LA County Board

7. Enabling County Libraries to Better Serve Their Unhoused Patrons\nRecommendation as submitted by Supervisor Mitchell: Instruct the County\nLibrarian, in consultation with the Director of Mental Health, the Executive\nDirectors of Racial Equity and the Homeless Initiative, Chief Executive Office, to\nreport back to the Board in writing within 90 days and identify up to ten\nhigh-need libraries in the County based on the estimated number of unhoused\npatrons with mental health needs who currently visit and are expected to visit\nthose libraries each season, and any other needs-based factors that the\nDirector of Mental Health and the Chief Executive Officer deem relevant, with\nthe report to also include the full definition of “high need” that the Departments\nuse and the number of incidents, over a three-month period, in which library\nstaff attempted to de-escalate a library patron; and instruct the Director of\nMental Health, in coordination with the County Librarian, the Director of Public\nHealth, through its Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Bureau, and the\nChief Executive Officer, to explore the feasibility of restoring the pilot program\nthat assigns clinicians and/or licensed social workers to support high need\nlibraries, and report back to the Board in writing in 120 days, with the report to\ninclude an implementation plan that identifies the required number of staff and\nclassifications, scope of services to be provided, data to be collected on\nefficacy, proposed assignment schedules, implementation timelines, and\nfunding sources, such as realignment dollars, Behavioral Health Service Act\nfunds and other funds. (24-4137)\nAttachments: Motion by Supervisor Mitchell\nPublic Comment/Correspondence