Sabha, Tamer
Subject:FW: Budget workshop: agenda item C - Public Health Department From: FERNE HAYES
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2022 1:11 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>; Gordo, Victor <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>
Subject: Budget workshop: agenda item C - Public Health Department Dear members of Public Safety committee,
I am writing to express my concern over the lack of sufficient funding for the Public Health Department. Please strongly consider adding stability to the vital services of this department by providing General Funds for the 2022-2023 FY.
The current grant funded homeless outreach programs for transitional aged youth (TAY-link) and seniors (GEM) are currently not accepting new clients due to funding issues. Essential programs should not have to rely solely on grants limited in duration.
Violence prevention, mental health support, and homelessness are all public health issues. Pasadena needs to transition its reliance on police intervention in crises (HOPE teams) to a more successful unarmed mental health approach.
Funds could be shifted from HOPE (Homeless Outreach and Psychiatric Evaluation) and NAT (Neighborhood Action Team) to further increase the PORT (Pasadena Outreach Response Team) program and expand it with a well trained unarmed mental health crisis intervention teams available 24/7.
Please ensure the Public Health Department is budgeted sufficient General Funds to cover the cost of necessary approaches to the public health crises we face today.
Thank you
Ferne Hayes
District 7 resident for over 50 years
Sent from my iPad
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