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HomeMy WebLinkAbout091724-06.7 STUDY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF REPORT 6.7 TO: Mayor and Town Council September 17, 2024 SUBJECT: Resolution No. 69-2024, awarding funds to Discovery Counseling Center to support a three year Comprehensive Group Therapy Program. BACKGROUND In June 2024, the Town was contacted by Discovery Counseling Center (Discovery) to discuss the possibility of establishing a comprehensive group therapy program to meet the urgent mental health needs of underserved populations. The initiative would offer structured support groups led by licensed therapists, focusing on addressing depression, anxiety, isolation, grief and trauma among specific groups including teens, seniors and those facing grief or loss. Discovery is a community based organization located in Danville. For over fifty years, Discovery has offered high quality mental health support that is accessible and affordable to the San Ramon Valley community. Through their programs and partnerships in the community they have been advocates and leaders in raising awareness, resources and tools for early intervention and treatment options. Discovery works closely with the San Ramon Valley Unified School District to serve and support students at the elementary, middle and high school levels. The Town has previously set aside funding to support mental health initiatives. Initially received and allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), to speed up Danville’s recovery from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, these funds were set aside to “Identify and support local and/or regional service providers with initiatives to address pandemic induced social isolation, provide mental health services/assistance or improve response to behavioral health crises.” The new program proposed by Discovery meets the criteria established for the use of the funds. DISCUSSION The comprehensive group therapy program proposal from Discovery would require up to $126,000 to fund the program for up to three years. The proposal has been vetted through a process that included discussions between the Town Manager and the Executive Director from Discovery, focusing on how the program would be rolled out Discovery Group Therapy Program 2 September 17, 2024 and operated, how it would expand the current services offered by Discovery and the target populations that could most benefit. Through its own programs, and relationships with other local service providers, the Town is aware of the growing incidence of depression, anxiety and isolation being broadly experienced. Factors including constant exposure to social media and the trauma resulting from the pandemic have further aggravated these conditions, resulting in new efforts to more comprehensively address the mental health needs of individuals and families. Examples include the Contra Costa County A3 Program and the Behavioral Health Response Program being piloted by the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District. The Discovery program would offer assistance through a group therapy model, fostering a sense of connection among participants by reducing isolation, and increasing access to mental health support. Teen and senior populations, in particular, have also been a high priority with programming offered through the Town’s Recreation, Arts and Community Services Department The Executive Director and Clinical Director with Discovery attended the August 13, 2024 Town Council Study Session to present an overview of the proposed program, respond to Town Council questions and receive feedback. Attachment B to this report is the Program overview, updated to reflect feedback received at that Study Session. In consideration for funding the proposed program for an initial three years, the services will be offered to Danville residents at no fee. The Town will receive annual updates from Discovery describing program progress, including the number of persons served and other metrics used to measure program success. PUBLIC CONTACT Posting of the meeting agenda serves as notice to the general public. FISCAL IMPACT The Town has previously designated $250,000 to support Mental Health. These funds were initially set aside through Resolution 64-2021, which reserved and appropriated American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds to programs, partnerships, and capital projects with the intent of speeding up Danville’s recovery from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Subsequently, the Town Council adopted Resolution 12-2023 which revised the ARPA funding allocations to ensure that the strict federal timelines for expenditure of such funds could be met. In so doing, the Town Council reallocated ARPA funds previously appropriated for Mental Health and substituted funding from the General Fund. Discovery Group Therapy Program 3 September 17, 2024 RECOMMENDATION Adopt Resolution No. 69-2024, awarding funds to Discovery Counseling Center to support a three year Comprehensive Group Therapy Program. Prepared by: Joseph Calabrigo Town Manager Attachments: A – Resolution No. 69-2024 B - Discovery Counseling Center Funding Request Proposal: Comprehensive Group Therapy Program RESOLUTION NO. 69-2024 AWARDING FUNDS TO DISCOVERY COUNSELING CENTER TO SUPPORT A THREE YEAR COMPREHENSIVE GROUP THERAPY PROGRAM WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control, mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States with more than one in five U.S. adults living with a mental illness, and over one in five youth (ages 13-18) having a severe mental disorder at some point during their life; and WHEREAS, Discovery Counseling Center (Discovery) is a community based organization that provides affordable, high quality, culturally appropriate and accessible counseling services and programs to Danville and the San Ramon Valley; and WHEREAS, Discovery has requested funding to establish a Comprehensive Group Therapy Program (Program) to meet the urgent mental health needs of underserved Danville populations including teens and seniors; and WHEREAS, the Program will be led by licensed therapists, and will provide specific benefits focused on addressing depression, anxiety, isolation, grief and trauma, by enhancing social connections, reducing isolation, and increasing access to mental health support; and WHEREAS, the Program will be accessible to Danville residents at no fee for the initial three year period; and WHEREAS, the Town previously appropriated $250,000 to identify and support local and/or regional service providers with initiatives to address pandemic induced social isolation, provide mental health services/assistance or improve response to behavioral health crises; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Danville Town Council hereby finds that investing in this Program will profoundly enhance the mental health and well-being of the community, and awards $126,000 to the Discovery Counseling Center to fund this program for a period of three years; Docusign Envelope ID: 1F3CD951-DBDF-46EC-867E-4DDECEFAEB9A ATTACHMENT A PAGE 2 OF RESOLUTION NO. 69-2024 APPROVED by the Danville Town Council at a regular meeting on September 17, 2024 by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSTAINED: ABSENT: ______________________________ MAYOR APPROVED AS TO FORM: ATTEST: _______________________________ ______________________________ CITY ATTORNEY CITY CLERK Docusign Envelope ID: 1F3CD951-DBDF-46EC-867E-4DDECEFAEB9A Funding Request Proposal: Comprehensive Group Therapy Program Objective: We are seeking funding to establish a comprehensive group therapy program at our community health clinic to meet the urgent mental health needs of underserved populations. This initiative will offer structured support groups led by licensed therapists, focusing on addressing depression, anxiety, isolation, grief