Important note: The following recommendation was approved by the Board of Supervisors on July 23, 2013.

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To:          Honorable Board of Supervisors

From:      John L. Maltbie, County Manager

Subject:    Measure A Report Back: Veterans Services

Recommendation:

A.            Direct staff to convene a stakeholder planning group to develop a plan for coordination and integration of comprehensive veterans services in San Mateo County, and

B.            Direct staff to budget $100,000 in Measure A funds in FY 2013-14 to develop a veterans services plan and $100,000 in FY 2014-15 to begin implementing the plan, pending Board of Supervisors approval

Background:

There are approximately 27,000 veterans in San Mateo County. To support this community, there is a complex array of services available to veterans provided by the federal, state and county government. While some veterans are aware of the services available to them, others may not be able to access these critical services for themselves and their families. This is especially an issue for vulnerable Veterans who may be homeless or in need of safety net services in this County. Based on the 2011 San Mateo County Homeless Census and Survey, approximately 12% (257 people) of all homeless people counted (2,149) were Veterans, a disproportionately large share of the homeless population.

Discussion:

While the services available to veterans are extensive, there is no single entity that works to coordinate and integrate all of the services into a seamless system of care. The proposed stakeholder planning group will consist of the County Manager’s Office, Human Services Agency, Health System, Department of Housing, Courts, Veterans Administration and service organizations currently working with veterans in San Mateo County. The directive of the group will be to develop a system of service delivery that is more integrated and coordinated across providers, allowing veterans to access multiple services seamlessly.

Upon development of a plan, the planning group will present their recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for review and approval. At that point, the funds will be released and implementation will commence. It is expected that the plan will be brought forward to the board in FY 2013-14.

Performance Measures:

Measure

FY 2013-14

Projected

Veterans Services Stakeholder group convened

Veterans Services Delivery Plan presented to Board of Supervisors

Yes

 

Yes

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

The work of the stakeholder planning group will be funded through an existing allocation of funding in the Department of Housing previously identified to support veterans services.

It is recommended that $100,000 in Measure A funds be appropriated for the FY 2013- 14 budget and $100,000 in Measure A funds be appropriated for the FY 2014-15 budget to begin funding implementation of the veterans services plan developed by the stakeholder planning group. The County Manager will present a veterans services plan with budget estimates to the Board in FY 2013-14, for consideration prior to implementation of the plan and utilization of additional Measure A funds in FY 2014-15 and subsequent years.

Measure A funds recommended in this report:

Proposal

FY 2013/14

FY 2014/15

Veterans Services

$100,000

$100,000

Important note: This is a copy of the official report -- item 12D on the Board's agenda.