200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Suite #733
Anaheim, CA 92805
Tel: (714) 765-5162
Fax: (714) 765-5164
www.anaheim.net
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
DATE: AUGUST 23, 2022
FROM: OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH BE WELL
OC TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT FOR AN
ADDITIONAL NINE MONTHS
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 11
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Motion, approve the First Amendment to the Agreement with Mind OC, doing business as Be Well OC, for nine (9) additional months and authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute and administer the amendment under the terms and conditions of the Agreement.
DISCUSSION:
At the October 5, 2021 Council meeting, the City Council approved an agreement with Be Well OC to create a one year pilot program establishing a mobile crisis response team specializing in helping individuals undergoing emergency, non-violent, mental health issues. Be Well OC and City staff spent the initial months planning the program, purchasing equipment, and hiring qualified mental health professionals before beginning operations on April 24, 2022.
Annually, the Anaheim Police Department (APD) responds to over 5,500 calls for service related to mental health and substance abuse, occupying over 8,000 labor hours.
In addition, APD responds to nearly 20,000 calls for service related to homelessness, with many of those calls requiring mental health and substance use response. While our officers are capable of navigating these interactions, the City recognizes opportunities to partner with mental health experts who are more specifically trained to navigate these unique service needs, and that a partnership may result in better outcomes for all.
Be Well OC works with local hospitals, medical clinics, homeless service providers, and other community stakeholders to quickly activate successful outcomes driven by a Mobile Crisis Response Team. Since operations began in April 2022, Be Well OC has made 473 contacts with people in need throughout the City. Contacts are different interactions with the community, whether through dispatch, outreach, community members flagging down the van as it drives by, following up on past cases, or conducting case management. The different types of contacts are shown below in Table 1 along with the number of times Be Well OC responded to each type of contact. The data is updated monthly and current as of August 1.
First Amendment to the Agreement with Be Well OC
August 23, 2022
Table 1
Contact Reasons Number
Dispatch 230
Proactive Outreach/Flagged down 109
Mobile Follow Up 75
Linkage and Referrals/Case Management 59
Total: 473
The progress made so far in diverting non-violent mental health issues from APD to Be Well OC has occurred despite operating on a limited scale at the start of operations.
When Be Well OC began in April of this year, they operated five days a week from 9am to 9pm, beginning August 1 they expanded to seven days for the same hours and we anticipate they will be available 18 hours, seven days a week as the contract outlined beginning November. Contacts with people in need have increased every month since operations began in April, increasing by 26% from May to June and then by 5% from June to July. It is anticipated that this trend will continue as more personnel are hired and operating hours are increased. Be Well OC continues to provide outreach to different places throughout the community, continually letting residents know that the service is available to them if needed. Additionally, Be Well OC has increasingly collaborated with City Net to help those in need of sobering beds and temporary shelters, thereby helping to create a more cohesive and responsive mechanism to help the homeless that may also be suffering from substance use addiction and mental health issues.
The proposed First Amendment to the Agreement will extend the term of the contract for nine (9) additional months in order to spend the CDBG funds, amending the termination date from September 30, 2022 to June 30, 2023. No additional funding is being requested for this pilot program.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
The program is fully funded by CDBG funds authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and will not require an increase in funding. There is no impact to the General Fund.
Respectfully submitted, Concurred by,
Jim Vanderpool Grace Stepter
City Manager Housing & Community Development Director
First Amendment to the Agreement with Be Well OC
August 23, 2022
Concurred by, Concurred by,
Jorge Cisneros Patrick Russell
Chief of Police Fire Chief
Attachments:
1. First Amendment
2. Original Agreement