To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Add eight (8) positions in various classifications for the Behavioral Health Division’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Services in the Contra Costa Health Department
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT Position Adjustment Resolution No. 26247 to add six (6) full-time following positions:
• Six (6) Substance Abuse Counselors (VHVC) at salary plan and grade TC5-1436 ($6,192 - $7,526)
• Two (2) Public Health Program Specialists I (VBSD) at salary plan and grade ZA5-1602 ($7,298 - $8,871)
in the Behavioral Health Division’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Services in the Contra Costa Health Department. (Represented)
Alcohol and Other Drugs Services (0466): APPROVE Budget Adjustment No. BDA-23-00301 authorizing FY 23-24 Miscellaneous Non-Taxable Revenue (9975) appropriations in the amount of $1,041,211.60, State Aid Drug AB Short-Doyle (9308) appropriations in the amount of $170,953.71 for salaries, benefits, and expenses in the Alcohol and Other Drugs Services Division.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Position Adjustment action has an annual salary and benefit cost of approximately $1,212,165.31. There is no Net County Cost as these positions will be fully funded through Opioid Settlement Funds and Proposition 64 Elevate Youth funding.
The Appropriation Adjustment action will result in increasing the appropriations to Miscellaneous Non-Taxable Revenue code 9975 and State Aid Drug AB Short-Doyle code 9308 in the amount of $1,212,165.31: Permanent Salaries (1011) by $754,772.92, F.I.C.A (1042) $58,757.74, Retirement Expense (1044) by $177,093.28, Employee Group Insurance (1060) by $168,318.01, Retiree Health Insurance (1061) by $40,724.84, Unemployment Insurance (1063) by $1,536.16, and Workers Compensation Insurance (1070) by $10,962.36, in the Alcohol and Other Drugs Services Division.
BACKGROUND:
The Contra Costa Health Department is requesting these actions to support operational needs for the Behavioral Health Division’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Services. The six Substance Abuse Counselors and one Public Health Program Specialist I positions are needed to fulfill the requirements of the Opioid Settlement program. The Opiate Settlement marks the culmination of over 3,000 opioid-related lawsuits from state and local governments across the country. California and its cities and counties stand to receive up to $1.8 billion for substance abuse prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery. The settlement provided substantial funding for the abatement of the Opioid Crisis in California. The new positions will carry out activities outlined in proposals submitted to the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to remediate the impact of the opioid epidemic across High Impact Areas in Contra Costa County and to implement Core Strategies established by the DHCS to assist in reversing, preventing, and treating the harm caused by the opioid epidemic, including preventing overdoses from fentanyl and carfentanyl. The Substance Abuse Counselors will be dedicated to providing support and care management to unhoused individuals transitioning from jail with an Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Three of the Substance Abuse Counselors will be flagged bilingual for Spanish to ensure Spanish speakers or Hispanic clients with an OUD have equal access to substance use disorder treatment. One Substance Abuse Counselor position will support women with an OUD who fit priority definitions of perinatal/postpartum use disorders. One Public Health Program Specialist I position will oversee the countywide response to the Opioid Crisis. The remaining one Public Health Program Specialist I position is needed to oversee program activities geared towards preventing harm associated with marijuana use as part of the Elevate Youth California (EYC) program, which focuses on expanding youth and young adult substance use prevention though policy, systems, and environmental change. The EYC program is funded though Proposition 64, which introduced a tax in 2016 for adults aged 21 years or older for the possession and use of marijuana for recreational purposes. All added positions will be under the responsibility of the Behavioral Health Division’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Services umbrella.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this action is not approved, the Alcohol and Other Drug Services Department will continue to have insufficient staff to implement their prevention efforts to combat the Opioid Crisis and substance use disorders associated with marijuana use. Unhoused individuals transitioning from jail with Opioid Use Disorders would not receive support or care management from staff and would risk relapsing into abusing opioids. Youth and young adults would not receive the support, education, and outreach to prevent future harm connected to marijuana use.