Requested Action (Identify appropriate Action or Motion, purpose, cost, timeframe, etc.)
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Request approval of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Fulton County, on behalf of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) with Sub-recipients for the new grant award in the amount of $1,200,000.00 from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The two MOUs are with (a) the Atlanta Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiatives (PAD) in the amount of $1,069,194.00 to provide Diversion Services, and (b) Applied Research Services (ARS) in the amount of $119,772.00 to provide data collection services for this grant. The County Attorney is authorized to approve the MOUs as to form and make necessary changers thereto prior to execution. The MOUs are effective upon BOC approval through September 2023. (APPROVED UPON ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT AGENDA)
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Requirement for Board Action (Cite specific Board policy, statute or code requirement)
Official Code of Georgia Section 36-10-1: All official contracts entered into by the County governing authority and with other persons on behalf of the County shall be in writing and entered in its minutes.
Strategic Priority Area related to this item (If yes, note strategic priority area below)
Health and Human Services
Commission Districts Affected
All Districts ☒
District 1 ☐
District 2 ☐
District 3 ☐
District 4 ☐
District 5 ☐
District 6 ☐
Is this a purchasing item?
No
Summary & Background (First sentence includes Agency recommendation. Provide an executive summary of the action that gives an overview of the relevant details for the item.)
Fulton County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) has been awarded funding in the amount of $1,200,000.00. The purpose of the project is to expand Fulton County’s comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by substance use disorders and reduce the impact on the criminal justice system. Fulton DBHDD and its partners will expand pre-arrest diversion, case management, and training for law enforcement to the City of Atlanta and two other jurisdictions using the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) model; provide recovery support services including transitional or recovery housing through Fulton DBHDD and its local partners; and offer evidence-based treatment including medication-assisted treatment (MAT) through partner Grady Hospital. PAD is the only team that does Diversion Services and Applied Research Services is the data collection agency for this grant. Together, they will expand Fulton County’s comprehensive efforts to identify, respond to, treat, and support those impacted by substance use disorders and reduce the impact on the criminal justice system.
Scope of Work: Fulton BHDD will oversee the project. PAD will be responsible for payments to all treatment/recovery housing providers that will be performing the services on behalf of Fulton BHDD which includes Grady and Recovery Housing partners. Applied Research Services (ARS) will provide consultation as an independent evaluator. The costs are based on the nature of the required and project-specific performance measures and local performance assessment. ARS was selected because of its extensive involvement in local criminal justice initiatives. It provides research and evaluation consulting for several state and local projects including a BJA COSSAP-funded project in nearby Cobb County. All sub-recipients will be held accountable for services performed based on the rules provided in the award letter. They have also agreed to comply with the terms of the invoicing process. PAD will provide diversion services, care navigation, and service placement to 50 unique individuals in Year 1 and 100 unique individuals in Years 2 and 3 (250 total during grant period). Participants will have increased access to services and evidence-based treatment through MAT, harm reduction-based case management, criminal justice system navigation, recovery/transitional housing support, and community connections. Fulton DBHDD and its partners will integrate project activities with other local and statewide substance Use disorders (SUD) prevention/intervention and criminal justice reform initiatives.
Flow of Funds 
Community Impact: Fulton County, through DBHDD desires to continue providing shared resources for support and coordination of pre-arrest diversion services for adult participants.
Department Recommendation: DBHDD recommends the approval of the Memorandum of Understanding.
Project Implications: Policing and Alternatives and Diversion Initiative(PAD) will assist all stakeholders with the implementation and operation of the Atlanta/Fulton County Policing and Alternatives and Diversion Initiative as described in Section C of the MOU.
Community Issues/Concerns: None
Department Issues/Concerns: None