and trauma among specific underserved groups including Seniors, Teens, and for those facing grief or loss. Background: The Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Funds awarded by the Town of Danville in 2021 came at a critical moment for our agency. They allowed us to continue to our individualized therapy services during a time when the demand for mental health was skyrocketing and our ability to continue operations was being challenged by external factors. With the Town’s generous support, we were able to recover and sustain our affordable individual and family therapy services. Discovery Counseling Center as an agency has been focused on making sure we could sustain our model of subsidized mental health services into the future. However, the group therapy model has always been a service that we know is meaningful to the community and one we have wanted to revive. With our financial stability and solid leadership team in place, we feel the time is right for a partnership representing Discovery Counseling Center’s mission and skills and the Town of Danville’s interest in supporting the mental health of its residents. The demand for mental health services, and moreover for the affordable individualized therapy we provide, has continued to grow at a steady pace and at times of high need exceeds our capacity to delvoer. We believe that reviving the group therapy model now gives us a chance to offer counseling support to a wider population and also provides several other benefits to the Danville community as outlined below. Specific Population Benefits: Through our interactions with community members and organizations, and calls coming into our clinic with requests for services, we have identified the following groups as high needs and underserved populations in our community, as well as ones that would benefit specifically from a group therapy model: •Teens: Peer interactions in group settings promote improved social skills and a sense of community, crucial for adolescent development. •Seniors: Group therapy offers vital social interaction and support, particularly beneficial for seniors on fixed incomes who often face financial barriers in accessing mental health services. ATTACHMENT B •Grief and Loss: Grief can be a very isolating experience, making individuals feel disconnected from others who may not understand their pain. Group therapy mitigates this by providing a community of people who are also grieving, reducing feelings of loneliness. Group members provide motivation and encouragement to each other, fostering a supportive environment for healing. Current Discovery Center Clinic Demographics: Of our active clients, 43% reside in Danville or Alamo, and 41% in the City of San Ramon. Of those residing in Danville or Alamo, currently 10% are Seniors 65+. Teens (13-18 years old) from Danville or Alamo are 42% of our client population. Program Roll Out and Sustainability: •Outreach: Discovery has relationships with several community nonprofits, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, faith communities, and civic organizations that would help us reach those who could benefit from group therapy services. We would also partner with the Town of Danville and the Parks and Recreation Department and Senior Center as appropriate to conduct outreach about these services. Where partner entities can support the transportation needs of clients, we would also provide connections and information that make it possible for our clients to reach the group therapy location. •Group Locations: The ideal locations to hold each group would be based on the type of group, prioritizing accessibility for that population. •Training: We plan to also provide regular specialized training led by our current clinicians who have experience leading clinical therapy groups. Training will be offered to those therapists who may require professional development support as they are considering starting their own clinician-led therapy group. •No Fees to Launch: For these groups to be launched successfully in the community it will be necessary for a period of time to make them accessible at no fee to Danville residents. Residents of other locations would receive a limited number of free sessions. Financial assistance will be available to non-Danville residents, and once fees are re-instituted to ensure continued accessibility for all community members. •Sustainability: We are asking the Town of Danville for kickstart funds to support the launch of these services, but our objective is to continue to have group therapy be part of our programming into the future. Once the success and support of these groups becomes known to our community, and we see a constituency for these groups form, we would most likely return to a modest fee arrangement that would, like our individual therapy fees, be coupled with financial assistance as needed. In addition, as with our other subsidies for therapy, our goal is to seek funding that would support our group therapy offerings into the future through fundraising and grants. This financial model is the same as the basis for our historical operation of groups and will allow us to continue operating these groups beyond the period of the Town’s funding. Program Benefits to the Community: •Enhanced Social Connections and Reduced Isolation: Research consistently shows that group therapy fosters social connections, reduces feelings of isolation, and enhances healing and resilience among participants. Creating a connection and sense of shared community is at the core of our mission as a community mental health clinic, and, we believe, an important core objective for our Town. A group environment fosters those connections among participants and increases their sense of well-being, the benefits of which positively impact our whole community. •Cost-Effective Counseling: Group therapy provides a more cost-effective avenue for accessing counseling services compared to individual therapy. •Increased Access to Mental Health Support: With a group therapy program, we can make a wider impact among our community members. In fact, for some populations and diagnoses, the group therapy model has also been shown to be even more effective than individual counseling. Impact: By securing funding, Discovery Counseling Center can effectively promote and deliver these vital services, ensuring financial constraints do not hinder access for those most in need. This program aims to cultivate a safe and supportive environment where individuals can openly share experiences, receive expert guidance, and develop effective coping strategies. We plan to also measure our impact by conducting pre session and post session 6-week assessments with participants that would measure their sense of well-being and self-reported progress through the sessions. We would welcome the opportunity to report on our progress to the Council on an annual basis. Where appropriate we may be able to share client narratives of their progress. Clinicians would also be making weekly progress notes of the clients in their group session (though these would remain confidential). Budget Request: We respectfully request $42,000 to support the program for one year ($126,000 for a three-year period). This funding will be earmarked for operational costs only, allowing us to pay our therapists, and support administrative help that will be necessary to deliver services for three clinician-led group therapy programs including promotion/marketing groups to the community, intakes for group therapy clients, communication with these clients regarding consent and treatment forms, etc. Conclusion: We appreciate your consideration of this proposal. With your generous support we aim to establish a sustainable and impactful program that not only addresses critical mental health needs but also fosters long-term healing and resilience necessary for a healthy and engaged community.