On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed into law, which established the Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds. These funds are intended to provide significant resources to State, local, and Tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its economic impacts through four categories of eligible uses. The County's allocation, which totals $91,646,669, must be disbursed following the guidance of the US Treasury Interim Final Rule (IFR).
The IFR recognizes that the pandemic exacerbated mental health and substance abuse disorder needs. More than 40% of American adults reported symptoms of depression or anxiety, an 11% increase over the first six months of 2019. Rates of substance misuse and overdose deaths spiked, with CDC data demonstrating a nearly 30% increase in drug overdose mortality from September 2019 to September 2020. and allows the utilization of ARPA funds for eligible public health services, including mental health and behavioral health services, in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Seminole County, drug overdoses increased by 63% in 2020 over 2019 and 75% in 2021 (year-to-date) over 2019. Juvenile Baker Acts have increased by 26% year-to-date over 2020, and Risk Protection Orders have increased by 50% in 2021 over 2020, with 67% of individuals experiencing a related mental health crisis.
The IFR identifies a non-exclusive list of fund uses that address these needs, including mental health treatment, substance misuse treatment, hotlines, crisis interventions, overdose prevention, and outreach services to promote access to physical or behavioral health primary care and preventative medicine.
The Seminole County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) proposes to utilize ARPA funds to provide holistic behavioral health programs that address mental health, substance abuse disorders, and crisis incidents (Baker Acts, arrests, Risk Protection Orders, suicides, suicide attempts, and domestic violence incidents) among adults and juveniles (see Exhibit D):
- Expansion of the Seminole Collaborative Opioid Response Efforts (SCORE), providing outreach and treatment of adults with substance use disorders;
- Community behavioral health/substance abuse services partnership;
- Expansion of the SCSO Juvenile Division programs and services; and
- Program coordination and outreach.
The County will provide the SCSO ARPA funds in the amount not to exceed $9,000,000 for eligible expenditures (see Exhibit D, Scope of Work) in three installments to occur in January 2022, January 2023, and January 2024.
The SCSO must provide Seminole County with quarterly reports to commence in March 2022. Reports shall be provided via the ARPA Quarterly Progress Report Template (see Exhibit C) and include detailed information with respect to expenditures incurred.
This agreement expires on December 31, 2024.
The following is a summary of the scope of work:
1. Additions to the behavioral health system with expansion to the following programs:
• Seminole Collaborative Opioid Response Efforts (SCORE)
o Add approximately 7 full-time positions and training - $3,300,000
• Juvenile Mobile Crisis Response (JMCR)
o Add approximately 5 full-time positions and training
o Increase contracted services for licensed mental health counselors
• Juvenile Intervention Services (JIS)
o Add approximately 2 full-time positions and training - $3,200,000
2. Expand the current treatment center partnership with Advent Health (Hope & Healing Center) to include female residential treatment.
3. Establish a Behavioral Health Hub with a mental health focus through collaborative partnerships to offer the following services:
o Crisis/call center hot line
o Behavioral assessment services
o Inpatient transitional services
o Dual-diagnosis outpatient counseling
o Outpatient MAT services
o Intensive case management and peer recovery support - $2,000,000
4. Program Coordination and Outreach
o (Contract service or add approx. 2 full-time positions) - $500,000
5. Sheriff will monitor and report data regarding Baker Acts, Risk Protection Orders, overdoses, suicides, suicide attempts etc. to monitor impacts of the improvements to the behavioral health system.