Former County Supervisor Ryan Coonerty: Novel Strategy to Address Mental Health and Homelessness

This week, Santa Cruz County, CA Supervisors, including NewDEAL Leader Ryan Coonerty, unanimously approved a new strategy for addressing mental illness among homeless individuals in the county. The “Mental Health Services Act Innovation Plan” aims to enroll approximately 600 people experiencing homelessness. The program will send field teams to meet participants where they are and provide clinical and case management services to both address mental health concerns and help transition participants into permanent housing. The program will help the County plot a permanent response that could serve as a model for other localities. Read more here.

Mayor Miro Weinberger: Paid Family Leave in Burlington, VT

This week, NewDEAL Leader Burlington, VT Mayor Miro Weinberger reached an agreement with the city workers’ union that would make Burlington the first city in Vermont to offer paid family leave. The leave benefit will be offered immediately, with city workers eligible for four weeks of fully paid leave, and will scale up each year to add additional weeks of available leave at 60 percent payment. Check out an article for more details about this important benefit, which the mayor notes will help retain workers.

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer: Supporting Delaware’s Mothers

This week, NewDEAL Leader New Castle County, DE Executive Matt Meyer announced a new initiative to support disadvantaged first-time mothers with access to health care. The program is financed using the innovative Pay for Success funding model, pioneered in the U.S. by NewDEAL Alum, former Salt Lake County, UT Mayor Ben McAdams, who used this approach to tackle issues like early childhood education, homelessness, and criminal justice reform. Other NewDEALers, including Mayor Hancock in Denver, have seen success in addressing homelessness using Pay for Success, which involves a funder from outside government making the initial investment in a project and government funds kicking in when certain milestones are achieved. Read more about the new program in Delaware and its goal of serving 120 Medicaid-eligible first-time mothers over four years.

Judge Andy Brown: Mental Health Diversion Program in Travis County, TX

Judge Andy Brown is spearheading efforts to establish a mental health diversion center pilot program in Travis County. This program presents an alternative pathway to arrests, providing emergency responders and families with options, including psychiatric care, when dealing with those experiencing a mental health crisis. Brown emphasizes the need to create a more innovative, empathetic, and effective mental healthcare system and hopes to have the pilot program fully functioning ahead of the construction of a new mental health diversion facility in the county. A recent study revealed a rise in individuals with a mental health identifier in the county’s jail, underlining the growing need for this initiative. The pilot will also help individuals who are incarcerated receive psychiatric aid, and Brown is hopeful that these critical services will help with their long term outcomes.

Judge Andy Brown Champions Mental Health Diversion Program in Travis County, TX

Judge Andy Brown is spearheading efforts to establish a mental health diversion center pilot program in Travis County. This program presents an alternative pathway to arrests, providing emergency responders and families with options, including psychiatric care, when dealing with those experiencing a mental health crisis. Brown emphasizes the need to create a more innovative, empathetic, and effective mental healthcare system and hopes to have the pilot program fully functioning ahead of the construction of a new mental health diversion facility in the county. A recent study revealed a rise in individuals with a mental health identifier in the county’s jail, underlining the growing need for this initiative. The pilot will also help individuals who are incarcerated receive psychiatric aid, and Brown is hopeful that these critical services will help with their long term outcomes.

ARPA: Scranton PA, Creates Community Wellness Programs and Invests in Community Programs

Scranton received $68.7 million in ARPA funds, and Mayor Paige Cognetti work to ensure the funding is invested to give people access to resources, rebuild the infrastructure systems that impact their everyday lives, and foster equitable wealth generation that targets the needs of Scranton residents. As of February 2023, Scranton awarded $1 million in grants to nearly 50 nonprofit organizations in need of financial recovery. Another $950,000 helped the support and creation of community wellness programs, including projects focused on behavioral health and mental wellness, drug overdose  prevention, and violence prevention. 

“Supporting a city that only recently shed its status as a financially distressed municipality is no easy  task,” Mayor Cognetti said. “This once-in-a-lifetime ARPA funding is helping us to accelerate progress and promote the people and organizations that make Scranton a wonderful place to live and  work.” 

ARP: Shelby County TN, Grant to Bolster Healthcare Workforce

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris announced a $14 million Public Health Workforce and Infrastructure Grant from the American Rescue Plan to upskill and retain its public health workforce. This grant will allow the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) to develop and implement a workforce development plan, including educational opportunities for employees to expand their education in graduate and certificate public health programs (3 doctorates, 5 masters, and 5 certifications). Additionally, the grant will help SCHD perform ongoing data assessments to monitor workforce needs, enhance diversity among its workforce, and partner with community organizations for competency training to better address health inequities and disparities in the community.

ARP: Colorado’s “I Matter” Program Support Student’s Mental Health

In 2021, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a bill to establish the “I Matter” program, which provides up to six free therapy sessions for Colorado youth. Originally part of the Governor’s Colorado Comeback Roadmap, which dedicated $9 million to the program to address any needs that may have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the program launched, more than 6,000 Colorado youth have received one or more free therapy sessions, and the program was renewed to run  through at least June 2023.

ARP: Chester County PA, Investing to meet Community’s Mental Health Needs

Chester County Commissioner Josh Maxwell purposefully targeted American Rescue Plan funds with the goal of improving services to disproportionately impacted communities with key investments to improve public health. Nearly $13 million has been invested in behavioral and mental health initiatives that will support a three-pillar mental health response plan, including the Chester County 9-8-8 Mental Health Crisis Response system, mobile mental health crisis teams, and crisis stabilization centers. Additionally, $2.5 million was allocated to the Christiana Care West Grove Campus for capital improvement projects to help the hospital’s planned re-opening and returning much-needed services to residents.

ARP: Shreveport Announced a $5.3 Million Investment to Support Young People

Mayor Adrian Perkins announced a $5.3 million investment from American Rescue Plan funds to support young people in Shreveport — a direct result of feedback from community listening sessions. Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation will receive $3 million, the YMCA of Northwest Louisiana will receive $1.5 million, and Ronald McDonald House Charities will receive $800,000 for projects ranging from the construction of recreation facilities to providing for families with critically ill children.