City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: STUDY SESSION
Lead Department: Community Services
Meeting Date: January 21, 2025
Report #:2410-3595
TITLE
Study Session on 2024 City of Palo Alto Suicide Prevention Policy and City Programs Supporting Community Mental Health; CEQA Status: Not a project
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Council receive an update on the 2024 City Suicide Prevention Policy and City Programs Supporting Community Mental Health (Attachment A)
BACKGROUND
In December 2010, the Palo Alto City Council supported a recommendation from the Policy and Services Committee (Committee) to approve a resolution supporting the Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan1, a resolution adopting the 41 Developmental Assets for youth and teen well-being, and a suicide prevention policy2. The 2010 policy (Attachment B) was developed to demonstrate the City’s commitment to suicide prevention and mental health support following the tragic loss of teens in the community to suicide. Other efforts at the time included the formation of Project Safety Net, a community task force created to develop and implement a community-based mental health plan for youth well-being in Palo Alto. 1 Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan, June, 2010 (Amended May 2024), https://files.santaclaracounty.gov/exjcpb1431/2024-08/suicidepreventionstrategicplan-scc- 082024.pdf?VersionId=D.BAZx1bpB.WM9obgtTH6BB2zi40wngV
2 City Council, December 13, 2010; Agenda Item #20; SR # 456:10, https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=55038&repo=r-704298fc&searchid=96c7cf39-b57b-452f- 923b-e67b21583022
The Committee’s recommendation was drawn from a report presented by Project Safety Net at the September 14, 2010 Committee meeting3 that included five areas of focus with city policy implications. These focus areas were:
1. Ongoing staff support for Project Safety Net
2. Approval of a City suicide prevention policy
3. Adoption of the 41 Developmental Assets framework
4. Commitment to youth outreach and elevating the youth voice
5. Commitment to the reduction of lethal means to self harm Of the five focus areas, the Committee recommended initially prioritizing a resolution to support the Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan and adopt the 41 Developmental Assets for youth and teen well-being and approve a city suicide prevention policy.
Palo Alto was the first city in Santa Clara County to approve a City Suicide Prevention Policy.
Today, all fifteen cities within the County have adopted policies.
ANALYSIS
The City of Palo Alto’s Suicide Prevention Policy adopted in 2010 was initially focused on youth and teens. Nearly fifteen years later, it is time to update the policy and expand its reach to include adults and city employees. The proposed City Suicide Prevention Policy was developed after a thorough review of policies more recently adopted by other cities in Santa Clara County.
Input was gathered from several City departments and offices, including the City Manager’s Office, Office of Communications, Office of Emergency Services, Police, Fire, and Public Works.
These city departments, along with the Community Services Department will have a role in implementing the policy. Support from the City Council underscores the City’s commitment from the highest level to support the mental health and wellness of all members of the community, including city staff.
The purpose of the 2024 City Suicide Prevention Policy is to affirm the City of Palo Alto’s ongoing commitment to the awareness of suicide as a public health concern, promote community collaboration, de-stigmatize mental health concerns and care, and support suicide prevention strategies, including, where possible, those identified in the Santa Clara County Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan. A summary of the key elements of the policy include:
•Develop a Crisis Response and Community Communication Plan to ensure public safety and responsible reporting of a suicide or attempted suicide. 3 Policy and Services Committee, September 14, 2010; Agenda Item #2; https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/policy-and- services-committee/00-archive/2010/ps-9.14.2010-item-2-psn.pdf •Collaborate with Santa Clara County and local mental health partners to share resources with the community and advance mental health awareness and suicide prevention strategies.
•Provide an easily accessible list of mental health and suicide prevention resources on the city website including crisis line services, such as the national simplified phone and text service, 9-8-8.
•Provide a list of available resources to City employees to recognize at-risk behaviors and access mental health resources effectively.
•Establish and implement safety protocols at City facilities, such as safe storage of firearms, medications, and chemicals, and securing areas with restricted access. •Conduct a review of the policy every two years to ensure compliance and relevance and adapt to emerging needs.
