Sponsor: Public Health
Title
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Healing Streets Individual Support Funds Placement in Project Budget
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Recommendation
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Authorize the County Manager to establish a project budget for the Healing Streets individual support funds in an amount up to $500,000 in the Public Health budget.
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Background and Rationale
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The Healing Streets program provides individual support funds to clients who have been affected by group and gun violence for the purposes of supporting them on their specific healing journey. While not an initial service of the program, individual support funds were identified as a critical need in 2020 to help those affected by group and gun violence. The funds can be used for basic needs, mental health services, transportation, continuing education, etc. The support may also extend to the household. An allocation of up to $500,000 was designated for this purpose. These funds were intended to be available until exhausted. In order for these funds to continue to be available for client needs, the funds need to be placed into a project budget for use in future years.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Healing Streets staff offer services to all residents who experience group and gun violence. However, approximately 90% of the clients are racially and ethnically diverse individuals. These individuals may have less access to existing support systems and in many cases have already directly been negatively impacted by the systems in place that are intended to support them. Because of their experiences with the systems, there may be a lack of trust. Healing Streets builds specific “Wellness Plans” for clients, which allow them to set their own goals, create their own objectives, and receive support in ways that clients decide. Healing Streets works to “tailor fit the system” to the client, versus tailor fitting the client to the system, despite the racial inequities that exist.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Services and supports provided by the Healing Streets program have evolved as client needs are identified through interaction with individuals, families and community. Healing Streets discovered significant needs for a range of items and services including basic needs, employment assistance, funeral and burial costs, mental health services (for the client and household family,) bill payments, temporary and permanent housing placement due to displacement, driving permits and licenses, vehicle repairs, and transportation to and from the Healing Streets Pathways Community Group.
☒ Inform Consult Involve Collaborate Empower
Fiscal Impact
The individual support funds related to this action are currently budgeted in the County Manager’s budget. This request is that the unspent portion of these funds, up to $500,000, be moved into a project budget, within Public Health, to continue to provide supportive services to clients in future years. No additional funds are being requested.
Last Previous Action
None.
Attachments
None.