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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12172002 - C.142 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra FROM: FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE sta DATE: DECEMBER 9, 2002 d ,I C) SUBJECT: HEALTH CARE FOR THE HOMELESS ` ' o u n t SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION Recommendation: ACCEPT report from the Health Services Department, Homeless Program on the Continuum of Care for the Homeless, and the report from the Contra Costa Health Care for the Homeless Project regarding the provision of health care to the homeless. Background. The Contra Costa Homeless Continuum of Care Program was referred to the Family and Human Services Committee on December 3, 1996. Annual reports are submitted to the Committee to update the Board of Supervisors on the goals and achievements of the programs during the year. The 2002 annual report is attached. In addition, periodic reports on the activities of the Contra Costa Health Care for the Homeless Project are required pursuant to their federalgrant. That report is also attached. s S CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNA RE: _ f RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR x RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): + MARK DESAULNIER FEYERALID. GLOVER ACTION OF BOARD ON Derr 17 2002 APPROVE AS RECOMMENDED x OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE _UNANIMOUS (ABSENT None ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD AYES: NOES: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ATTESTEDD eMb?r 17: 20M JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Contact Person: Cynthia Belon(5-6124) CC:CAO BY: °j+` --tip DEPUTY Health Care for the Homeless Report to Family and Human Services November 1,2001 to October 31, 2002 Contra Costa Health Care for the Homeless Project is partially funded by a federal grant administered by the Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration. This grant stipulates that periodic reports of the project activities be made to our governing body,the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors is that body. It is my pleasure to make this report to this committee and thereby assure our compliance with the grant requirements. In 2002,Health Care for the Homeless continued to provide accessible, culturally sensitive health care to the homeless individuals in regularly scheduled nontraditional clinics in the community. The Health Care for the Homeless Mobile Clinic Team conducted clinics at eighteen different sites weekly through out the County. Family Nurse Practitioners,Public Health Nurses, a Substance Abuse Counselor, a Mental Health Specialist, a Community Health Worker and a Financial Counselor deliver these clinical services. This experienced team provided urgent medical care, TB testing and referrals for primary health care problems. They also provided linkages to Mental Health and Substance Abuse support. 20,012 encounters were accomplished for the 9164 individuals seen in these regularly scheduled clinics. Three of these clinics are conducted in collaboration with the John.Muir/Mount Diablo Health Institute Community Health Alliance and Senior Services. This year we added the Salvation Army,Antioch van site to the clinics occurring at the Ambrose Community Center in Bay Point and Monument Boulevard, Concord sites. These clinics occur weekly at each site. This successful collaboration has added to our ability to serve a greater number of clients and broadened our working relationship with the John Muir/Mount Diablo health care group. The Contra Costa five-year homeless plan specifies the goal of preventing homelessness upon discharge from institutions such as hospitals. The Health Care for the Homeless Project joins the Homeless Program in efforts to educate the discharge planning units of local hospitals about the need to avoid the discharge of medically compromised clients to shelters. A panel comprised of shelter staff and a nurse from the Health Care for the Homeless Team lead these education sessions. This undertaking has resulted in the greater collaboration and consultation between the discharge planners and the health tear: nurse as well as shelter staff before finalization of discharge for a number of homeless clients. Health Care for the Homeless Goals for year 2003: Re-establish a clinic for the farm workers at the Cecchini.Fanning property in Brentwood. Work to improve the health care status of the homeless in,Contra Costa County. Increase access to primary health care for homeless persons. Complete the planned discharged planning education sessions in the last three local hospitals. �y WJLLIAA1 & WALKER, M. D. CONTRA COSTA HEALTH SERVICES DIRECTOR � P B Tc HEALTH WENDEL BRUNNER, D. PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR Holvi ESS ik76G AM CONTRA COSTA 597 Center Avenue, Suite 355 p ^� Martinez, California HEALTH SERVICES 94553 Ph(925)313-6124 Fax(925)313-6761 MEMO TO: Family and Human Services Committee FROM: Wendel Brunner,M.D. Director of Public Health BY: Cynthia Belon, L.C.S.W. Director of Homeless Program DATE: December 5, 2002 This memo is to provide you with an update on the work of the Homeless Continuum of Care Board and the County Homeless Program during this past year. After approval by the Board of Supervisors of the revised Continuum of Care Homeless Plan in October, 2001, the Continuum of Care board (COCB)and the County Homeless Program have defined and approved a method for tracking and reporting on the implementation of the Five-Year plan action steps. Those p it)1 itieS identified as high through the community process are those to