Referred to:  The American Rescue Plan Act Special Committee (Chairman Criswell and Legislators Corcoran, Levine, Lopez, and Sperry), The Health, Human Services and Housing Committee (Chair Walter and Legislators Corcoran, Erner, Lopez, Nolan, Petit, and Uchitelle), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Fabiano, Ronk, and Walter)

Chairman of the ARPA Special Committee, Peter J. Criswell, and Deputy Chair Thomas Corcoran, Jr. offer the following:

WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Ulster County Department of Mental Health; and

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Treasury has notified Ulster County that funding for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is available in the amount of $34,491,474.00; and

WHEREAS, the ARPA seeks, among other purposes, to address systemic public health and economic challenges that have contributed to the unequal impact of the pandemic; and

WHEREAS, challenges maintaining optimal mental health and difficulties with the social determinants of health, significantly affect the ability of youth to attend school and succeed academically; and

WHEREAS, access to school-based behavioral health supports and services that have the ability to extend into the community, has been demonstrated to improve school attendance; and

WHEREAS, support services are particularly needed in rural counties where families are often unable to travel great distances to engage in office based services; and

WHEREAS, regulations implemented by the United States Treasury Department in their published Final Rule (31 CFR Part 35, RIN 1505-AC77) provides that "Recipients may also provide services for special populations, for example, enhanced services in schools to address increased rates of behavioral health challenges for youths, mental health first responder or law enforcement-mental health co-responder programs to divert individuals experiencing mental illness from the criminal justice system[.]" (see: page 68 of the Final Rule); and

WHEREAS, the County developed and released an RFP seeking to obtain proposals for behavioral health programming embedded within Ulster County school districts; and

WHEREAS, proposed programs will serve to buttress existing services available both in school and the community and provide intensive, time-limited clinical intervention and care coordination to Ulster County students; and

WHEREAS, this program will be a part of the school community at each of our 9 districts and act as a link between school, community, and family, with services  targeted toward middle-school age young people identified by the school as being able to benefit from targeted support, brief intervention, and linkage to community resources; and

WHEREAS, this program will aim to promote overall wellness at school and home, build protective factors to offset the effects of trauma, and directly target social determinants of health to help make our communities stronger; now, therefore be it

          RESOLVED, in order to implement the Mental Health in Schools Program, funding in the amount of $750,000in ARPA funds be allocated to support a mental Health in Schools program; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the 2022 Ulster County Operating Budget is hereby amended as follows:

INCREASE                               AMOUNT            

AA.1310.1079-4300.4505            Other Professional Services          $750,000.00

(App.#)

AA.1310.1079-3400.4089            Federal Aid                                 $750,000.00

(Rev.#),   

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                     NOES:    

Passed Committee: American Rescue Plan Act on __________________.

Passed Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on __________________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on __________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$750,000.00 - Additional 2022 Appropriation Dollars

$750,000.00 - Additional 2022 FEDERAL Revenue Dollars