Subject:
Title
Grant Application with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the expansion of substance abuse treatment capacity in adult treatment drug courts.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval and execution by the County Administrator of the Grant Application with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the expansion of substance abuse treatment capacity in adult treatment drug courts.
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Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public, Health, Safety and Welfare
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener, and purchaser of services for those in need.
Summary:
This grant application is for federal funding to support the Pinellas Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) program. The project proposes an expansion and enhancement and fills significant gaps for veterans participating by establishing an interagency, collaborative, non-adversarial treatment strategy for veterans currently involved with the criminal justice system. A coordinated system will serve 110 veterans eligible for VA services, and those who are not eligible can also participate.
Background/Explanation:
There is a need to expand veteran treatment services and improve their effectiveness as many veterans have sustained physical and psychological injuries. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that roughly 75,000 veterans are homeless on any given night and nearly 135,000 are homeless over the course of a year. Additionally, seventy-six percent (76%) of homeless veterans suffer from a substance abuse or mental health disorder which can often lead to justice system involvement. In Pinellas County alone, from January 2015 through October 2015, 1315 veterans entered the jail. VTC models are an effective stop-gap for preventing future homelessness as well as providing homeless veterans with the treatment needed for stabilization.
The current three year VTC grant ends in July 2016 and has been very successful, maintaining a project success rate exceeding their 80 percent goal at six month follow-ups, and is on target with service level intakes. Eighty (80) veterans have received services through Veterans Treatment Court which breakdown is as follows: Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 - 32, FY 2015 - 35 and FY 2016 - 13 (as of March 11, 2016).
Fiscal Impact:
The amount of the grant would be $325,000.00 per year for three years. There is no match required by the County.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign this Grant Application is pursuant to Code Section 2-62 (a)(4).
Staff Member Responsible:
Lourdes Benedict, Director, Human Services
Partners:
Sixth Judicial Circuit Court
WestCare Gulfcoast-Florida, Inc.
Wayne A. Grosnick & Associates d/b/a Solutions Behavioral Healthcare Consultants, Inc.
Pinellas Ex-Offender Re-Entry Coalition, Inc.
Attachments:
OMB Intent to Apply Approval
SF-424 Grant Application
Project Abstract