title
APPROVE RESOLUTION ACCEPTING FUNDING FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA BOARD OF STATE AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS, AND AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 2022-23 ANNUAL BUDGET
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended City Council adopt a resolution:
1. Accepting funds from the State of California in the amount of $275,918.49 for the purpose of improving officer wellness and expanding mental health sources;
2. Appropriating revenue and expenditure budget in the Police Special Revenue Fund; and
3. Authorizing the City Manager to take all necessary and appropriate actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this resolution.
body
Summary
On June 30, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the 2022-23 Budget Act of 2022. This state budget reflects an agreement and collaboration between the Governor and the Legislature after months of negotiations on how to invest an unprecedented amount of state and federal funding. On December 21, 2022, Board of State & Community Corrections (BSCC) Chair Member, Linda Penner, announced the funding distribution in amending the Budget Act of 2022, Assembly Bill 178, Chapter 45, Statutes of 2022, Item 5227-121-0001. This item provided a direct general fund disbursement of $275,918.49 to the City of Stockton Police Department (SPD) to improve officer wellness and expand mental health sources. Staff is requesting City Council amend the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 budget to accept the allocation, appropriate revenue, and expenditure budgets within SPD and authorize staff to begin the process of procuring necessary Wellness Unit program services and supplies.
DISCUSSION
Background
State Budget Act funding has provided additional resources for the SPD in prior fiscal years. In early 2015, SPD began the Wellness Network unit to focus on the health and well-being of department members. Due to the level of training and resources, most of the focus was on critical incidents and general concerns. In late 2015, the unit was rebuilt and retrained, strengthening SPD’s peer team for better department support. With Chief Stanley McFadden joining the SPD in June 2022, leadership’s priority was to expand the Wellness Unit’s focus to encompass Organizational Wellness with a focus on education, prevention, and diversity of resources for the entire department.
Funding under the program may be used to establish or expand existing officer wellness units, establish or expand peer support units, provide licensed mental health professionals or counselors, expand multiagency mutual aid programs, and other programs and services that are evidence-based or have a successful track record of enhancing officer wellness. Officer wellness and mental health has been raised as one of Stockton’s high-priority funding needs to improve investigative, police, and community response efficiencies.
Present Situation
As an ongoing priority, the SPD Organizational Wellness Unit’s goal is to provide much-needed support to SPD professional staff and the sworn staff. Providing additional family support and education will improve work-life balance, positively impacting the SPD members and their family units. SPD will need to diversify culturally relevant resources and vetted programs that can be partnered with for physical training, mental training, and events that will help engage one another to connect and build a resilient community.
Law enforcement agencies that received Officer Wellness and Mental Health Grant funds are required to submit a final impact of funding report and expenditure report to the BSCC by December 1, 2025. The purpose of collecting this information is to demonstrate the impact these funds made on improving officer wellness. These reports will be shared with the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Required annual reports include a brief status report on spending the Officer Wellness and Mental Health Grant program funds. The Annual Reports must be submitted by December 1, 2023, and December 1, 2024.
Funds were made available to Stockton through the BSCC Planning and Grant programs. SPD proposes using approximately half the funding for professional services and department training. The remaining half will be used for wellness events, materials and supplies, training and travel for the embedded Wellness Unit’s Peer Support Team and developing mutual aid assets with law enforcement partners. Staff will bring items forward for City Council’s consideration, as needed, for the intended use of funding.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The State of California BSCC issued a check to the City of Stockton in the amount of $275,918.49 and payment was received in February 2023. Staff is requesting revenue and expenditure budget be established in the Police Special Revenue Fund 280-282 for the procurement of SPD Wellness Unit program activities.