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Extracted from Consolidated Report
This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.
San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury
• 2017-2018
SLO County Probation Department Juvenile Hall Surplus Space
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings 12 findings
F1
Page 61
The current number of Mental Health Evaluation Teams is inadequate to serve the County with reasonable response times and effective intervention.
F2
Page 61
The “best practice” for patients in crisis is daily contact from peer counselors and mental health professionals. 2017-2018 San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury Final Report 50 A LOOK AT COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES: THE TIME FOR IMPROVEMENTS IS NOW
F3
Page 62
There is a wide disparity in compensation between the State of California psychiatrists, locum tenens psychiatrists, and San Luis Obispo County psychiatrists.
F4
Page 62
The current organizational structure of the County Health Agency and, specifically, Behavioral Health appears convoluted based upon the maze of funding streams and regulatory requirements.
F5
Page 62
The consumer satisfaction/perception survey imposed by the State is not relevant to assessing service needs.
F6
Page 62
Expansion of supportive and community housing programs would reduce the number of crisis situations.
F7
Page 62
The new CSU is expected to take pressure off of the PHF.
F8
Page 62
Current efforts to reduce stigma are not having the magnitude of impact within our community.
F9
Page 62
Expansion of the system navigator and case manager roles will result in improved comprehensive care.
F10
Page 62
A limited number of law enforcement personnel have taken the full 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training (CIT), which is more effective than a shorter course in de- escalating crisis situations involving the mentally ill.
F11
Page 62
The full-service partnership programs are very effective and use the current “best practices” for treatment.
F12
Page 62
The closure of Vista Del Mar in Ventura County, due to the Thomas Fire, has had a negative impact due to the lack of nearby facilities to treat crisis patients who need longer term care.
Recommendations 7
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R1Page 62Increase financial support to Behavioral Health from the County General Fund to accomplish the following within the next fiscal year. (Note: Some of this expense is reimbursable by Medi-Cal.): a. Reduce the wait time to enter the Full-Service Partnership program from months to weeks. 2017-2018 San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury Final Report 51 A LOOK AT COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES: THE TIME FOR IMPROVEMENTS IS NOW b. Add clinicians and case managers to the mental health clinics thereby reducing wait time below the 10-day requirement and reducing the time between maintenance appointments. c. Add full time system navigators to all mental health clinics and encourage Cen-Cal (the local Medi-Cal affiliate) to add them at medical clinics. d. Add two additional Mental Health Evaluation Teams, one in North County and one in South County.
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R2Page 63Increase funding and support for the community and supportive housing programs.
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R3Page 63Improve efforts to reduce stigma through County sponsored educational programs and public service announcements.
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R4Page 63Combine drug and alcohol treatment with mental health treatment, having all clinicians cross-trained to manage dual-diagnosis patients.
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R5Page 63Reorganize the agency to concentrate on the complete behavioral health treatment process.
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R6Page 63Use innovation and incentives, such as County backed bonds or tax breaks to support the building of private psychiatric and substance abuse facilities within the County.
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R7Page 63Adopt more aggressive and innovative recruitment strategies for key positions such as Psychiatrists, Nurses, and Nurse Practitioners.