Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a First Amendment to the Agreement with Alameda Family Services to Provide Full-Time Onsite Mental Health Support at Dignity Village and Extend the Term an Additional Six Months Through December 31, 2025 with an Additional Amount Not-to-Exceed $93,326.08 for a Total Amount Not-to-Exceed $202,357.08. (City Manager 10021833)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Dignity Village is a 47-unit, 61-bed interim supportive housing program for homeless individuals and unhoused transitional age youth located at 2350 Fifth Street in Alameda and operated by Operation Dignity. Since opening, Dignity Village has served 112 unduplicated individuals. Program participants are served in the City of Alameda (City) with dignity and receive housing navigation services, case management, facilities maintenance, 24/7 security services, and onsite clinical care. On February 6, 2024, City Council approved a one-year pilot agreement with Alameda Family Services (AFS) to deliver onsite clinical therapeutic services at Dignity Village. Staff is returning to Council to report on the success of the program and recommend an extension of the program to continue services.
Staff is recommending that City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a First Amendment to the AFS Agreement for an additional six months to December 31, 2025 to provide full-time on-site mental health support at Dignity Village for an additional cost not to exceed $93,326.08 which is available within existing allocated funds for Dignity Village.
BACKGROUND
In November 2021, City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding with DignityMoves and Five Keys, which ultimately led to the Homekey 2 application submission and award.
In October 2022, City Council approved a five-year service agreement with Five Keys, which included funding for a mental health care worker. Dignity Village houses Alameda constituents experiencing homelessness, many of whom interact with multiple social service agencies and are engaged with AFS in their capacity as CARE Team members, clinical case managers, and/or therapists.
In February 2024, City Council approved a one-year agreement with AFS to provide full time clinical support on site at Dignity Village. AFS has qualified staff with specialized knowledge, expertise, and experience working with people who have experienced homelessness. This expertise positions AFS staff to best support the mental health needs of guests at Dignity Village.
In July 2024, City Council approved Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency as an interim provider to support operations at Dignity Village. From August to October 2024, staff conducted a thorough Request for Proposal process to select a permanent provider. In December 2024, Operation Dignity (OD) was approved as the selected provider.
On December 3, 2024, City Council approved OD as the permanent provider to support participants and operations at Dignity Village. OD took over operation of the program site on January 1, 2025. They worked in close collaboration with AFS to support the needs of participants requiring and/or utilizing mental health services.
DISCUSSION
Operation Dignity is committed continuing to work in tandem with AFS to deliver supportive, high quality and necessary mental health support on site at Dignity Village. Since AFS joined the program, the full-time, onsite clinician completed 184 individual therapy sessions, 33 de-escalations onsite, 33 staff clinical consultations, and 19 family sessions. AFS clinical staff has been critical to the two transitions of Dignity Village operators, providing stability and security for many residents adverse to change due to trauma-related pasts. Staff is seeking authorization of a First Amendment to the AFS Agreement in order to continue these critical mental health services through December 31, 2025 for an additional cost not-to-exceed $93,326.08 and a total agreement cost not-to-exceed $202,357.08.
Individuals served at Dignity Village arrive directly from unsheltered or emergency homeless shelter settings and have experienced severe trauma. The need for access to immediate, on-site mental health services is acute.
AFS goals, as stated in the Scope of Work, include:
1. Provide mental health direct and supportive services to 90% of residents;
2. Support 90% of residents in milieu setting, including de-escalation, conflict resolution and mediation between residents, and residents and staff; and
3. Reduce the number of residents exited from the program due to behavioral challenges.
AFS services include:
1. Onsite milieu-based therapeutic interventions;
2. Crisis intervention and de-escalation;
3. A minimum of 20 individual sessions, including check-ins per week;
4. Weekly resident groups/workshops;
5. Drop-in counseling;
6. Assessments;
7. Case consultation;
8. Deliver training to residents and staff on a variety of mental health topics that meet stated needs;
9. Referrals and linkages to higher levels of care and specialty programs; and
10. Training for Dignity Village staff.
Approval of the First Amendment will continue support for Dignity Village residents through the end of Fiscal Year 2025-26.
ALTERNATIVES
• Approve a First Amendment to the AFS Agreement that will extend the term until December 31, 2025 for an additional cost not-to-exceed $93,326.08 and total agreement cost not-to-exceed $202,357.08.
• Do not approve the AFS First Amendment to the Agreement and allow the agreement to expire on June 30, 2025. This would eliminate critical services that must be provided by a specialized staff trained in social work and mental health. Program participants in need of this support will have limited support, potentially leading to increased challenges on-site and in the neighborhood as well as negatively impacting potential program exits to homelessness due to behavioral concerns.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact from authorizing the City Manager to execute a First Amendment to the Alameda Family Services Agreement to provide full-time on-site mental health support at Dignity Village. The funding for this project will come from the General Fund funding already allocated to the Dignity Village project.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Social Services Human Relations Board Charter and Ordinance authority “to improve social services in the community” (Alameda Municipal Code Section 2-11.5) and the Report on Homelessness Policies and Programs. This action is consistent with Goal 2 of “The Road Home: A Five-Year Strategic Plan to Prevent and Respond to Homelessness in Alameda.”
This action also supports the City Strategic Plan Priority to House All Alamedans and End Homelessness.
This action is subject to the Levine Act.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action does not constitute a “project” as defined in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378 and therefore no further CEQA analysis is required.
CLIMATE IMPACT
The Social Vulnerability Assessment section of the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan states:
“adaptation strategies should consider how [the homeless] will receive emergency communications and how they will be sheltered. Proper, safe housing for all is an adaptation and resilience strategy. Planning strategies should always consider these vulnerable populations in adaptation efforts.”
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute a First Amendment to the agreement with AFS to provide full-time onsite mental health support at Dignity Village and extend the term an additional six months through December 31, 2025 with an additional amount not-to-exceed $93,326.08 for a total amount not-to-exceed $202,357.08.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Assistant City Manager
By,
C’Mone Falls, Housing and Human Services Department Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Acting Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. First Amendment Agreement (Alameda Family Services)
2. Original Agreement