City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 16, 2021
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of the Release of $789,909 from FY 2022 Contingent Reserves for Mental Health Resources, Teen Wellness, and Behavior Health Support for School Age Children.
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: Consideration of the release of $789,909 from FY 2022 Contingent Reserves for Mental Health Resources, Teen Wellness, and Behavioral Health Support for School Aged Children.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council allocate $789,909 held in FY 2022 General Fund contingent reserves to enable the distribution of funding to department budgets for the Court Service Unit ($101,000), Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS)($566,909), and Alexandria Health Department ($122,000).
BACKGROUND: During the FY 2022 budget's final Add/Delete work session, City Council reallocated $789,909 from the Police Department budget for School Resource Officers (SROs) to contingent reserves. City Council directed staff to present a proposal, with input from ACPS, to City Council for use of the funding for mental health resources for school aged children, the Teen Wellness Center, an additional Behavioral Health Specialist for the Alexandria Crisis Intervention and Co-responding Program (ACORP) pilot program, or other similar needs identified by staff.
City staff held a series of discussions and consulted with ACPS staff, to identify the greatest areas of need for school aged children across the City. The parameters for the discussions and strategies were that the funding should address the following areas of need:
* Align with mental health, teen wellness, and behavioral health support needs for school- aged children;
* Alleviate capacity limitations and reduce the number of students on waitlists for services; and
* Anticipate increased...
Click here for full text