Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/20/25 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Human Services Department Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5435) DOC ID: 5435 A
Updated: 5/16/2025 8:46 AM by Dina Lewis A Page 1
OPIOID INNOVATIVE MINI-GRANT AGREEMENT - Authorize the City Manager to Execute $128,669 a Mini-Grant Agreement with the Three Valleys Community Foundation to Receive Funding to Support the Mobile Evaluation Team Mental Health Staff.
Contact Persons:
Name: Alina Kwak Arquimides Caldera
Title: Family Resource Center
Administrator
Human Services Director
Div/Dept: Human Services Department Human Services Department Phone: 510-574-2004 510-574-2056
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to approve and authorize the City Manager to execute an Opioid Innovative Mini-Grant Agreement with the Three Valleys Community Foundation to support the work of Human Services Department clinical staff on the City’s Mobile Evaluation Team, through April 30, 2026, in the amount of $128,669.
BACKGROUND:
National Opioid Settlement Funding. In July 2021, several large opioid manufacturers and distributors agreed to pay $26 billion to settle over 3,000 opioid crisis-related lawsuits nationwide (collectively, the “2021 National Opioid Settlements”). In May 2023, the City Council authorized the City Manager to execute and ratify agreements related to National Opioid Settlements, making it eligible to directly receive funding. The City is currently utilizing these funds to support City and community agency substance use disorder reduction programs.
Alameda County also opted to receive funding from the 2021 National Opioid Settlements and selected Three Valleys Community Foundation (3VCF) to distribute $2.7 million in County-wide funding to local jurisdictions and non-profit agencies through a competitive mini-grant process. 3VCF collaborated with Alameda County Behavioral Health to request proposals that provide prevention, treatment, recovery, and/or overdose reversal programming for opioid use disorder among individuals and communities in Alameda County.
Fremont’s Mobile Evaluation Team. The Human Services Department partners with the Police Department on the City’s Mobile Evaluation Team (MET). MET is a field-based team that provides comprehensive and compassionate services to Fremont’s most vulnerable populations, including community members experiencing homelessness or mental illness.
MET provides crisis intervention and de-escalation, guidance and encouragement, and connects community members needing assistance with local mental health and homeless service providers. MET works to support community members engaged in services to pursue healthy outcomes. The Police Department provides a 1.0 FTE Police Sergeant, 2.0 FTE officers, and a 1.0 FTE Community Services Officer. The Human Services Department Council Staff Report (ID # 5435) Meeting of May 20, 2025 Updated: 5/16/2025 8:46 AM by Dina Lewis A Page 2
provides the clinical staff for the team, including a 1.0 FTE Crisis Intervention Specialist, a 1.0 FTE Outreach Case Manager, and a Clinical Supervisor.
In March 2025, 3VCF awarded the City’s Human Services Department and Police Department $128,669 in County opioid settlement funds to support the work of clinical staff on the City’s Mobile Evaluation Team.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: Fremont's public safety data shows the need to reach people, including the unhoused, that do not have healthcare, appropriate and consistent treatment, or safe housing. The high volume of crisis, and medical calls, including overdose and drug- related calls, received by the City’s Public Safety staff shows a nexus to a homeless population with documented service gaps and a high vulnerably to substance use related fatalities. This problem presents an opportunity to better align Fremont’s Public Safety teams to use a data-informed approach to target opioid prevention and remediation services to these areas. MET’s goal is to engage, build rapport, and determine appropriate referrals and service linkages.
In alignment with the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Treatment for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness program, MET responds to mental health crises, and screens and assesses for mental and substance use disorders. It provides links to treatment, short-term and permanent housing, case management and recovery services, enrollment for health insurance, Medicaid, SSI/SSDI, and other benefits.
It administers Naloxone only when responding to an overdose situation.
Grant funding from 3VCF will be used to enhance MET’s mission by using data to better incorporate harm reduction into field deployments, focus on the most vulnerable community members, prevent overdoses, improve physical and mental wellbeing, offer low barrier pathways to social supports, and provide substance use and mental health disorder treatment. This work is aligned with the City’s Homeless Response Plan by focusing on addressing one of the root causes of homelessness and by connecting members of the unhoused community to resources.
FISCAL IMPACT: The Opioid Innovative Mini-Grant Agreement awards the City of Fremont $128,669 in funding, from July 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026. These funds will cover MET clinical staff, operating and overhead expenses. The Mini-Grant requires a 25% City match, which will be paid from existing expenses for the MET program. As part of the FY 2025/26 Proposed Operating Budget, staff included program revenue estimates and budgeted expenses related to this Mini-Grant award in the National Opioid Settlement account of the Miscellaneous Special Revenue Fund (Fund 210).
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The proposed action is exempt from and not subject to review under the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA) because, without limitation, it is not a “project” as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b((2) and/ 15378(b)(5) and it has no possibility of a significant effect on the environment, as specified in CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), as a separate and independent basis for CEQA compliance.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5435) Meeting of May 20, 2025 Updated: 5/16/2025 8:46 AM by Dina Lewis A Page 3
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the Opioid Innovative Mini-Grant Agreement with the Three Valleys Community Foundation, through April 30, 2026, in the amount of $128,669 and appropriate the funds.