To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: JOY A. FORD, CITY ATTORNEY
STEPHANIE JOHNSON, QUALITY OF LIFE PROSECUTOR
TITLE
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APPROVE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH CLEAR INC. FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING FOR THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $125,000 FOR THE TERM JULY 1, 2026 TO JUNE 30, 2027
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Clear Inc. has provided Homeless Court participants substance abuse and mental health counseling since September of 2020. Staff recommends that the City Council and Mayor approve a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to continue those services.
BACKGROUND
Clear Inc., operating as Clear Recovery Center, is a South Bay based mental health and substance abuse treatment provider that provides a full continuum of care. Their treatment is individualized, evidence-based and age-specific in order to give their clients the best possible chance at long term recovery. They pride themselves on their expert clinical team who is highly skilled in the latest in evidence-based treatments and therapies.
On September 1, 2020, the Mayor and City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Clear Inc. whereby Clear Inc. agreed to donate up to $5,000 of professional clinical services per month to fund a substance abuse and mental health treatment program to assist people experiencing homelessness, with the option for the City to pay for additional services not to exceed $50,000. On December 7, 2021, the Mayor and City Council approved the First Amendment, which amended the services donated to up to $3,875 per month and the term to extend the agreement to June 30, 2023. On June 20, 2023, the Mayor and City Council approved the Second Amendment, which extended the MOU for another year to June 30, 2024 at different rates. On August 19, 2025, the Mayor and City Council approved the Third Amendment, which extended the MOU until June 30, 2026.
Since the first outdoor Homeless Court on September 9, 2020, Clear Inc. has provided participants with substance abuse counseling and mental health therapy. At the recommendation of assigned housing navigators and the prosecutors, with the agreement of defense attorneys, the Judge will order certain participants to meet with either the substance abuse counselor and/or the mental health therapist for clinical services. In addition, Clear provides weekly follow up sessions with individuals assigned to them based on new orders from the Judge.
Those services include one-on-one and group therapy by Ron White, who provides therapy for individualized client-centered needs and goals as well as individual care management for life skill training. Ron White has built relationships that have saved many lives. Even after graduation, Ron White continues to meet with certain participants to make sure they retain their housing and do not fall back into homelessness.
In the past, the City received funding from the County through the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG). However, the SBCCOG did not allocate funds to Redondo this year for this purpose, so the Quality of Life Prosecutor had to look into other options.
As of June 30, 2025, the City of Redondo Beach has received opioid settlement funds from CA Abatement Accounts Fund and the Mallinckrodt Bankruptcy, which are administered through the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Opioid Settlement Funds (OSF). DHCS monitors local compliance, manages allowable use guidelines, and collects annual expenditure reports from participating cities and counties to ensure funds address the opioid crisis. Quality of Life Prosecutor Stephanie Johnson submitted a Technical Assistance (TA) form describing a proposed activity to support the Housing Initiative Court (a.k.a. Homeless Court), an outdoor prosecution-led diversion program clearing low-level misdemeanor charges and designed for unhoused individuals experiencing chronic substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental health conditions. The program offers comprehensive rehabilitation services including behavioral health treatment, housing navigation, and wrap-around supports. DHCS confirmed that this proposed activity and the services of Clear Recovery Center are allowable expenditures. This amendment will cover services provided from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 in an amount not to exceed $125,000 and the City intends to use opioid settlement funds to cover these Homeless Court-related services and expenses.
Clear has been instrumental to the treatment and stabilization of Homeless Court participants to assist them with temporary housing and inevitably permanent housing. It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council approve this MOU to cover services from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 for an amount not to exceed $125,000.
COORDINATION
The City Attorney's Office coordinated with Clear Recovery Center in the preparation of this report.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City will use opioid settlement funds to cover the costs of these Homeless Court-related services and expenses.
Submitted by:
Joy A. Ford, City Attorney
ATTACHMENTS
• Clear Memorandum of Understanding