City Programs Supporting Community Mental Health –
In 2024, the City provided mental health support to the community and to city employees through various trainings, programs, and events. Some of these efforts, many of which will continue into 2025, are summarized below.
Mental Health First Aid Training – In partnership with Momentum for Health, adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings were offered to all City staff and to community members during the first half of 2024. Additional training sessions specific to adults supporting youth were offered to parents and caregivers. These trainings were made possible by a $2 million federal earmark for assistance related to alternative response for people experiencing mental health crises. Project Safety Net provided MHFA training to the Palo Alto Youth Council to promote peer to peer support for youth.
Events – In partnership with Youth Community Service, allcove, Project Safety Net, Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services, and Gunn High School Wellness, the City hosted an intergenerational event for teen mental health called, Beyond the Books: A Teen Mental Health Summit, on Saturday, October 5th. An event to introduce teens to available career pathways after high school will be held in 2025.
Teen Center – The Teen Center at Mitchell Park Community Center is open weekdays from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm during the school year. New monthly activities include Self Care Social Club on Tuesdays with activities like yoga in the park. The Teen Center is also open from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm every Friday with food and fun weekly themes.
Partnership with Palo Alto University – The Community Services Department entered into an agreement with Palo Alto University to provide tailored mental health resources and support for teens, parents, and staff who support youth. The programs and services to be offered include: training for staff who interact with youth including middle school athletic coaches; parent education sessions, and teen education sessions; developing a post-crisis intervention plan to provide ongoing support to teens and parents following a crisis; assisting staff with developing initiatives to create a supportive environment for LGBTQ+ youth, and designing and implementing wellness activities based on positive psychology principles, such as mindfulness sessions, gratitude exercises, and group activities.
Palo Alto Link Rides for Teens – Teens can ride the Palo Alto Link for free to access a preferred third place. A third place is a casual, social setting other than home or school/work where people can connect with others or participate in a hobby or activity. Free link rides for teens provide access to city facilities such as community centers, Children’s Theatre, Art Center, libraries, allcove, and Youth Community Service. This program was developed after a survey of Palo Alto youth utilizing City programs and receiving feedback from allcove that transportation is a barrier for youth to access third places that support mental and emotional health.
Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) – The Palo Alto Police Department launched PERT in partnership with Santa Clara County in December 2021. The program teams up a police officer with a licensed mental health clinician to provide rapid intervention to a person in a mental health crisis. The clinician position is not filled currently, however; the PERT officer has advanced training to assist in crisis situations.
The list above is a summary and is not inclusive of all the programs and services available to the community from partner organizations. Palo Alto based organizations like Youth Community Service, allcove, Kara Grief Support, Project Safety Net and others are valuable partners in our collective effort to prevent suicides and support the mental and emotional well-being of every person in the community. Palo Alto Unified School District has implemented mental health programs and initiatives for students. County-wide programs such as the TRUST Field Response Program4 and Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services5 provide resources and services for all County residents.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Oversight and implementation of the CSPP will be done with existing staff resources. Funding for current youth mental health programs and events is included in the Community Services Department’s Fiscal Year 2025 Adopted Operating Budget. Funding for PERT is included in the Police Department’s Fiscal Year 2025 Adopted Operating Budget.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Several City departments provided input on the 2024 City Suicide Prevention Policy and will be involved in implementation. Staff consulted with Mr. Vic Ojakian, a Palo Alto resident and dedicated advocate for mental health and suicide prevention efforts during development of the 4 TRUST Field Response Program, https://momentumforhealth.org/services/community-programs/trust/ 5 Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services, https://bhsd.santaclaracounty.gov/home policy. Advancing the policy will require coordination and collaboration with community partners.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The study session is not a Project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: City of Palo Alto Suicide Prevention Policy, 2024 Attachment B: City of Palo Alto Suicide Prevention Policy, 2010 APPROVED BY:
Kristen O'Kane, Community Services Director