BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mental Health Stabilization Center be identified as a capital project in the 2018 Capital Budget with $200,000 in property tax funding to study the conversion of the former ACF Work Release building into mental health housing; that an additional $2.8 million in bonding in 2018 and $10 million in bonding in 2019 is programmed as placeholders if the Board chooses to proceed with project implementation in 2018 pending the outcome of the study; and that the Contingency revenue and expenditure budget be reduced by $200,000.

Over the past several years, it has gotten increasingly difficult to get residents needing a secured placement for mental health stabilization into the state facility- AMRTC (Anoka metro regional treatment center). As such the county has individuals being held in the jail longer than statute allows pending admission into AMRTC. In addition, the county has temporary placements of individuals at HCMC, which poses risk to other patients and staff since the medical center is not meant to be a secured forensic mental health treatment facility. County staff has worked with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to try and improve the system and related capacity but has not seen the numbers at the state facility decline.

A local placement option, utilizing the shuttered Adult Corrections Facility (ACF) - Work Release Building, would allow the county improved capacity to safely and therapeutically meet the needs of county residents, keep them closer to community supports, and ideally improve the continuum of services and supports for effectively addressing mental health needs.

Current Request: This request seeks approval for the creation of a capital project to study a local placement option and includes a preliminary placeholder budget of $13 million over two years. After the Board reviews the results of the program and facility utilization study, direction to proceed with the project could occur in 2018 with tentative occupancy occurring in 2019.