HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-2024-193 Resolution authorizing the City Manager to dedicate opioid settlement money to fund the cost of a Municipal Community Court Case Manager for five years, with an option to extend another five years RESOLUTION NO. R-2024-193
A RESOLUTION authorizing the City Manager to dedicate opioid settlement money to fund
the cost of a Municipal Community Court Case Manager for five years, with
an option to extend another five years.
WHEREAS, in December of 2015, the Yakima City Council approved the implementation
and operation of a City of Yakima Community Diversion Program; and
WHEREAS, the Community Diversion Program has been a prosecution lead program
designed to address repeat offenders committing low level crimes that affect the quality of life of
the community by using a combination of an offender needs assessment, on-site wrap-around
social services and case monitoring. The Community Diversion Program operates with the goal
of assisting the offenders with getting the services they need to put their lives back on track and
break the cycle of offenses; and
WHEREAS, the Yakima Municipal Court is poised to implement a Community Court
Diversion Program. Implementing a court run diversion program will open opportunities for
additional therapeutic court funding resources and may increase participation; and
WHEREAS, supporting pretrial services that connect individuals with Opioid Use Disorder
and any co-occurring substance use disorder and mental health conditions, co-usage, and/or co-
addiction to evidence informed treatment including medical assisted treatment, and related
services is an authorized use of the opioid settlement funds; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Council's policy for distributing the funds adopted May 7, 2024
by Council, a City division may request a distribution of opioid settlement funds for an authorized
use; and
WHEREAS, increasing the use of City diversion programs is one of the strategies for
addressing the new indigent defense caseload standards; and
WHEREAS, the City of Yakima has contracted with People for People, a Washington
State non-profit corporation with offices located in the City of Yakima, to perform case
management for Community Diversion participants and return to work programming to help
individuals navigate that process. People for People has been successfully providing case
management services since the inception of the Community Diversion Program; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Yakima finds it to be in the best interest of the
City to dedicate opioid settlement money to fund a contracted Municipal Community Court Case
Manager for five years, with an option to extend another five years; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YAKIMA:
The City Manager is hereby authorized to dedicate opioid settlement money to fund a
contracted Municipal Community Court Case Manager for five years, with an option to extend
another five years.
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 15th day of October, 2024.
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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 9.F.
For Meeting of: October 15, 2024
ITEM TITLE: Resolution authorizing the City Manager to dedicate opioid settlement
money to fund the cost of a Municipal Community Court Case
Manager for five years, with an option to extend another five years
SUBMITTED BY: *Cynthia Martinez, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Aaryn M. Masters, Municipal Court Presiding Judge
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
The City of Yakima Community Diversion Program (CDP) is a therapeutic diversion program designed to
help criminal justice system participants overcome barriers to success and to thereby reduce recidivism
within the criminal justice system. CDP engages non-violent offenders who are committing low level
crimes that affects the quality of life in the City of Yakima by connecting willing participants to work
opportunities and life skills programming to address the underlying issues that are driving criminal
behavior. Using a combination of offender needs assessment, wrap around social services, and
intensive case monitoring, CDP operates with the goal of assisting the offenders with getting the services
they need to put their lives back on track and break the cycle of constant offense recidivism.
In December 2015 the Yakima City Council approved the implementation and operation of CDP, and in
2016 CDP was established, when a private donor funded a matching grant through the Yakima
Community Foundation. There was a recognition that while diversion programs existed at the felony
level, there was a lack of a diversion program options at the Municipal Court level. The goal was to
create a diversion program that would address an individual's criminal behavior before it reaches the
felony level.
To date, CDP has been a prosecutor-led diversion program. The Municipal Court is poised to implement
an official court program —Yakima Municipal Community Court. Implementing a Community Court will
open doors to potential grant funding opportunities and smooth the transition from prosecution to
program, which we believe may increase participation and the graduation rate.
The "Community," part of the program stands for our community partners who assist and support
defendants depending on their needs. Comprehensive Healthcare, People for People, and the YWCA
Yakima have been regular participants at our staffing meetings. Merit, Triumph, DSHS, Neighborhood
Health, and the Union Gospel Mission have attended staffing in the past. We continue to have
relationships with these other organizations, and they still participate, although not in person.
Establishing a court program may be an opportunity to increase in-person participation by community
partners. We are also hoping to incorporate the state funded Recovery Navigator Program (RNP).
Increasing the case manager from 50°/o to 75°/o time will allow the case manager to attend RNP staffing
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