Agenda Item Name:
Title
Presentation and Status Update on the Central Receiving System (CRS)
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Presenter:
Claudia Tuck, 352-231-0058; Don Savoie, President and CEO of Meridian
Description:
Presentation and report on the current status of the Work Plan, Operations, and Advisory Council for the CRS.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Receive the presentation and hear the status update, provide direction as needed.
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Prior Board Motions:
On August 4, 2020, in a Special Budget Meeting, the Board of County Commissioners (Board) discussed a commitment from the General Fund of $250,000 in capital expenditures for a planned Central Receiving Facility (CRF), now referred to as a Central Receiving System (CRS).
On August 12, 2021, the Board passed a four part motion: 1) Direct County staff to find and organize the funding to move forward with a Central Receiving Facility for Alachua County and surrounding areas; 2) Authorize the Chair to transmit a letter of invitation to the City of Gainesville and area hospitals to participate in this program both operationally and financially; 3) Staff to develop an operational and oversight committee for the CRF and bring a proposal back to the Board; and, 4) Request staff and Meridian to work to produce a three to five year plan that shows potential partners and funding sources with the goal that the County is not supported by the County’s General Fund in three to five years.
At its May 10, 2022 meeting, the Board supplemented its original commitment by an additional $250,000 for a total of $500,000 from the General Fund for construction. Additionally, the Board approved that a Central Receiving System be implemented as a bricks and mortar location on the campus of a Public Receiving Facility with a Crisis Stabilization Unit. The Board also instructed staff to proceed with development of a formal application for American Rescue funds (State and Local Fiscal Recovery) to support the operational needs of the planned Central Receiving System.
At its September 13, 2022 meeting, the Board approved the American Rescue Plan: State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for the Alachua County Central Receiving System for the operation of the CRS and appropriated $1,750,000.00 of American Rescue Plan funds.
On December 13, 2022 the Board approved consent agenda item #24, the American Rescue Plan - State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) Construction, Subrecipient, and Business Associate Agreements between Alachua County and Meridian Behavioral Healthcare providing $500,000.00 of general funds for the Central Receiving System (CRS).
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
n/a
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Strategic Guide:
Strategic Guide
Social and Economic Opportunity
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Background:
The CRS serves as a single point of entry into the behavioral health system for assessment, evaluation and placement of adults experiencing a crisis as defined by the Baker and/or Marchman Acts. Once operational, the CRS will offer immediate, short-term assessment, stabilization, and identification of the most appropriate placement with the goal of completing a care plan within 23 hours of entry. The plan for the Alachua County CRS will also enable it to serve children, providing them and their families with the same array of services.
This program is recognized as an evidence-based practice by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA). In Florida, this same approach is used to address the behavioral health needs of citizens who reside in over 23 of the State’s 67 counties.
There are significant advantages of the CRS model which will finally be available to the residents of Alachua County once it is fully implemented. These advantages include greater coordination and quality of care, significantly reduced processing time for law enforcement, and a valuable mechanism for pre-arrest diversion as an alternative to hospitalization or incarceration, thereby reducing the use of costly hospital and jail beds.