To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: JOY A. FORD, CITY ATTORNEY
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DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE CITY'S EFFORTS TO UTILIZE GRANT FUNDING TO PROCURE A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN TO PROVIDE A TARGETED RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH-RELATED INCIDENTS IN THE CITY
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On April 29, 2025, the Mayor and City Council held a Strategic Planning Session and discussed strengthening the City's Mental Health Response and Community Support Systems (Goal 2.2.) A report was requested on the City's efforts to utilize grant funding to procure a mental health clinician to provide a targeted response to mental health-related incidents in the City (No. 21). The City Attorney's Office looked at several options in developing an Alternative Crisis Response (ACR) program, including reaching out to Clear Recovery Center (Clear). Clear has agreed to provide an ACR team, and the City Attorney's Office is currently finalizing terms of an agreement with Clear.
BACKGROUND
An Alternative Crisis Response (ACR) is designed to approach non-violent, mental and behavioral health service calls by offering trauma-informed care, crisis de-escalation, in person intervention and transport to immediate behavioral health services. Physical health, behavioral health, and substance use professionals can provide intensive whole-person healthcare services in episodes of crisis, with goals of reducing the amount of hospital and emergency room visits as well as fire and police department involvement.
The City Council approved a Mental Health Clinician as part of the FY 2023-2024 budget adoption process on the condition that grants were identified for funding. On April 9, 2024 the Mayor and City Council approved an agreement with Health Net to accept grant funds for an ACR program. Since then, the City has taken many steps towards developing our ACR program and have been met with several obstacles. The City Attorney's Office had a number of meetings with the Depar...
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