Title
Mental Health / Social Worker for a Homeless Outreach Program (B)
This is a request for the Joint City Commission and the Board of County Commissioners to discuss the need and the potential funding of a Mental Health /Social Worker Position for an Outreach Program in Gainesville - Alachua County. ***Estimated Staff Presentation Time: 5 Minutes***
Explanation
Last Spring, City Staff and County staff met to discuss the funding of licensed mental health/social worker who would work with law enforcement to engage homeless individuals living on the street (see Attachments A and B). Alachua County Court Services, Meridian Behavioral Health Care, and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Department have partnered to provide services to individuals who are released or on probation with the justice system. However, this service is limited to those individuals who are engaged in the justice system. Meridian Behavioral Health Care has posted a Mental Health Case Manager at GRACE Marketplace.
However, there is a need for an outreach worker who has a background in either mental health or social work, who can actively engage homeless individuals living on the street or in camping areas with Gainesville-Alachua County services. This position would be responsible for outreach and referral services for individuals who may not be engaged in the justice system or the social service network within Gainesville-Alachua County, addressing the immediate need for safety, providing crisis intervention, and connecting people to basic services such as medical care, clothing, food, or shelter services.
With a funded mental health/social worker position, the City and County would be able to create an outreach program, which would represent the first step in helping homeless people who are not connected to our social services network due to lack of awareness or active avoidance of the service providers. Other cities have similar programs to engage the homeless living on the street.
The outreach program would represent a new phase in the homeless services program in our community. The outreach position would involve the homeless where they live or in their environment - parks, doorways, alleys, vehicles, tents, and other places within our community. The City of Gainesville has no expertise in social services but this has been identified as a need to address the homeless in our community.
This item allows the City Commission and Board of County Commissioners to discuss the outreach program and provide policy direction to staff. If the City and County Commissioners wish to further explore this topic, staff can draft a plan and proposed budget to present to them. Currently, there is no funding identified for an outreach program.
Fiscal Note
The City Commission and Board of County Commissioners would need to identify the funding source for a new outreach program/position.
Recommendation
The City Commission and Board of County Commissioners discuss a potential mental health/socail worker/outreach program and provide policy direction to City and County Staff.