Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Alameda Family Services to Provide Full-Time On-Site Mental Health Support at Alameda Library from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $90,000. (City Manager 10021833)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2024, the Alameda Library (Library) and City of Alameda (City) collaborated to provide social services support for library patrons for 12 hours per week. Since then, these case managers have experienced an increase in engagement from patrons seeking social support services as well as additional needs to support unhoused individuals at the Library and provide mental health support services. The need for access to immediate, on-site mental health services is acute as many of the patrons seeking help are low income, from disadvantaged communities, unhoused or at risk of becoming unhoused. In addition, while Library staff receive de-escalation and other trainings, their primary focus of work and time is on library services rather than social services. Therefore, a more specialized skill set, and resource base, is required to provide the needed level of social services resources and ability to effectively work with patrons with mental health issues. This Agreement with Alameda Family Services (AFS) will provide a Social Worker at the Alameda Library for 30 hours per week, year-round, to provide a more holistic approach to safety and well-being of patrons and staff of the Alameda Library.
During the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 Biannual budget process, City Council directed the City Manager's Office to proceed with establishing a Social Worker position at the Library and approved funding for FY 2025-26. The direction included evaluating the effectiveness of providing this position through a contract or as a City part-time position. Staff determined that it was most cost and time effective to contract with AFS to provide this service. AFS staff brings specialized social services skills, oversight, existing coordination with the City's CARE Team and ongoing service coordination with the City, County, and other social service providers.
Staff recommends City Council authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with AFS to launch a one-year pilot program providing an onsite social work clinician to support the Alameda Library patrons, staff, and City case managers for 30 hours each week.
BACKGROUND
In 2024, the Housing and Human Services Division (HHS) hired part-time case managers to work at the Library for 12 hours per week to assist patrons with linkages to services, crisis de-escalation, and other social service needs. This initiative has proven successful, with case managers reporting increased engagement from patrons seeking support. Unlike interactions between patrons and library staff, the relationship between a Social Worker and a patron involves specialized training and a focus on clinical and service coordination needs that library staff are not equipped to provide. Delivering these services falls outside of the scope of library staff's training and expertise.
On February 8, 2025, a library user physically assaulted a City employee at the Main Library, after the person was suspended for violating the Library's Behavior Policy. After the assault, the Library staff members met to discuss their safety concerns and identified their top three priorities as hiring adding a social worker position, hiring unarmed security guards, and adjusting the Library hours and staffing coverage.
At the May 13, 2025 budget workshop, City Council provided direction to staff to provide social worker services at the Main Library in Fiscal Year 2025-26 and to evaluate whether those services should be provided by part-time City staff or through contractual services.
DISCUSSION
The City's 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count indicated 35% of surveyed respondents suffered from serious mental illness. Placing a Social Work professional onsite at the Alameda Library will vastly improve the culture and services available. Through this agreement, AFS will provide a professional with a Master of Social Work (MSW) for 30 hours per week at the Main Library, Monday through Friday. Having a trained professional on-site will help safeguard the safety of everyone in the library including patrons experiencing mental health challenges and those seeking a higher level of social service resources for food insecurity, housing, health care and other needs as well as creating an improved experience for library patrons and City staff.
Additionally, AFS will provide support and training to Library staff for their direct work with patrons. AFS mental health services will augment and strengthen the Library's programming by providing best practice social work interventions, informal mental health support to Library patrons, consultation to library staff, and linkage to services.
The AFS agreement goals include:
1. Provide direct therapeutic interventions to 80% of patrons who are self-and/or library identified as having social services, mental health, and/or behavioral needs (this statistic considers consumers who decline offers of direct mental health support and linkages that result in engagement challenges).
2. Assess and provide linkages to 80% of patrons who are self-identified and/or by library staff as having social service and/or mental health needs, with a focus on warm hand-offs to relevant resources.
3. Provide 100% of consultations requested by library staff around mental health and behavioral challenges, including best practice de-escalation, to support increased ability for Library staff to support patrons who have mental health and behavioral challenges.
4. Support the overall goals of the Alameda Library to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all guests.
The AFS agreement service scope of work includes:
1. Onsite therapeutic interventions, as needed, with patrons
2. Collaborative crisis intervention and crisis de-escalation of patrons, as needed
3. Clinical case consultations and recommendations for engagement to library staff
4. Development of relationships with patrons who have resource needs and mental health concerns
5. Social Service and resource referrals and linkages for library patrons
6. Linkages to city services including Alameda City Case Managers, and other Alameda providers and county services
7. Case consultation to Library staff, City staff and local and county providers
8. Referrals and linkages to higher levels of care and specialty programs
9. Training as needed and requested
As part of this initial, one-year program, AFS will collect detailed information and provide regular reporting including quantitative and qualitative data. During this time, AFS and City staff will also explore any opportunities to utilize MSW or Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) interns to provide services at the Library. Staff will return to City Council near the end of the first year to provide an update on the program effectiveness, identify any challenges and recommend any ongoing program parameters.
Providing clinical services and best practice social work interventions will positively impact patron outcomes for those seeking mental health and social services to support their well-being. Staff recommends this agreement with AFS as the most effective way to meet this need.
Should the term of this Agreement need to be extended, without changing any other provision of the Agreement as approved by the City Council, staff further requests that City Council grant the City Manager the discretion to do so by amendment without returning to City Council for further approval.
ALTERNATIVES
* Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Alameda Family Services to provide full-time, on-site mental health support at the Alameda Library.
* Direct staff to explore alternatives to provide social service work at the Library such as hiring one or more part-time case managers.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
City Council appropriated $76,600 in the FY 2025-26 budget for the social work at the Library. AFS requires a minimum of 30 hours per week, including benefits, to successfully hire a social worker position based on their past recruitment experience. Therefore, the proposed compensation for the work contemplated under the agreement is not to exceed $90,000. The funding is available in the approved FY 2025-26 budget as follows:
HHS Division
$76,600
City Manager
$7,400
Library Fund
$6,000
Total
$90,000
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 is subject to the Levine Act. This action also supports the City Strategic Plan Priority to House All Alamedans and End Homelessness.
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
Recommendation to authorize the City Manager to execute an Agreement with AFS to provide full-time on-site mental health support at Alameda Library from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 in an amount not-to-exceed $90,000.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Wooldridge, Assistant City Manager
By,
C'Mone Falls, Housing and Human Services Department Manager
Camille Rodriguez, Housing and Human Services Program Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Agreement