1. REGULAR CALLED MEETING of the DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT ADVISORY BOARD MARCH 28, 2025 AT 8:00AM ONE TEXAS CENTER, STE 125, TRAINING ROOM 505 BARTON SPRINGS RD AUSTIN, TEXAS 78704 Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Edna Staniszewski at edna.staniszewski@austintexas.gov or at (512) 974-1260. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Lea Downey Gallatin, Chair Kergin Bedell Mikaela Frissell Kate Garza Nicole Golden Dr. Anu Kapadia, Vice Chair Faye Mills Katy Jo Muncie Shawn Tracy Roy Woody AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda including individuals that wish to share first-hand accounts regarding their experiences being served through Austin’s homelessness system. APPROVAL OF MINUTES the minutes of Approve ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR CALLED MEETING on JANUARY 17, 2025. the DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT DISCUSSION ITEMS Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (EMCOT) and Therapeutic Diversion Program (TDP) presentation and discussion (Downey Gallatin/Kapadia) – Marisa Malik, Integral Care Status of DACC operational areas including performance measures and services delivered through Community Services, Court Services, Homeless Services and Support Services (Downey Gallatin/Kapadia) – Robert Kingham, Court Administrator, DACC ACTION ITEMS Approve Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget recommendations related to DACC case management services and community programs (Downey Gallatin/Kapadia) – Lea Downey Gallatin, DACC Advisory Board Chair ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Edna Staniszewski at Downtown Austin Community Court, at (512) 974-1260), for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board, please contact Edna Staniszewski at (512) 974-1260 or at edna.staniszewski@austintexas.gov. 2. 3. 4.
Integral Care Programs: Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (EMCOT) and Therapeutic Diversion Program (TDP) Marisa A. Malik, LPC Director of Crisis and Justice Initiatives Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team • Program Serves: Individuals experiencing a mental health crisis referred by first responders, Travis County jail personnel, and EMCOT clinicians integrated at Combined Transportation, Emergency & Communications Center • Brief Description: Focused on diverting jail bookings and emergency department admissions and providing short-term community-based interventions and crisis screening, triage and referral to stabilize a psychiatric crisis and link individuals to appropriate services. FY 2024 Performance Measures Integral Care’s EMCOT Timeline 1115 Medicaid Waiver Project (21 FTE) •Provide Telehealth Services •Integrate EMCOT clinicians into 911 Call Center (71 FTE) FY 2025: City of Austin provided one- time six-month funding City of Austin provided additional funding (28.5 FTE) 2019 2021 2013 2020 2025 Funding shifted to local entities (Travis County and City of Austin) City of Austin provided additional funding (48 FTE) •Expand EMCOT clinicians into the 911 Call Center 24/7 Therapeutic Diversion Program (TDP) Program Serves: Individuals experiencing a mental health crisis who are deflected or diverted from the criminal legal system crisis referred by first responders, the Sobering Center, emergency departments and Travis County personnel (jail counseling staff, attorneys, judges). Brief Description: A 25- bed crisis respite facility focused on providing alternatives to jail bookings and emergency department admissions and providing therapeutic interventions to stabilize a psychiatric crisis and link individuals to appropriate services. Adults may stay at the facility for up to 90 days. Services Provided • Medical and Psychiatric Care • Recovery and peer support services • Medication Support • Intensive Case management • Rehabilitative skills training • Therapeutic, trauma-informed groups • Coordinated assessments • Wellness groups and activities • Housing navigation • SOAR trained staff • Harm reduction education and counseling • Nutritional group education and counseling FY 2025 Quarter 1 Performance Measures Number of unduplicated enrolled in services: Number of coordinated assessments completed: Number of clients connected to MAP: 7 13 Average Length of Stay: 14.76 days Number of unplanned discharges: Percent connected to ongoing behavioral health services: Percent who do not have a crisis episode 30 days following discharge: Percent who do not have an arrest within 30 days following discharge: 87% 70% 75% 36 18 Percent who do not have an emergency department admission: 95% Contract Information • Funder: City of Austin (Downtown Austin Community …
Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board DACC Service and Data Overview Board Packet – March 28, 2025 Community Services Community Services Program (CS) – Participants fulfill community service hour requirements through public space cleaning, beautification projects, graffiti abatement, and working at DACC’s Edgar Fincher III Program Garden, which donates all food and eggs to local providers who feed the homeless community. o Number of Community Services Requests Completed FY 2025 (Oct. 2024-Feb. 2025): 314* FY 2024 (Oct. 2023-Feb. 2024): 439 o Acreage of Work Completed FY 2025 (Oct. 2024-Feb. 2025): 12.59* FY 2024 (Oct. 2023- Feb. 2024): 15.99 o *These are missing information regarding work completed from February 1, 2025-February 10-2025, stemming from technical issues from system updates around these measures. While data during this time period cannot be retrieved, issues have been corrected to ensure data will be accurate moving forward. Violet KeepSafe Storage Program (VKS) – Free storage located downtown with secure bins to store vital documents, family memories, clothing, bedding, and more. Operates 7:00am- 11:00am and 1:00pm-7:00pm, seven days a week. Program employs people with lived experience to improve service experience and create workforce opportunities. Court Services Problem-solving court – Fine-only court with emphasis on alternative resolutions, and provides an immediate connection to onsite case managers, basic needs, and social service resources. DACC resolves Class C criminal offenses in catchment area, and Proposition B and State camping ban cases citywide. o Number of Interactions with VKS Participants FY 2025 (Oct. 2024-Feb. 2025): 421 FY 2024 (Oct. 2023- Feb. 2024): 438 o Number of Active VKS Participants FY 2025 (Oct. 2024-Feb. 2025): 11,740 FY 2024 (Oct. 2023- Feb. 2024): 10,470 o Number of Cases Filed FY 2025 (Oct. 2024-Feb. 2025): 1,183 FY 2024 (Oct. 2023- Feb. 2024): 837 o Number of Cases Docketed FY 2025 (Oct. 2024-Feb. 2025): 3,143 FY 2024 (Oct. 2023- Feb. 2024): 1,932 Clinical Diversion Program (CDP) – Dedicated case managers serve people engaging in Court Services to improve connection to case management and social services, while also improving appearance and case completion rates. o Number of CDP Clients: FY 2025 (Oct. 2024-Feb. 2025): 135 FY 2024 (Oct. 2023- Feb. 2024): 96 o Number of Cases Resolved through Participation in CDP: FY 2025 (Oct. 2024-Feb. 2025): 162 FY 2024 (Oct. 2023- Feb. 2024): 173 …
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION 20250328-004A Date: Subject: March 28, 2025 Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Recommendations for Downtown Austin Community Court Motioned By: Seconded By: Introduction The DACC Advisory Board would like to thank the Austin City Council for its exceptional support of DACC, especially within the last two years. Investments in housing-focused Clinical Case Managers and social service dollars for wraparound supports, expanding DACC’s jurisdiction, and the implementation of DACC’s Mobile Court have had an immense impact for the people DACC serves and the community overall. DACC has made great strides forward this year and also continues to see significant demand for their services. Keeping in mind the anticipated limitations the City faces in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget process, and the urgency of top need for DACC, the DACC Advisory Board is focusing budget recommendations this year on one item to continue a critical grant-funded rapid rehousing and case management program that’s at risk of ending without investments from the City. Losing the 6 case management FTEs and associated programmatic funding would have detrimental impacts that would ripple across all of DACC’s Homeless Services and their ability to serve as part of the City’s emergency response system at the current level provided. Recommendations: 1. Fiscal Year 2025-26 Priority: $2,187,348 of ongoing funding in Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget for six grant-funded clinical case managers and programmatic funding to continue connecting clients to long-term, stable housing. 2. Future Considerations: Plan for ongoing funding to augment DACC’s Intensive Case Management capacity by adding two housing-focused case manager FTEs and corresponding programmatic funding to continue connecting clients to housing. Description of Recommendation to Council Category 1: Support for City Council Initiatives 1. $2,187,348 of ongoing funding in Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget for six grant-funded clinical case managers and programmatic funding to continue connecting clients to housing. Six FTEs, including 5 housing-focused Clinical Case Managers and 1 Clinical Case Manager Supervisor, and funding for housing expenses for clients served by these case managers were initially funded by Emergency Solutions Grants – CARES Act funding, which ended in 2022. These staff and programmatic expenses are now funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which was previously slated to end in December 2024. Grant terms have been updated to permit expenditures through the end of 2026; however, there is only enough remaining ARPA funding to cover this program through the end of …
