DATE: May 17, 2022
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Susan Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Agreement with Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, Inc. for Consumer & Family Advocacy Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, Inc., for consumer/family advocacy services, effective July 1, 2022, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a one-year base contract and four optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $567,840.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the Department of Behavioral Health to provide culturally sensitive consumer/family advocacy services through Centro La Familia Advocacy Services (CLFAS) for persons experiencing first break of mental illness or early onset of a crisis due to serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance. CFLAS was selected following a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consumer/family advocacy services. The recommended agreement will be financed with Mental Health Services Act - Consumer Services and Support (MHSA-CSS) funds, with no increase in Net County Cost. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action. Non-approval would leave underserved and unserved target individuals without advocacy, outreach and education services needed to empower them, improve their well-being, and help them navigate the mental health system of care. These individuals have been documented in mental health studies and through United States Census analysis to have low levels of access and/or use of mental health services. Many individuals will not seek mental health services through traditional methods and need education, guidance, and service linkages provided by consumer/family advocacy services to decrease escalation of a consumer's mental illness symptoms and referrals to hospital emergency departments.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increas...
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