HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-2024-226 Resolution rescinding resolution R-2024-193 RESOLUTION NO. R-2024-226
A RESOLUTION rescinding Resolution No. R-2024-193, passed on October 15, 2024, and
authorizing the City Manager to dedicate opioid settlement money to
support the Community Diversion Court for five (5) years at $419,591, to
be used for opioid abatement approved strategies, with an option to extend
another five (5) 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 City of Yakima 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 offenders with getting the services they need to put their lives back on
track and break the cycle of criminal offenses; and
WHEREAS, the Yakima Municipal Court is poised to implement a Community Diversion
Court, a treatment and recovery court. Implementing a court run diversion program will open
opportunities for additional therapeutic court funding resources and may increase participation;
and
WHEREAS, the Opioid Settlement funds will be used to address two Opioid Abatement
Strategies:
• B6, supporting people in treatment and recovery; by providing employment
training or educational services for persons in treatment for or recovery from OUD and
any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co-usage, and/or co-addiction. The Community
Court Diversion Programming includes return to work training.
• D3, addressing the needs of criminal justice involved persons; support treatment
and recovery courts for persons with OUD and any co-occurring SUD/MH conditions, co-
usage, and/or co-addiction, but only if these courts provide referrals to evidence-informed
treatment, including MAT. The Community Diversion Court programming refers
participants to state certified treatment programs including MAT. The Community
Diversion Court will rely upon a case manager to make treatment referrals, support, and
monitor participant progress; and
WHEREAS, on October 15, 2024, Council approved the use of Opioid Settlement funds
for this purpose, but the resolution was missing the total cost; and
WHEREAS, increasing the use of Municipal Court diversion programs is one of the City's
opioid abatement and caseload reduction strategies; 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 return to work
education and case management for the Community Diversion program. People for People has
been successfully providing these services since the inception of the Community Diversion
Program and is willing to provide these services for the Community Diversion Court; and
1
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Yakima finds that it is in the best interests of
the City to dedicate opioid settlement money to support the Municipal Community Diversion Court
by contracting for case management and return to work education programming for five (5) years,
with an option to extend another five (5) years; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YAKIMA:
The City Council rescinds Resolution No. R-2024-193, and hereby authorizes the City
Manager to dedicate opioid settlement money to support the Community Diversion Court for five
(5) years at $419,591, to be used for opioid abatement approved strategies, with an option to
extend another five (5) years.
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 10th day of December, 2024.
ATTEST: .......... .,�y� Patricia ye s, Mayor
/%s�VAKI/vg7 N.
lot
,i jm• L, tivhAit. SEAL
osalinda Ibarra, City Clerk lit
,�9S�yiNG1c*
2
< `y 1ljlt
:4 ii!
'I!I/
s .
BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 9.D.
For Meeting of: December 10, 2024
ITEM TITLE: Resolution rescinding resolution R-2024-193, passed on October 15,
2024, and authorizing the dedication of opioid settlement money to
support the Community Diversion Court for five years, to be used for
opioid abatement approved strategies, with an option to extend
another five years
SUBMITTED BY: Cynthia Martinez, Senior Assistant City Attorney
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
On October 15, 2024, Council unanimously approved the dedication of opioid settlement money to
support the Community Diversion Court for the next five years, with the option to renew for another five
years. However, the previous resolution did not include the amount to be dedicated and the specific
Opioid Abatement Strategies. These items are included in this updated resolution for auditing purposes.
This updated resolution will rescind and replace the previously passed resolution. The next item on the
Council's Agenda is the 5-year Agreement to secure the Community Diversion Court support services.
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 non-violent
crimes that affects the quality of life in the City of Yakima by connecting willing participants to treatment
and recovery, work opportunities, and life skills programming to address the underlying issues that are
driving criminal behavior. Using a combination of needs assessment, wrap around social services, and
intensive case monitoring, the 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 recidivism.
The Community Diversion Program was established in 2016, 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
a Yakima Municipal Community Diversion Court. Implementing a Community Diversion Court will open
doors to potential grant funding opportunities, allows opioid settlement funds to be used to support the
treatment and recovery court. The use of the opioid settlement funds is appropriate because in the last
several years, opioid use disorder or poly substance use disorder(including opioids) is present in all
participants. The Community Diversion Court may increase participation and the graduation rate.
304
The Community Diversion Program has been a six-month supervised program and includes frequent
appearances before the Community Diversion Program Team, return to work education, life skills
classes, community service, mental health and substance abuse treatment, if indicated, and other
requirements depending on the underlying charge. Participants benefit from a supportive environment,
life skills and tools for crime free living, chemical dependency treatment, mental health treatment, return
to work educational programming,job training, and the dismissal of pending charges if they are
successful. The details of the Community Diversion Court are still being worked out by all of the parties
and partners.
The community benefits from community service hours performed by participants, breaking the cycle of
criminal recidivism, a working and contributing individual, and a healthy family environment for the next
generation. We typically have a rolling 10-15-person group, but it could handle more (up to 25 and we
are always willing to serve more) in CDP. The program has served more than 204 participants, 52 have
graduated, 432 community service hours have been completed, and 80°/0 of graduates remain crime
free.1 Three graduates are now substance abuse counselors, two are currently in college, and numerous
other graduates have gone on to gainful employment.
1 Excluding DWLS 3 and NVOL 1 charges.
ITEM BUDGETED: N/A
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 24-25: A Safe and Healthy Yakima
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt Resolution.
ATTACHMENTS:
Res-CDP_Opiod Settlement Funds_Rescind R-2024-193.docx
305