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION 20250328-004A March 28, 2025 Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Recommendations Date: Subject: Motioned By: Kate Garza Seconded By: Nicole Golden Introduction The DACC Advisory Board would like to thank the Austin City Council for its exceptional support of DACC, especially within the last two years. Investments in housing-focused Clinical Case Managers and social service dollars for wraparound supports, expanding DACC’s jurisdiction, and the implementation of DACC’s Mobile Court have had an immense impact for the people DACC serves and the community overall. DACC has made great strides forward this year and also continues to see significant demand for their services. Keeping in mind the anticipated limitations the City faces in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget process, and the urgency of top need for DACC, the DACC Advisory Board is focusing budget recommendations this year on one item to continue a critical grant-funded rapid rehousing and case management program that’s at risk of ending without investments from the City. Losing the 6 case management FTEs and associated programmatic funding would have detrimental impacts that would ripple across all of DACC’s Homeless Services and their ability to serve as part of the City’s emergency response system at the current level provided. Recommendations: 1. Fiscal Year 2025-26 Priority: $2,187,348 of ongoing funding in Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget for six grant-funded clinical case managers and programmatic funding to continue connecting clients to long-term, stable housing. 2. Future Considerations: Plan for ongoing funding to augment DACC’s Intensive Case Management capacity by adding two housing-focused case manager FTEs and corresponding programmatic funding to continue connecting clients to housing. Description of Recommendation to Council Category 1: Support for City Council Initiatives 1. $2,187,348 of ongoing funding in Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget for six grant-funded clinical case managers and programmatic funding to continue connecting clients to housing. Six FTEs, including 5 housing-focused Clinical Case Managers and 1 Clinical Case Manager Supervisor, and funding for housing expenses for clients served by these case managers were initially funded by Emergency Solutions Grants – CARES Act funding, which ended in 2022. These staff and programmatic expenses are now funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which was previously slated to end in December 2024. Grant terms have been updated to permit expenditures through the end of 2026; however, there is only enough remaining ARPA funding to cover this program through the end of 2025. …
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION 20250328-004B March 28, 2025 Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Recommendations for Community Programs Date: Subject: Motioned By: Mikaela Frissell Seconded By: Katy Jo Muncie Introduction The Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board’s highest priority this budget cycle is discussed in Recommendation 20250328-004A. The Board also wants to recommend continuation of two critical community initiatives whose contracts are funded and managed by DACC, both of which strengthen connection to mental health services and are key components of Austin’s diversion efforts, including those directly served by DACC. These programs include the Therapeutic Diversion Program component of the Mental Health Diversion Pilot1 and continuation of 24/7 operations for the Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team. The most recent Point in Time Count results from 2023 approximated that about 31% of the total population in the Travis County Jail were likely to be experiencing homelessness. Of these individuals, 67% were people of color. Advancing these programs helps improve equitable access to services, while taking an evidence-based and person-centered approach to addressing the intersections between homelessness, criminal justice involvement, and mental health needs. Both of these programs were funded in Fiscal Year 2024-25 with one-time funding, but the community need for these programs continues. Without additional investment from the City of Austin, these critical services for the Austin community will be negatively impacted. The Board recommends Council identify funding to ensure both programs are able to continue at full capacity. Recommendations 1. $2,000,000 annually in Fiscal Years 2025-26 and 2026-27 for the Therapeutic Diversion Program component of the Mental Health Diversion Pilot 2. Ongoing funding to continue 24/7 operations for the Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (EMCOT) Description of Recommendation to Council 1. $2,000,000 funding annually Fiscal Years 2025-26 and 2026-27 for the Therapeutic Diversion Program (TDP). The Mental Health Diversion Pilot is a collaboration between Central Health, the City of Austin, Integral Care, and Travis County, which leverages existing programs and facilities to immediately address unmet deflection and diversion needs through 1 This program is now referred to as the Crisis Care Diversion Pilot; more information on the Pilot is available here. provision of critical services for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. This Pilot, designed to be a three-year program, needs $2 million in City funding in FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27 to continue at full capacity. The TDP component of the Mental Health Diversion Pilot, funded by …
