Title
CONSIDERATION OF A SUNFLOWER FOUNDATION GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $183,508 FOR THE SUPPORT OF A REDESIGN OF SEDGWICK COUNTY’S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
Presented by: Joan M. Tammany, LMLP, COMCARE Executive Director.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve the grant award, authorize the Chairman to sign, and the establishment of budget authority as provided in the Financial Considerations section of this request.
Body
Grant Renewal: No.
Never Applied: Yes.
Applied; not awarded: No.
Grant Summary and Timeline: Currently there are several community leaders participating in multiple community collaborations around persons with behavioral health needs that are over-represented in the emergency rooms, police encounters, and jail/detention centers and are frequent users of services provided at the Community Crisis Center. Sedgwick County has representation on these collaborations, including; COMCARE staff, County Manager’s Office staff, the Board of County Commissioners, Sheriff’s Office, and the Health Division. While these groups share a value of better coordination for the high utilizer group, a formal and strategic community plan has yet to fully develop from these efforts.
High utilizers of care not only have complex mental health issues and medical conditions, often they have complex psychosocial needs. Many have unstable housing and inadequate social support which leads to frequent emergency and crisis services on a routine basis. As a result, overuse of care leads to “care fatigue” by the systems begin utilized.
This funding provides an opportunity to hire a Community Coordinator whose job will be to convene regular meetings of an array of stakeholders. These meetings will include medical and behavioral providers, law enforcement, local school districts, and the court system. This employee will help facilitate discussions, research grant opportunities, and maintain documentation of the group’s efforts.
Financial Considerations:
Grant period starts: 10-1-18
Grant period ends: 9-30-20
Source of funding
Grant: $183,508.00
Required Match: $
Required Cash Match: $
Required In-Kind Match: $
Other funding: $11,810
TOTAL SOURCES $195,318
Uses of funding (Note: Include any Required Matches in your totals)
Operational costs: $195,318
Personnel: $183,508
Contractual services: $8,000
Operational supplies: $3,810
Equipment: $0
Indirect administrative costs: $
Capital projects cost: $0
TOTAL USES $195,318
Source of matching funds:
Source of other funding: transfer in- operating
Budget Authority Adjustment: COMCARE is requesting budget authority in the amount of $31,500 for 2018 and $91,064 for 2019.
Personnel considerations: No personnel considerations are being requested at this time.
Expected measurable outcomes:
1. Improved and timely screening and access to services.
2. Services provided in the least restrictive setting (outpatient), avoiding costly incarcerations and unnecessary emergency department utilization and inpatient hospitalizations when possible. Comprehensive integrated models of care developed for care coordination for high utilizers of care.
3. Processes developed for care coordination for high utilizers of care.
4. Robust childhood prevention and early intervention strategies developed with appropriate and effective crisis services for children, adolescents, and their families.
5. Behavioral health integrated into primary care.
6. Align local, federal, and state planning and funding toward a shared vision of improving the community safety net while reducing waste and duplication.
Alternatives: If this grant agreement is not approved, COMCARE will lose an important funding opportunity; COMCARE will not be able to support this position or benefit from the work that this positon will perform.
Policy considerations: N/A.
Legal considerations: The County may enter into this agreement pursuant to K.S.A. 19-101 et seq. Pursuant to the County's grant policies and procedures; this grant agreement requires approval of the Board of County Commissioners. A simple majority vote is required for approval.