a The County be divided into three regions,to be covered by one ombudsman and two assistants. We agree with this recommendation. however, implementation will depend on developing additional funding for outreach staff. n Workers be required fired to file written reports on areas and encounters with homeless, to include time spent, miles traveled, denoted items collected and dispersed. Written reports on time spent and miles traveled are already filed on all workers in the Health Services Department. Filing written reports on all areas and encounters with the homeless by the homeless Ombudsperson is not currently practical:, given the fact that one ombudsperson rson is responsible to cover the entire County in 40 hours per week. With additional assistance or outreach teams, more time will be available to develop written reports and tallies, which will also assist in developing a reasonably accurate count of the homeless population. All donated items collected and dispersed by Homeless Program staff as part of their work in the homeless program will be documented. 3. The old field van be replaced with a larger vehicle. We agree with the recommendation, but it will require additional funding. We have put in a grant application to expand our health Care for the Homeless Program. The John Muir,Mt. Diablo Community health Institute hes purchased a new HoW van, which can be used in Central and East County. Our grant application would provide funding to staff the John hair/alt. Diablo van to provide health care to the homeless services through the van in Central and East County areas. Implementation of this project, however, depends upon both grant funding and working out an appropriate relationship with the John it/Mt. Diablo health system. 4. The Brookside Shelter in Richmond be replaced with e better and larger structure. We agree with this recommendation, and it is being implemented.. The work furlough building next to the Brookside Shelter will be upgraded and used to provide 20 additional beds this Pinter. The work furlough building will then be turned into a women's dormitory with a common kitchen and dining space, and a 75-bed men's dormitory will be built next to it. This new 100-bed facility will be available for the winter of 2000-2001, and the old Brookside Shelter will be torn down and removed. The Board of Supervisors hes approved this plea in May. . The North Concord Shelter be upgraded. We agree with this recommendation. The forth Concord Shelter kitchen hes been planned. We are seeking additional funding and expect it will be completed by winter of 2004. A major rehabilitation of the forth concord Shelter was completed in fell 1991. 6s A shelter site be opened in East County, We agree with this recommendation, and it is being implemented. The Board of 4 Supervisors approved in April the development of a 20-unit transitional family facility in East County. The Chanty is currently working With Shelter, Inc.. Home Aid, and the City of Antioch to site, build and operate this shelter. We expect it will be ready by the winter of 2000-2001. 7. Donations and grants from all areas be explored more aggressively on a regular basis. We agree with this recommendation, and it is being implemented. The County Administrator has designated a member of the staff to work with County Homeless Program and Public health staff to implement a redia and donation campaign for the homeless. The County Continuum of Care Homeless Advisory Board and the Public and Environmental Health Advisory Board will be involved in this campaign. In addition, specific County homeless staff is designated to work with County staff from Community Development and the Housing Authority to pursue federal, state; and foundation funding. 86 A trust account be established to receive donations, and the interest from dividends be used for financing future needs. The Board of Supervisors in May established the Homeless Trust Fund, and placed 2.5 million into that account. The homeless Trust Fuad will be used to challenge private and corporate donors to match those dollars. 5