AUTHORIZING THE CREATION OF ONE FULL TIME RE-ENTRY COORDINATOR POSITION FOR THE SAUK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (SCHD) IN THE 2020 BUDGET PROCESS

RESOLUTION NO. _____ - 2019

 AUTHORIZING THE CREATION OF ONE FULL TIME RE-ENTRY COORDINATOR POSITION FOR THE SAUK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (SCHD)

[Text Box: Background: The long term goal of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) is to support a safe and healthy community, offer accessible opportunities to positively change individual’s lives while being fiscally responsible. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and Stepping Up Initiative (Resolution #5-16) includes, Justice & Public Safety - Criminal Justice Coordinating Council release planning and re-entry. Sauk County Health Department is uniquely positioned to lead efforts to provide resources and services to individuals upon release/returning home which can ultimately break the cycle of incarceration and result in safer and healthier communities. The Re-entry Coordinator would support the Health Department by addressing top priorities of Mental Health and Substance Abuse identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment and Improvement Plan. “CJCC will use data driven, evidence based practices to inform decision making and will examine and respond to the root cause of crime, in an effort to reduce crime, create a safer community, and provide effective treatment for individuals and families involved in the Sauk County Criminal Justice System. The CJCC will improve communication between participating agencies and use a collaborative approach to respond to criminal conduct and to provide coordinated services”. This correlates to the major goals of the County Board-approved Stepping Up Initiative: decrease jail length of stay, decrease number of those incarcerated, decrease recidivism, increase referrals to behavioral health services. In order to reduce recidivism, the CJCC is developing a Re-entry Coordinator position to assist incarcerated individuals with a successful transition back to the community after release. Data shows this is an effective way to reduce recidivism, as well as an effective strategy to reduce mental health and substance use disorder both in the community and in the incarcerated population. This position will conduct risk assessments and develop individualized case plans for individuals transitioning back to our community to identify housing, job training, job placement, education, and other social determinant needs. This model supports returning citizens in becoming productive, tax-paying- citizens, with access to substance use and mental health treatment services. This position will aid in decreasing recidivism and increasing referrals to behavioral health services. Release planning focuses on providing, and often initiating, continuity of care between incarceration, and return to the community by connecting citizens to necessary community services. This can include setting up benefits, performing risk assessments, medical appointments, nursing care, crisis respite, coordinating mental health and substance use treatment, and other social services. Responsibilities also include working closely with partner agencies to assure participants are engaged and supported in services that include: employment and training, housing, transportation, mentoring, and other comprehensive services. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) will fully fund the initial two years of this position, which will allow Sauk County to develop a local model that will be sustainable by future grant funding that requires this work to be prioritized prior to requesting many of those external funds. The proposed use of CDBG funds will be salary and benefits of a full-time Re-entry Coordinator based in the jail, as well as materials, equipment, client transportation, emergency housing assistance, and connections to substance use and mental health services. The Coordinator will conduct risk assessments at booking, complete mental health and substance use disorder screenings, connect individuals to diversion programs (if applicable), complete individualized case plans to determine priority needs, identify goals, connect returning citizens to wrap around services in the community based on the case plan, and document progress/outcomes. This will form the basis for a new system of care and connection of returning citizens back to the Sauk County community. It will fund the development and implementation of the program for 2 years, allow Sauk County to demonstrate its effectiveness at addressing the root cause problems leading to untreated substance use and mental health problems and recidivism, and provide the framework for sustaining the initiative within the existing structure of CJCC. ]  

[Text Box: Fiscal Impact: [ ] None [ X ] Budgeted Expenditure [ ] Not Budgeted] IN THE 2020 BUDGET PROCESS

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Sauk County Board of Supervisors met in regular session, that the Sauk County authorize the creation of one full time (1.0 FTE) Re-Entry Coordinator, effective January 1, 2020.

For consideration by the Sauk County Board of Supervisors on October 15, 2019.

Respectfully submitted,

FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                   PERSONNEL & INSURANCE COMMITTEE

___________________________                      ___________________________

JOHN DIETZ, Chair                                     TOMMY LEE BYCHINSKI, Chair

_________________________________                              _________________________________

THOMAS KRIEGL                                                          SHANE GIBSON

________________________________                                _________________________________

JOHN “TONY” DE GIOVANNI                                       PATRICIA REGO

_________________________________                              _________________________________

KEVIN LINS                                                                    CARL GRUBER

_________________________________                              _________________________________                             

KRISTIN WHITE EAGLE                                                TIMOTHY MCCUMBER

Fiscal Note:  budget request, elim 2021. 

The 2020 budget contains adequate funding for the Re-Entry Coordinator position.

FY 2020

Salary for FY 2020

$54,336

Benefits for FY 2020

$26,529

Computer Equipment

Other MIS Costs (Computer, Software, wiring, etc.)

$3,000

Office Furniture

Existing

Office Supplies

$0

Other Operating Expenditures

$116,135

Renovation/Relocation Costs

$0

Revenues (Use Negative #)

Tax Levy

CDBG Funds

($ 200,000)

TOTAL

$ 0

Information System Note:  Noted in 2020 MIS Budget.