Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Louise F. Rogers, 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 Prevention Services
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Puente de la Costa Sur for trauma informed co-occurring prevention services for the term of October 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $570,148.
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BACKGROUND:
Between November 2022 and July 2023, a comprehensive Community Program Planning (CPP) process developed the Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) Three-Year Plan for FY 2023-24 through FY 2025-26, which was approved by this Board on September 12, 2023. The planning included review of 44 local plans, assessments, and evaluation reports. Additionally, over 400 community members participated in the CPP process via surveys, 31 community input sessions, key interviews, and a 30-day public comment process. Three areas of focus were prioritized for MHSA funding, including addressing Behavioral Health Workforce needs, Access to Services for youth and underserved communities, and expanding the behavioral health Crisis Continuum of Care.
Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) released a Request for Proposals in December 2023 for trauma informed prevention and early intervention programs for youth to address the Access to Services focus area, and specifically the strategy to coordinate behavioral health services for cultural and ethnic communities. Puente de la Costa Sur (Puente) submitted a proposal to implement El Joven Noble (The Noble Young Person) and Transformative Life Skills (TLS) for school aged and transition aged youth 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:
Puente will provide trauma-informed prevention 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.
El Joven Noble Rites of Passage 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 men/women, 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 (CBT) 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).
County Attorney has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolution as to form.
It is anticipated that 75% of clients will show an increase in coping skills after participating in El Joven Noble and TLS.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2024-25 Estimated |
FY 2025-26 Projected |
|
Percentage of clients who show an increase in coping skills after participating in Joven Noble and TLS services |
75% 24 of 32 clients |
75% 24 of 32 clients |
EQUITY 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 prevention and early intervention services.
The National Survey of Children’s Health revealed that nearly 50% of American children have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), with children of color and children who grow up in poverty showing the greatest risk for ACEs. According to First 5 San Mateo County, approximately 10% of all children ages 0-5 in San Mateo County are living at or below the federal poverty level. Compared to the overall population of children ages 0-5 in the County, 20% of all Latinx children ages 0-5 in San Mateo County live in poverty. The trauma informed prevention and 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 worker and who are at high-risk of mental health challenges and substance use disorders related to ACEs and generational trauma.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the agreement is October 1, 2024, through June 30, 2026. The amount of the agreement is not to exceed $570,148 for the 21-month term. Funds in the amount of $285,000 are included in the BHRS FY 2024-25 Recommended Budget. Of the FY 2024-25 amount, it is anticipated that the Mental Health Service Act will fund 100% of this agreement. There is no Net County Cost. Similar funding arrangements will be made for FY 2025-26.