Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Colleen Chawla, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Jei Africa, Director, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Subject: Agreement with Puente de la Costa Sur for Trauma Informed Co-Occurring Services
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Puente de la Costa Sur for trauma-informed co-occurring services for the term of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $285,000.
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BACKGROUND:
Since 2010, Puente de la Costa Sur has provided early intervention services for transition age youth and their families, caregivers and adults involved in their lives, in non-traditional behavioral health settings such as schools.
In December 2023, BHRS released a Request for Proposals for trauma-informed co-occurring services for youth to provide evidence-based and community defined interventions for high risk school age and transition age youth who struggle with trauma and substance use
Puente de la Costa Sur (Puente) submitted a proposal to implement El Joven Noble (The Noble Young Person) Rites of Passage (Joven Noble) and Transformative Life Skills (TLS) and was chosen to provide these services based on its strong foundation in servicing Latino immigrants and farmworker families and its over 26 years of experience providing mental health services locally and regionally.
DISCUSSION:
On July 1, 2026, the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) will replace MHSA. Puente’s early intervention services support BHSA goals related to improving access, engagement, and providing culturally responsive treatment for priority populations. Based on these outcomes and alignment with BHSA goals, BHRS is recommending renewal of these services to continue serving the community and to further integrate successful elements into the County’s ongoing behavioral health system of care.
Puente will provide trauma-informed early intervention services for school-aged and transition-aged youth along with individual and family therapy. In addition, Puente will provide trauma-informed 101 trainings to the adults that regularly engage with the youth participants to create trauma-informed community supports for the youth.
Joven Noble is a youth development, support, and leadership-enhancement program that provides a process and a vehicle for the continued “rites of passage” development of youth, ages 10-24. The program incorporates an approach and curriculum that is based on the philosophy that youth need other peers, their family, and community to care for, assist, heal, guide, and successfully prepare them for true adulthood.
TLS to Students is a multimodal intervention that includes active yoga postures, breathing techniques, and centering meditation. TLS is a strengths-based approach that sits firmly among the cognitive behavior therapy emerging interventions. It enables students to learn integrative skills for self-awareness, impulse control, and managing anxiety and stress. The skills learned change the connections in the brain, becoming not only skills but, ultimately, habits and traits.
The resolution contains the County’s standard provisions allowing amendments of the County’s fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 (in aggregate).
This agreement and resolution have been reviewed and approved by the County Attorney as to form.
It is anticipated that there will be 170 youth and parents participating in group skill development, presentations, drug and alcohol early intervention, and individual and family therapy, with 70 participants being unduplicated youth. It is also anticipated that 85% of clients will show an increase in coping skills after participating in Joven Noble and TLS.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2025-26 Estimated |
FY 2026-27 Projected |
|
Number of youth and parents participating in group skill development, presentations, drug and alcohol early intervention, and individual and family therapy |
160 participants 70 unduplicated youth |
170 participants 70 unduplicated youth |
|
Percentage of clients that show an increase in coping skills after participating in Joven Noble and TLS |
79% |
85% |
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Programs and services funded by MHSA positively impact underserved communities struggling with mental health and substance use challenges by providing direct services and supports, specifically underserved racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, by implementing culturally responsive early intervention services.
The trauma-informed early intervention services provided by Puente will focus on youth in the communities of Pescadero, La Honda, Loma Mar, and San Gregorio. These services will engage youth who are low-income, immigrants from Mexico or Central America, and/or children of agricultural workers and who are at high risk of mental health challenges and substance use disorders related to adverse childhood experiences and generational trauma.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the agreement is July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The amount of the agreement is not to exceed $285,000 for the one-year term. Funds in the amount of $285,000 are included in the BHRS FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget. Of the FY 2026-27 amount, it is anticipated that the Behavioral Health Services Act will fund 100% of this agreement. There is no Net County Cost.