DATE: May 23, 2023
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Agreement With the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency for Fiscal Year 2023 Through 2024 and Accept and Appropriate Between $300,000-$400,000 in Reimbursement For Medi-Cal Administrative Activities Services Provided by the City of Hayward
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to execute the FY23-24 Agreement with the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (ACHCSA) to accept and appropriate between $300,000 and $400,000 in reimbursement for Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) services provided by the City of Hayward Youth and Family Services Bureau.
SUMMARY
Since 2006, the City of Hayward has had an annual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ACHCSA to provide Medi-Cal Administrative Activities to youth and families in Hayward, with the goal of promoting family stability and preventing juvenile justice involvement through offering comprehensive, culturally responsive services and opportunities. As a result of this MOU, the ACHCSA provides a yearly reimbursement to the City of Hayward for the cost of time spent providing services that support the Medi-Cal program. Examples of these activities, which are provided by the Youth and Family Services Bureau (YFSB) of the Hayward Police Department (HPD) include assisting eligible individuals to apply for Medi-Cal coverage, connecting people to Medi-Cal covered services, and developing programs and policies that close service gaps and allow more people to access Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal covered services. The amount of MAA reimbursement varies year to year, but it is expected to be between $300,000 and $400,000 for FY23-24, which minimally funds 1.0 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Family Counselor. Additional revenue generated beyond that is reinvested into YFSB’s programming to further offset the cost to the City’s General Fund.
Council approval is requested to authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute the annual MOU with the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency for Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) to maintain these important mental health services for Hayward youth and families.
BACKGROUND
Research clearly shows that being arrested in adolescence significantly increases the likelihood of subsequent arrests. Consistent with best practices on the most effective ways to serve youth and families and prevent escalating contact with the juvenile justice system, YFSB provides a continuum of services that address the root causes underlying youth behaviors that result in contact with law enforcement.
The YFSB’s central mission is to ensure Hayward’s richly diverse youth and families feel safe, supported and experience community connectedness and general wellbeing. This is achieved through offering comprehensive, culturally responsive services and opportunities that promote family stability and prevent juvenile justice involvement through empowering families to build on their strengths, supplement needs, and create pathways to achieving goals. For nearly 45 years, YFSB has successfully done this supporting thousands of families to address challenges and improve their individual and family functioning. Less than 10% of youth who participate in YFSB’s services are arrested or re-arrested within one year. YFSB’s groundbreaking model of integrating mental health clinicians into the Hayward Police Department was recognized in the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) evaluation as a national model and was recommended for replication in police departments nationwide.
To offset the cost of providing YFSB Services, since 2006, the City has had an annual MOU with the ACHCSA to provide MAA. The State of California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) recognizes that local, community agencies such as YFSB have a unique relationship with Medi-Cal eligible individuals and are in a position to facilitate these individuals’ access to Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal covered services. It further recognizes the expertise of these agencies to identify and assess the healthcare needs of the Medi-Cal-eligible individuals served. As a result, DHCS, through the ACHCSA, reimburses the City for the cost of time spent providing services that support the Medi-Cal program. Examples of these activities include assisting eligible individuals to apply for Medi-Cal coverage, connecting people to Medi-Cal covered services, and developing programs and policies that close service gaps and allow more people to access Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal covered services. The amount of MAA reimbursement varies year to year, but it is expected to be between $300,000 and $400,000 for FY23-24, which basically funds 1.0 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Family Counselor. Additional revenue generated beyond that is reinvested into YFSB’s programming to further offset the cost to the City’s General Fund.
Table 1 below, summarizes the number of reimbursable hours spent improving access to Medi-Cal and Medi-Cal covered services as part of the MAA program in FY21-22, which is the most recent year with available data.
Table 1. FY21-22 Hours Spent on Medi-Cal Administrative Activities Activity
Hours
Medi-Cal Outreach
528
Referral, Coordination, and Monitoring of Medi-Cal-covered services 3676
Facilitating Medi-Cal Application
2 Contract Administration
414
Program Planning and Policy Development
3957
Total
8577
DISCUSSION
The Youth and Family Services Bureau staff play a critical role in connecting community members to Medi-Cal covered services. In recognition of this function, the County provides an annual reimbursement for the cost of staff time spent providing this service. This reimbursement funding is re-invested to support YFSB programming, which contributes to the overall strength and success of the YFSB model. Providing alternatives to youth involvement in the juvenile justice system is a critical issue locally and nationally. The literature clearly shows that more restrictive juvenile justice interventions such as youth incarceration contribute to poorer outcomes and increased rates of recidivism. Conversely, offering alternatives such as family counseling, case management, and diversion, not only reduces recidivism but also leads to better outcomes for youth and families overall. The execution of this agreement and the acceptance of the associated funding will allow the Youth and Family Services Bureau to continue to play a crucial role in keeping youth out of the juvenile justice system and contributing to the overall safety and wellbeing of Hayward families.
Components of Medi-Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) Program – FY23-24 Medi-Cal outreach to connect Medi-Cal-eligible individuals with Medi-Cal-covered services; Referral, coordination, and monitoring of Medi-Cal covered services; Facilitating the Medi-Cal application process;
Contract administration for Medi-Cal covered services; and Program planning and policy development to increase Medi-Cal system capacity and close service gaps and coordinate with other agencies to improve service delivery The services that will be provided under the recommended agreement are part of the YFSB’s overarching strategy to reduce and prevent juvenile involvement in the justice system by linking youth to services and opportunities that help them stay positively connected with the community. Addressing the root causes underlying youth behavior problems, such as mental health challenges, family functioning issues, school engagement problems, and insufficient access to positive activities and supports are critical components to encourage youth success and prevent contact with law enforcement. For youth who do encounter law enforcement, these services give officers more options and minimize formal processing in the juvenile justice system. This has a clear nexus with public safety and contributes to the overall wellbeing of Hayward families.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
As stated under DISCUSSION, above, improving community safety and keeping youth out of the juvenile justice system by supporting them to lead productive and healthy lives will have a positive economic impact on the Hayward community, as it addresses many of the factors that underlie poverty and a lack of economic opportunity. Moreover, the positive impact this program has on overall public safety contributes to a safe and thriving City which attracts residents and local businesses.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority of Support Quality of Life. It specifically relates to Project 9: Expand existing support services offered by the Hayward Police Department Youth and Family Services Bureau to include life skills, diversion, and restorative justice.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City will receive between $300,000 and $400,000 in reimbursement from the one-year agreement with HCSA. The 1.0 FTE Family Counselor position discussed above is included in the City’s FY 2024 Operating Budget; accepting and appropriating these funds will help to offset the cost of the position.
NEXT STEPS
If the Council authorizes this action, staff will work to: 1) execute the agreement with ACHCSA to provide Medi-Cal Administrative Activities services for FY23-24; 2) accept and appropriate between $300,000 and $400,000 in reimbursement revenue and 3) continue providing essential mental health services to Hayward youth and families.
Prepared by: Emily Young, Youth and Family Services Bureau Administrator Recommended by: Bryan Matthews, Acting Chief of Police Approved by:
______________________________________
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2020). Research in Brief to Transform Juvenile Probation: Expand the Use of Diversion from the Juvenile Justice System. Baltimore, MD: Author. Retrieved from https://www.aecf.org/resources/expand-the-use-of-diversion-from-the-juvenile-justice-system/