City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 22, 2016
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of Approval to Accept State Funds to Develop a Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) within the Department of Community and Human Services.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of approval for the Alexandria Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) to accept funds from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (VDBHDS) to develop a Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) Team and authorization to create up to eight net new City staff positions for that team which will provide intensive community-based services to adults with serious mental illness and/or co-occurring substance use disorders.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1) Approve DCHS's receipt of approximately $850,000 starting in FY 2017 in annual ongoing funding from VDBHDS to develop a PACT team, beginning July 2016. The funding would become part of DCHS's ongoing Performance Contract with VDBHDS;
2) Authorize the creation of up to eight (8) FTE positions to staff the PACT team as required by VDBHDS and state licensing; and
3) Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: PACT is a client-centered, recovery-oriented mental health service
delivery model that has received substantial empirical support for facilitating community living, psychosocial rehabilitation, and recovery for persons who have the most severe and persistent mental illnesses, have severe symptoms and impairments, and have not benefited from traditional mental health programs. Key characteristics of PACT programs are:
* PACT serves clients with severe and persistent mental illnesses that are complex, have devastatin...
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