1. Approve agreement with the Davis Arts Center using American Rescue Plan funds in the amount of $40,000 for the period of October 1, 2022, through October 1, 2023, to evaluate and develop recommendations for art programming that would work upstream with mental health providers to prevent the need for higher expense interventions and provide a pathway to quicker treatment Countywide; and

American Rescue Plan Background

On September 28, 2021, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the initial American Rescue Plan (ARP) Expenditure Plan, which included $500,000 for projects under the Mental Health priority category. The Board then subsequently reviewed and provided direction on certain mental health funding at the March 8, 2022, and again at the June 26, 2022 Board meeting and expressed support for funding the Davis Arts Center. Staff has worked with the Davis Arts Center to develop the final contract, which is recommended for approval with this staff report. Additional information on the scope of the contract with the Davis Arts Center and performance measures are described below:

Davis Arts Center
Funding this contract with the Davis Arts Center will help evaluate, develop, and recommend a Countywide mental health and the arts programming that extends the upstream reach of Yolo County's mental health sector through art. The plan will focus on providing tools to mental health professionals and those working in the social services to give them tools to reach more Yolo County residents needing mental health support. The performance measures and outcomes associated with this project include tracking the number of surveys and focus groups conducted, tracking the number of county regions that provided input, and tracking the number of providers that gave feedback. Additionally, based on the data collected, a written report and presentation will be given to the Local Mental Health Board and Yolo County Board of Supervisors. More information about this contract, including a statement of work, budget, and performance measures, may be found in Attachment A.

No competitive bid is required. The countywide ARP funds were allocated as part of the Board's FY2021-22 budget hearing on September 28, 2021. The Board provided direction of ARP funds set aside for Mental Health at the March 8, 2022, and June 26, 2022, Board meetings.