20210312-002A: Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget Recommendation — original pdf

Recommendation

DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION 20210312-002A Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget March 12, 2021 Date: Subject: Motioned By: Gary Ponder Seconded By: Drew Williamson Recommendations 1. The DACC needs to locate a new facility and temporarily equip case management staff with the ability to work out of a fleet of vehicles and from their homes; 2. Funding for case management fleet vehicles; 3. Sustained funding for six grant funded COVID-19 case managers; 4. Funds to continue the Violet KeepSafe Program; 5. Funds to continue the Homeless Health and Wellness collaborative with Integral Care and the Downtown Austin Alliance; 6. Funding to augment DACC’s case management capacity by adding 12 positions; and 7. Additional social service dollars to include funding for client rental assistance. Description of Recommendations to Council 1. For more than 7 years, the DACC has operated without adequate space for its operation. The DACC does not have adequate space at its main location. 2. DACC is in need of more case management fleet vehicles and funding to rent vehicles from the Fleet Department until any new fleet vehicles arrive. DACC currently owns five fleet vehicles, however, needs to acquire or rent a total of twelve additional fleet vehicles to support the community-based work provided by the current case management team. 3. These case managers are currently supporting the needs of individuals at the City of Austin’s funded Protective Lodges. 4. The Violet KeepSafe Storage program is a transition storage service that helps people experiencing homelessness keep their possessions safe while navigating their way around the community and out of homelessness. 5. The Homeless Health and Wellness collaborative with Integral Care and the Downtown Austin Alliance expands upon Integral Care’s continuum of services by increasing access to specialty mental health, substance use treatment and primary care for individuals experiencing homelessness. 6. Adding 12 positions will support the needs of 266 individuals experiencing homelessness on DACC’s current waiting list, provide additional triage case management to support walk ins, and one additional triage case manager to support the Terrazas Branch Library staff. 7. Additional social service dollars to include funding for client rental assistance. 1 of 2 Rationale Homelessness has been identified, by City Council, as the top priority for the city strategic plan, and as a strategic outcome indicator in Austin’s strategic direction. To address the growing needs of our neighbors experiencing homelessness, DACC must be supported and adequately funded. From March 2020 to March 2021 DACC served over 10,600 clients through its triage services averaging over 40 clients seen daily. Despite the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the intensive case management team served over 200 individuals and housed 58 clients. During the same period, DACC dedicated seventeen of its total 38 staff members to work with the Emergency Operations Center and supported the Protective Lodge Bed Management Team to coordinate a safe place for individuals experiencing homelessness to self- isolate at the locations managed by the City. DACC leadership has been flexible and intentional in its approach to serve the most in need during these difficult times and as of April 23, 2021, DACC has continued to support three facilities including one isolation facility (ISOFAC) and two Pro Lodge sites. Vote For: Chair Darilynn Cardona-Beiler, Kergin Bedell, Kate Garza, Gary Ponder, Susan Requejo, and Drew Williamson 0 0 Against: Abstain: Absent: Attest: Darilynn Cardona-Beiler Chair Darilynn Cardona-Beiler Seneca Savoie, Lea Downey-Gallatin, Jason English, and Ann Howard 2 of 2  Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board Budget and Resources Workgroup Memorandum: FY 21-22 Budget Recommendations April 8, 2021 The Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) collaboratively address the quality-of-life issues of all residents in the downtown Austin, West Campus, and a portion of East Austin communities through swift and creative sentencing of public orders citations, and public order offenders. The Court seeks to hold people responsible while also offering help to change behavior; and the DACC Case Management team aims to end homelessness by providing comprehensive, long term case management services and housing assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness regardless of criminal justice involvement. The Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board supports the mission of the Court and its case management services as an integral part of the continuum of care provided by an array of stakeholders and partners providing much needed services to high needs individuals experiencing homelessness in our community. Homelessness has been identified, by City Council, as the top priority for the city strategic plan, and as a strategic outcome indicator in Austin’s strategic direction. To address the growing needs of our neighbors experiencing homelessness, DACC must be supported and adequately funded. From March 2020 to March 2021 DACC served over 10,600 clients through its triage services averaging over 40 clients seen daily. Despite the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the intensive case management team served over 200 individuals and housed 58 clients. During the same period, DACC dedicated seventeen of its total 38 staff members to work with the Emergency Operations Center and supported the Protective Lodge Bed Management Team to coordinate a safe place for individuals experiencing homelessness to self- isolate at the locations managed by the City. DACC leadership has been flexible and intentional in its approach to serve the most in need during these difficult times and as of April 23, 2021, DACC has continued to support three facilities including one isolation facility (ISOFAC) and two Pro Lodge sites. Through its leadership and staff commitment, the DACC has accomplished extraordinary work. Data shows that community programs addressing the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness are running at capacity and demand for services exceeds the supply. Due to intensive case management capacity, and the complexity of needs of individuals experiencing homelessness seeking case management services; the Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board supports the following requests:  For more than 7 years, the DACC has operated without adequate space for its operation. The DACC does not have adequate space at its main location. To sustain service provision, the DACC needs to 1 | P a g e locate a new facility and temporarily equip case management staff with the ability to work out of a fleet of vehicles and from their homes.  Funding for case management fleet vehicles. DACC is in need of more case management fleet vehicles and funding to rent vehicles from the Fleet Department until any new fleet vehicles arrive. DACC currently owns five fleet vehicles, however, needs to acquire or rent a total of twelve additional fleet vehicles to support the community-based work provided by the current case management team.  Sustained funding for six grant funded COVID-19 case managers. These case managers are currently supporting the needs of individuals at the City of Austin’s funded Protective Lodges.  Funds to continue the Violet KeepSafe Program.  Funds to continue the Homeless Health and Wellness collaborative with Integral Care and the Downtown Austin Alliance.  Funding to augment DACC’s case management capacity by adding 12 positions to support the needs of 266 individuals experiencing homelessness on DACC’s current waiting list, provide additional triage case management to support walk ins, and one additional triage case manager to support the Terrazas Branch Library staff.  Additional social service dollars to include funding for client rental assistance. DACC is serving Austin’s most vulnerable citizens and stabilizing their lives to the benefit of the entire Austin community. The Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board wholeheartedly and enthusiastically supports the DACC services and the Courts request for resources to continue providing needed services to its clients. The Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board encourages the Austin City Council to allocate funds and explore all available means to support this request to increase solutions to address homelessness in Austin. Respectfully submitted by the Budget and Resources Workgroup on behalf of the Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board. Darilynn Cardona-Beiler Gary Ponder Chair, Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board Commissioner, Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board 2 | P a g e