Subject:
Title
Service Funding Agreements with WestCare Gulfcoast-Florida, Inc., Solutions Behavioral Healthcare Consultants and Pinellas Ex-Offender Re-Entry Coalition, Inc., for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Pinellas Veterans Treatment Court grant.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval and execution by the County Administrator of three (3) Service Funding Agreements with WestCare Gulfcoast-Florida, Inc. (WestCare), Wayne A. Grosnick & Associates, Inc. d/b/a Solutions Behavioral Healthcare Consultants (Solutions), and Pinellas Ex-Offender Re-Entry Coalition, Inc. (PERC), to administer the new Pinellas Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) grant.
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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:
The County, in partnership with local service providers and stakeholders, applied for and received a three-year federal grant award from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to expand and enhance the Pinellas Veterans Treatment Court. The service funding agreements with WestCare, Solutions and PERC will provide for substance abuse and mental health treatment services for veterans in the criminal justice system who have been diagnosed with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.
The Agreement with WestCare provides clinical supervision of VTC participants, counseling and substance abuse and mental health treatment, case management, research, mentoring, training and evaluation services. The Agreement with Solutions provides for clinical supervision, counseling and substance abuse and mental health treatment and case management services. The Agreement with PERC is for a Veterans Employment Specialist, who will be responsible for screening and assessing participants for vocational training needs, and who will also work to enhance vocational readiness skills, and to identify employment opportunities for the VTC participants.
The Agreements cover the three-year project period, commencing on October 1, 2016, and expiring on September 29, 2019.
Background/Explanation:
A previous VTC award ended on October 31, 2016. The program met its objectives with 93% of clients reporting they were substance-free during the 30 days prior to discharge. Additionally, 97% of those who completed six-month follow up interviews reported no alcohol use in the previous 30 days; and 96% reported no drug use during the same period.
The 2016 VTC grant allows for an increased number of individuals to be served as well as for reduced recidivism and improved individual and family functioning among participants. Emphasis will be placed on veterans with co-occurring disorders (e.g. substance use with mental health disorders) who have experienced trauma. Up to 120 U.S. Military Veterans will be served over the life of the grant (40 annually), representing a 40 percent increase in the number of veterans that the Pinellas VTC is able to serve with state funding alone.
The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that Pinellas County is home to approximately 92,584 veterans. Additionally, from January 2015 through October 2015 there were 1,315 veterans that entered the jail. Since post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), military sexual trauma (MST), depression and anxiety, are prevalent among those who have served in the Armed Forces, the Pinellas VTC program is a critical resource.
Pinellas County continues to see significant levels of addiction and substance abuse requiring more treatment resources. In 2015, the Medical Examiner reported 179 accidental deaths attributed to drug related causes. Of these deaths, 98 were attributed to prescription drugs, 28 to illicit drugs, 41 to prescription and illicit drugs combined, 10 to acute alcohol, and 2 to inhalants. While this is down from a peak of 280 deaths in 2010, this is a slight increase from the 166 deaths reported in 2014.
Fiscal Impact:
The service funding agreements are for three years with annual amounts provided: WestCare $186,253.00, Solutions $84,000.00 and PERC $43,000.00.
There is no cash match required. An In-Kind match of five percent (5%) of Solutions’ Chief Administrator’s salary is included in the grant. The VTC grant award was accepted by the Board at the October 11th, 2016 meeting with the request for the grant revenue to be added to Human Services, Justice Coordination’s budget.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign these Agreements is granted under Code Section 2-62(a)(2).
Staff Member Responsible:
Lourdes Benedict, Director, Human Services
Partners:
Sixth Judicial Circuit Court
WestCare Gulfcoast-Florida, Inc.
Wayne A. Grosnick & Associates, Inc. d/b/a Solutions Behavioral
Healthcare Consultants
Pinellas Ex-Offender Re-Entry Coalition, Inc.
Attachments:
Agreement with WestCare
Agreement with Wayne Grosnick/Solutions
Agreement with Pinellas Ex-Offender
Appendix A SAMHSA Grant Application
Appendix B SAMHSA Grant Budget
Appendix C SAMHSA Grant Award
Appendix D Grant Funding Conditions
Appendix E Certifications WestCare
Appendix E Certifications Solutions
Appendix E Certifications Pinellas Ex-Offender
Attachment 1 Agreement Modification Form
Attachment 2 HIPAA BAA WestCare
Attachment 2 HIPAA BAA Solutions
Attachment 2 HIPAA BAA Pinellas Ex-Offender
Attachment 3 Insurance Requirements