SUBJECT
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Approve the Final Program Status Report and Final Financial Report for the Criminal Justice, Mental Health and Substance Abuse (CJMHSA) Reinvestment Grant (contract #LH833) with the State of Florida, Department of Children and Families (DCF) for the Helping Achieve Targeted Comprehensive Healthcare program. The final report to DCF requires approval from the Board of County Commissioners or its designee.
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DESCRIPTION
The CJMHSA Reinvestment Grant Program was created by the 2007 Florida Legislature (F.S. 394.656) and is housed within DCF. Polk County applied for and was awarded the grant beginning March 3, 2022, and ended August 31, 2025. This extended previous Helping HANDS projects and was named the Helping Achieve Targeted Comprehensive Healthcare (HATCH) program that continues to bring multiple organizations together to serve this vulnerable population. During this grant 249 individuals were served with an outcome goal of decreased arrests, rearrests and/or admission to the state hospital by providing case management and linkage to local services including housing. The benefit of HATCH was threefold:
1) Improved quality of life for the client and family when the client is stabilized in his/her home and community with 51% of clients being stably housed within 6 months of discharge.
2) Public safety is increased as criminal offenses by the population declines with 91% of those successfully completing not being rearrested.
3) Cost savings to the County and State by reducing costly jail and hospital stays with 100% of successful clients being connected to behavioral health services and 84% being connected to a primary care provider.
These benefits allowed for 100% of those identified for the program to receive services and exceeded 90% of required performance measures.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Final Program Status Report and the Final Financial Report to DCF for contract LH833 which provided funding for the HATCH program.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Holly Vida, Behavioral Health Program Manager, Health and Human Services (863) 519-1005
Joy Johnson, Administrator, Health and Human Services Division (863) 534-5204