LA County Board

24. Moving Forward: Expansion of Secure Mental Health Beds and\nDevelopment of Secure Mental Health Facilities to Depopulate the Los\nAngeles County Jails\nRecommendation as submitted by Supervisors Solis and Hahn: Instruct the\nDirectors of Mental Health and Health Services to move forward with the jail\ndepopulation program (Program), to develop an initial 500 secure mental health\ncare beds to care for P3/P4 individuals, who are those with the most serious\nmental health needs and require more resources and support, currently in the\njails including, but not limited to, developing secure beds for\nLanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) conserved/conservable, felony incompetent to\nstand trial, non-LPS conserved/conservable, and the non-traditionally divertible\npopulations, with the goal of using these beds for individuals incarcerated with a\nP3/P4 mental illness classification, and report back to the Board in writing in 90\ndays, and quarterly thereafter, on progress made towards the Program until all\nbeds are operational and occupied; and take the following actions:\nInstruct the Director of Health Services, through the Office of Diversion\nand Re-Entry, and the Director of Mental Health, as well as the Public\nDefender and the Alternate Public Defender, and request the District\nAttorney, to work with the Chief Executive Officer to finalize the Program\nbudget and proposed staffing, including a listing of existing funding\navailable and a plan to maximize Federal and State funding, to implement\nthe proposed programming, with the Departments to include the revised\nout-year estimates of budgetary needs to support continued progress in\nachieving the goals of removing as many P3/P4 individuals from the jail\nas possible in their 90-day and quarterly reports; and include any\nfunding requests that cannot be covered with existing funding or State\nand Federal revenue available, and will require Net County Cost, in a\nfuture budget phase to allow the Chief Executive Officer to evaluate these\nrequests within the context of the overall budget and numerous competing\nfunding priorities and requests ;\nDirect the Chief Executive Officer to work with the Directors of Mental\nHealth and Health Services to finalize, fund, and allocate the necessary\nclinical, administrative and programmatic items, and with the District\nAttorney, Public Defender, and Alternate Public Defender, to allocate the\nnecessary justice-related items needed to implement the Program,\nincluding taking any steps needed to allow the Departments to\nimmediately and successfully recruit and hire for these positions\nincluding, but not limited to, the following:\nApproval of specialty exams that recognize relevant expertise and\nlived experience;\nUsing existing delegated authority, and if necessary, providing\nadditional delegated authority to the Directors of Health Services\nand Mental Health for ordinance position authority and special step\nplacements for all necessary clinical, and programmatic, and\nadministrative support items for a period to be determined by the\nChief Executive Officer; and\nExtending any relevant incentives, special pay practices and\npipeline programs established within Los Angeles County for these\nitems;\nInstruct the Director of Personnel to take any recruitment, examination\nand appointment steps necessary in order to allow the Departments to\nimmediately and successfully recruit and hire for the necessary staffing\nmodel, including the approval of specialty recruitments, and recognition\nof the relevant expertise and lived experience needed for successful\nProgram operations to serve the P3/P4 population;\nAuthorize the Directors of Mental Health and Health Services, to\nnegotiate and execute new agreements and/or amendments to\nagreements with qualified providers, including revisions to statements of\nwork, extension to agreement terms and/or increase contract sums,\nprovided such actions do not exceed Board-approved funding to deliver\nservices to the P3/P4 populations, as proposed in the Program, including\nnegotiating on a case-by-case basis appropriate changes to the standard\nCounty insurance and indemnification provisions, and other standard\nCounty contract terms;\nInstruct the Executive Director of the Homelessness Initiative, in\ncollaboration with the Interim Executive Director of the Los Angeles\nHomeless Services Authority, the City of Los Angeles, and the Directors\nof Mental Health and Health Services, to report back to the Board in\nwriting in 90 days on how individuals who complete their mandated\njustice system engagement can be moved to other housing funding\nstreams (e.g., Measures H, Department of Mental Health (DMH)) from\nOffice of Diversion and Re-Entry (ODR) housing funding streams,\nincluding the feasibility of changing the Coordinated Entry System (CES)\nso that ODR and DMH justice involved populations qualify for permanent\nsupportive housing through the CES;\nDirect the Chief Executive Officer, through the Legislative Affairs and\nIntergovernmental Relations Division, to continue advocating to secure\nadditional State and Federal funding to support the mentally ill\nincarcerated population;\nInstruct the Interim Director of Justice, Care and Opportunities, the\nPublic Defender, Alternate Public Defender, Executive Director of the\nOffice of Diversion and Re-Entry, Director of Mental Health, and request\nthe District Attorney, to meet periodically, but no less often than every six\nmonths, with Los Angeles Superior Court representatives to ensure the\ncourts are informed about existing and newly added County and\nCounty-affiliated programs and facilities that are available to treat the\njustice-involved; and\nRequest the Sheriff, in consultation with Correctional Health Services,\nDirector of Mental Health, the Interim Director of Justice, Care and\nOpportunities, the Chief Executive Officer, and County Counsel, to\ndevelop a written plan, including any necessary budget and staffing, for\nexercising his authority to implement mental health community\nplacements, pursuant to Penal Code Sections 4011.6 and 4011.8, and\nreport back to the Board within 60 days in writing with a plan, along with\npolicies and procedures for these placements. (23-1308)\nAttachments: Motion by Supervisors Solis and Hahn\nPublic Comment/Correspondence