Public Safety Committee Chair Says the American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Mental Health Disbursement Framework Hits the Mark on Community Involvement

CONTACT: Victor Landa, 210-884-3429
[email protected]

SAN ANTONIO (August 16, 2022) -The City Council's Public Safety Committee took a decisive step today to focus the City's mental health services community on City-wide mental health recovery in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

The Committee has been tasked with the disbursement of $26 million in federal ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) directed toward mental health recovery.

"My aim has been to listen to the community's needs and use the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as best we can to leverage the mental health service provider network that has been in place for years," said District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda, Chair of the Public Safety Committee. "Mental Health services nonprofit organizations are on the frontlines of COVID recovery. They know the community, its needs and challenges, and are best positioned to deliver the kind of mental health support that is most needed."

City staff gathered recommendations from community members and many mental health providers from throughout the city who attended briefings or sent their suggestions directly to City Hall. The recommended disbursement framework presented to the Committee today is the result of many hours of community consultation and deliberation.

The recommendation approved by the Committee, and sent to full Council for consideration, divides the available funds into four strategic areas:

• Youth - $15M
  • Access to Mental Health
  • Project Warm and Stand Up SA
  • Diagnostic Services
• Older Adults - $5M
  • Navigation Programs
  • Social Interaction
  • Caregiver Program
• Homeless - $5M
  • Chronic Unsheltered Homeless Veterans
  • Youth Aging Out of Foster System
• Collaboration - $1M
  • Framework for Upstream Systems
  • Education Campaign/988 Hotline

"The largest portion of the funds, $22.75 million, will be disbursed through a competitive RFP process among community mental health organizations and nonprofits," said the District 6 Councilwoman. "This is in line with the leveraged community care scenario that was envisioned."

Today's approval of the ARPA Mental Health disbursement framework sends the spending plan for full Council consideration on September 1. The timeline goal is for the RFP process to run its course in order for contracts to be awarded on January 1.

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Author: Rene Avila (C&E)

Categories: City News, District 6 News

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