To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Seat on the Emergency Medical Care Committee (EMCC)
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT resolution to establish an additional seat on the Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Care Committee that will represent the Community Response Division of the Contra Costa Health Department, which oversees the mental health crisis response team known as A3 (Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime); and AUTHORIZE the Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Care Committee to take all actions necessary to implement the Resolution, including amending its bylaws to add the new seat.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact for this action.
BACKGROUND:
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors established the Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Care Committee (“EMCC”) (Resolutions 68/404, 77/637, 79/460 and by Board Order on February 24, 1998) in accordance with the California Health and Safety Code Division 2.5, Chapter 4, Article 3, to act in an advisory capacity to the Board and the County Health Services Director on matters relating to emergency medical services. The EMCC is currently composed of twenty-four (24) voting members and two (2) non-voting members. Voting members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors and consist of 5 representatives from each of the County’s supervisorial districts, 13 representatives from various national, state and local public agencies and organizations, as well as 6 representatives from various Emergency Medical Services (“EMS”) providers. The two non-voting members are the EMS Director and EMS Medical Director.
Pursuant to California Health & Safety Code § 1797.273(b)(5), the Board of Supervisors has the authority to appoint “additional advisory members in the fields of public health, social work, hospice, substance use disorder detoxification and recovery, or mental health practicing within the jurisdiction of the local EMS agency.” The EMCC composition has not been updated since the County established the A3 crisis response team in 2022, which consists of Contra Costa Health personnel deployed to assist law enforcement and EMS personnel in responding to mental health emergencies. Because Contra Costa Health’s Community Response division oversees the A3 team, their input in EMCC deliberations is important given the need for coordination between Behavioral Health, EMS, Fire, law enforcement and community partners in the area of emergency mental health response.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this action is not approved, the EMCC By-Laws would remain outdated and would not include a seat representing the Community Response division.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
and for Special Districts, Agencies and Authorities Governed by the Board
body
IN THE MATTER OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA APPROVING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ADDITIONAL SEAT ON THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE COMMITTEE TO REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE DIVISION OF THE HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT
WHEREAS, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors established the Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Care Committee (“EMCC”) (Resolutions 68/404, 77/637, 79/460 and by Board Order on February 24, 1998) in accordance with the California Health and Safety Code Division 2.5, Chapter 4, Article 3, to act in an advisory capacity to the Board and the County Health Services Director on matters relating to emergency medical services;
WHEREAS, the EMCC is currently composed of twenty-four (24) voting members and two (2) non-voting members;
WHEREAS, voting members are appointed by the Board of Supervisors and consist of 5 representatives from each of the County’s supervisorial districts, 13 representatives from various national, state and local public agencies and organizations, as well as 6 representatives from various Emergency Medical Services (“EMS”) providers, and two non-voting members in the EMS Director and EMS Medical Director;
WHEREAS, pursuant to California Health & Safety Code § 1797.273(b)(5), the Board of Supervisors has the authority to appoint “additional advisory members in the fields of public health, social work, hospice, substance use disorder detoxification and recovery, or mental health practicing within the jurisdiction of the local EMS agency”;
WHEREAS, the EMCC composition has not been updated since the County established the A3 (Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime) crisis response team in 2022, which consists of Contra Costa Health personnel deployed to assist law enforcement and EMS personnel in responding to mental health emergencies; and
WHEREAS, because Contra Costa Health’s Community Response division oversees the A3 team, their input in EMCC deliberations is important given the need for coordination between Behavioral Health, EMS, Fire, law enforcement and community partners in the area of emergency mental health response.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors does hereby establish an additional seat on the Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Care Committee that will represent the Community Response Division of the Contra Costa Health Department, which oversees the mental health crisis response team known as A3; and
that the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors authorizes the Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Care Committee to take all actions necessary to implement the Resolution, including amending its bylaws to add the new seat.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors authorizes the Contra Costa County Emergency Medical Care Committee to take all actions necessary to implement the Resolution, including amending its bylaws to add the new seat.