Consider and take appropriate action to approve and ratify the Interlocal Agreement with Integral Care for the Crisis Care Diversion Pilot Program (Judge Brown & Commissioner Howard)

Staff Report & Agenda Item Details

Through extensive community and stakeholder engagement, the Crisis Care Diversion Pilot program was designed and then funded through Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (LFRF). On May 14, 2024, the Commissioners Court approved a $6 million LFRF subaward to Integral Care over a three-year period to initiate a collaborative crisis diversion program that aligned with the recommendations from the Travis County Forensic Mental Health Project Report, and on August 20, 2024, Modification 1 was approved, bringing the total amount of the Crisis Care Diversion Pilot subaward to $7 million. The objective of the project is to leverage existing programs and facilities to expand community services to immediately address jail diversion needs through targeted deflection and diversion activities.<br data-pasted="true"> <br>For this pilot, Integral Care expanded Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES), a voluntary psychiatric urgent care walk-in resource for anyone in Austin/Travis County seeking treatment for a behavioral health crisis, to twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week; added additional peer support services to enhance engagement and retention; expanded its clinical team to include additional prescribers to ensure individuals have timely access to a prescribing professional for medication evaluation; and added a twenty-three (23) hour observation service with three (3) slots. Additionally, Integral Care, through this Pilot, also repurposed the 15th Street Crisis Residential program to be an extended stay therapeutic respite program, called the Therapeutic Diversion Program (TDP). TDP is a 25-bed facility that offers extended therapeutic respite care with wrap around services up to 90 days, designated as a shelter in HMIS.<br> <br>The Crisis Care Diversion Pilot was intended to be a three-year program. However, the pilot has only been operational since September/October 2024; by end of FY 2026, it will have been in operation for only two years. This delay in implementation was due to contract negotiation and execution, identifying funding sources beyond the County commitment, and ramp-up time needed to launch a new program. Of the funding partners of the Pilot - City of Austin, Central Health, Travis County, and Integral Care - the City of Austin was unable to secure the original projected funding amount for the project. Additionally, the costs of the project increased due to salaries and benefits, the need for additional positions to provide SUD treatment, and 24/7 staffing taken in house by Integral Care to ensure a high level of service delivery at TDP. The combination of these factors has resulted in a shortfall for FY 26. To ensure that the program stays operational through this fiscal year, HHS, in collaboration with PBO, has identified one-time available funding in the HHS budget to address the FY 26 projected shortfall in the Pilot. This funding is required to maintain all services at both PES and TDP through FY 26 and may cover services at the