DATE: May 07, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Susan Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness Program
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and ratify the Director of the Department of Behavioral Health previous application submission with the California Department of Health Care Services for the Federal Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Grant effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025 ($439,203); and
2. Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Behavioral Health, or designee, to be the signatory on behalf of the Board of Supervisors on associated grant agreement documents, expenditure forms, and reports.
REPORT
Approval of the first recommended action will allow the Department to submit and updated the application to replace the placeholder application that was submitted on March 1, 2024.
Approval of the second recommended action will allow the Department of Behavioral Health (Department) Director to sign all necessary reports and forms due to HDCS for administration of the grant.
This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the first recommended action is not approved, services to adults experiencing homelessness and serious mental illness and/or co-occurring disorders would be impacted and may result in a higher cost to the County, PATH grant funds would be forfeited. If the second recommended action is not approved, the Department would bring all necessary reports and forms due to DHCS to your Board.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) grant allocation for FY 2024-25 is $329,402 and requires a county match of 33%, or $109,801, which will be funded with MHSA-CSS, for a total amount of $439,203. PATH funds are utilized for county costs ($21,402) and the County’s PATH program contracted and operated by Kings View ($410,777). The administrative costs are 10% ($37,343). Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues will be included in the Department’s Org 5630 FY 2024-25 Recommended Budget.
DISCUSSION:
The Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1990 established the Federal PATH grants administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). DHCS functions as a pass-through entity and direct services are administered through the Department. Since 1990, the Department has applied for the grant funding annually to address the needs of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and/or co-occurring SMI and substance use disorders who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
The Department has been in receipt of PATH grant funding since 2010. The Department Director signs the application on behalf of the Board due to the short turn around needed to submit the application. Until last year, the Chairman would resign the PATH grant application, however, it was determined it was unnecessary since the funds had already been awarded. The award letter and application are the agreement with DHCS. The vendor providing the PATH grant service has an established agreement (23-295) and the funds have been written into the FY 24-25 budget.
The Department received notice of the FY 24-25 PATH grant application / agreement from DHCS on February 15, 2024, with a submittal deadline of February 23, 2024. Due to short turnaround time short extension requests are approved by DHCS and a placeholder application was submitted on March 1, 2024. The Department requests that your board ratify the previously submitted application, executed by the Department Director. Your Board’s approval of the recommended actions will allow the Department to submit an updated application / agreement to replace the placeholder application.
On June 20, 2023, your Board approved to execute agreement (23-295) with Kings View PATH for California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal requirement updates including payment structure changes with no term extensions necessary, all effective July 1, 2023.
On May 9, 2023, your Board approved the Chairman to execute an Application / Agreement with DHCS for the PATH grant effective July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024 ($439,203). Your Board also approved a Superseding Agreement (No. 23-206) due to expand a dedicated mobile outreach team using other state homelessness funding (Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention funding programs).
On May 17, 2022, your Board approved the Chairman to execute an Application / Agreement with DHCS for the PATH grant effective July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023 ($422,883). Your Board also approved a Superseding Agreement (No. 22-208) which made some corrections to the previous agreement with Kings View as well as expanded a dedicated mobile outreach team using ARPA funding.
On August 24, 2021, your Board approved Amendment I (No. 21-214-1) to utilize Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to fund the Mobile Outreach Project (Project) through FY 2021-22. The Project was comprised of a dedicated mobile outreach team that implements COVID-19 screening, education, assessment, and linkage capabilities in rural and unincorporated areas of the County.
On June 22, 2021, your Board approved Agreement No. 21-214 with Kings View to deliver integrated mental and supportive housing services to unhoused adults, or who are adults at imminent risk of becoming homeless and have a serious mental illness and/or co-occurring disorder, to enable this population to live in the community and to avoid homelessness, hospitalization, and/or jail detention. Your Board also approved the Chairman to execute an Application / Agreement with DHCS for the PATH grant effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022 ($489,351).
On August 14, 2020, your Board approved the Chairman to execute a retroactive Application / Agreement with DHCS for the Federal Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Block Grant, through the PATH grant, effective July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021 ($422,910). Your Board also approved a retroactive Amendment IV to Agreement No. A-15-257 with Kings View to extend the deadline for expenditures of the Homeless Mentally Ill Outreach and Treatment grant funding from June 30, 2020, to August 31, 2020, and add a Mobile Outreach Project component using one-time Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus funding, increasing the maximum by $279,613 to a total of $4,578,437.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #45, June 20, 2023
BAI #36, May 9, 2023
BAI #10, June 21, 2022
BAI #40, May 17, 2022
BAI #30, August 24, 2021
BAI #39, June 22, 2021
BAI #26, August 14, 2020
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Attachment A - PATH Grant Application FY 24-25
CAO ANALYST:
Amina Flores-Becker