be achieved during 2001-02. They are as follows: HEALTH CARE AND OUTREACH Prevent the spread of disease and the severity of illnesses among homeless people by providing information,by offering early treatment and accessibility through the development of a public education campaign to promote prevention. Increase medical treatment available to homeless by eliminating traditional barriers to services and expanding existing services available in existing multi-service centers. Expand outreach services to act as the entry point through the expansion and collaboration of existing programs to conduct outreach to those not served and through coordination with the police force,hospitals, correctional institutions and private physicians. Create dignified,professional, comprehensive treatment services to homeless mentally ill individuals and which can be integrated with housing and homeless services. Services should include early interventions to avoid hospitalizations; psychotropic medication; and dual-diagnosis treatment including intensive case management. f • Contra Costa Community Substance Abuse Services + Contra Costa Emergency Medical Services + Contra Costa Environmental Health • Contra Costa Health Pian + + Contra Costa Hazardous Materials Programs •Contra Costa Menta!Health • Contra Costa Public Health • Contra Costa Regional Medical Center + Contra Costa Health Centers Expand the number of treatment beds and access for homeless people and expand the provision of lodging for children at treatment programs. Address the needs for follow-up, including assistance in finding permanent housing, case management and support groups in order to help people remain sober. DOUSING Prevent homelessness that occurs through evictions by providing emergency rental assistance programs. Develop emergency shelter space for homeless youth and homeless families. Develop more permanent supportive housing and maximize resources by identifying public and private sources of capital funds and by the development of supportive housing integrated into mainstream affordable housing programs. ADMINISTRATION, COORDINATION AND ,FUNDING The County Homeless Program will support the work of the COCK and coordinate the continuum of care with local safety-net services. Conduct mechanisms for consumer input through an annual consumer survey and recruitment of consumers as members of the COCB. Develop a County-wide Homeless Management Information System(HMIS)to facilitate collection and analysis of data on homelessness and homeless services. (federal mandate by HUD to be implemented by October 21744) HOMELESS PROGRAM SERVICES In response to the growing need,identified gaps in the continuum and goals as outlined in the Five-Year plan, the Homeless Program expanded services to homeless through additional grants received,primarily from the federal government, cities within Contra Costa and other County departments. A program targeting homeless mentally ill who are living in encampments (HOPE) throughout the County was funded by SAMHSA to send outreach teams into the camps to provide mental health assessments, interventions, medication management, transportation and linkages to multi-service centers for essential services including healthcare. An emergency shelter for homeless youth ages 14- 17 was opened in West County along with a support center providing case management and other essential services to homeless youth ages 14-21 (Galli House). This project is funded through a Federal grant from DHHS. Community Services is also contributing funds for this program. In addition, the Homeless Program was just awarded a grant from DHHS for the provision of a transitional housing program: for young adults ages 18-21. A new program, Synergy, began December 1, 2002, funded through SAMHSA, and will provide dual-diagnosis treatment and substance abuse treatment services to homeless individuals. This is the first collaboration to provide homeless adults immediate access into the treatment system,using"no wrong door" as the point of entry. Lastly, a new program of permanent supportive housing in Pleasant Hill is scheduled to open next year,providing 27 units of housing to homeless families. All of this is in addition to the ongoing programs of the multi-service centers, emergency shelters for single adults and families, ombudsperson services, shelter plus care housing subsidies and the HHISN collaborative of services provided to homeless in housing in order to keep them housed. The numbers of homeless continue to grow. Currently,there are approximately 1750 single adults on the waiting list for shelter and over 200 families. The true solution is to provide more permanent supportive housing and employment opportunities with livable wages. BUDGET The Homeless Program's annual budget for 2002-03 is $6.1 million dollars. We have successfully diversified our funding base to include more Federal dollars, resulting in proportionately fewer County dollars overall. In addition, the Homeless Program was successful in increasing the amount the Cities provide with the$120,000.00 we will receive from Richmond's general fund for this fiscal year. Currently,we have been meeting with the Central County Interfaith groups to strategize around funding for homeless services. We are in the process of identifying both short and long terra goals. The short term goal is to provide immediate relief through motel vouchers for homeless individuals and families who are on the waiting list for shelter, and the interfaith group plans on approaching various corporations to request funding for this purpose. The long term goal is for the interfaith groups to request participation from the cities for funding of homeless services.