CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY-FIRST COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. F/S R-14-55 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Klarissa Peña
RESOLUTION
title
F/S Commissioning A Study To Assess The Gaps In The City, County And State's Funding For Certain Social Service Programs; Appropriating Funding For That Purpose (Peña)
body
COMMISSIONING A STUDY TO ASSESS THE GAPS IN THE CITY, COUNTY AND STATE'S FUNDING FOR CERTAIN SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS; APPROPRIATING FUNDING FOR THAT PURPOSE.
WHEREAS, it is important that the City Council begins to restore the public's confidence in APD by resolving some of the underlying issues that have plagued our community and that have led us to this point; and
WHEREAS, while not part of their formal recommendations, the DOJ mentioned the need to address the mental health crisis we have in the city; and
WHEREAS, we can longer use the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) to house our residents with severe mental health and substance abuse issues; and
WHEREAS, we must invest in prevention and intervention programs and accessible inpatient and outpatient mental health services. Without addressing these needs and the lack of other services such as services relating to homelessness and to the developmentally disabled, the problems in our community will persist; and
WHEREAS, families throughout the city struggle to find help for family members who suffer from the above-mentioned issues and are forced to deal with them alone. More often than not, the individual never receives the help they need and families anguish over how best to help their loved ones; and
WHEREAS, there are only six psychiatric hospital beds available at UNM; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Detention Center is the largest mental health institution in our state. 60% of the MDC population is either mentally ill, has severe substance abuse problems or both; and
WHEREAS, mentally ill individuals released from the MDC receive only three days' worth of medication and no other follow up assistance is provided; and
WHEREAS, 70% of the homeless struggle with mental illness and/or substance abuse issues; and
WHEREAS, we need to develop coordination efforts between governmental, quasi-governmental, community based and non-profit mental health providers with local law enforcement and incarceration agencies/institutions to ensure the safety of the mentally ill and the public; and
WHEREAS, Councilors Winter and Benton have introduced a memorial (M-14-5) calling for the formation of a Task Force to discuss joint funding opportunities and to propose recommendations to address the issues surrounding and concerning mental health issues within the State of New Mexico; and
WHEREAS, that Task Force would benefit from the assistance of a consultant to help identify gaps in the existing services provided by the City, County and State.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
Section 1. The Director of Council Services is hereby authorized to enter into an agreement with a consultant to assist the Task Force to be created pursuant to M-14-5 in studying and assessing the gaps in the City, County and State's provision of services for mental health service.
Section 2. Thirty five thousand dollars ($35,000) is hereby appropriated within the General Fund (110) to the Council Services Department in FY/14 to carry out the provisions of Section 1 of this resolution.
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