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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: April 22, 2021 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 2 <br /> SUBJECT: Orange County Crisis/Diversion Facility: Findings and Recommendations by the <br /> Orange County Behavioral Health Task Force <br /> DEPARTMENT: Criminal Justice Resource <br /> Department (CJRD) <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Caitlin Fenhagen, 919-245-2303 <br /> PowerPoint Slides Tony Marimpietri, 919-619-7223 <br /> Barbara-Ann Bybel, 919-951-5819 <br /> PURPOSE: To receive information about the findings and recommendations of the <br /> Crisis/Diversion Facility Subcommittee of the Orange County Behavioral Health Task Force. In <br /> addition, the Behavioral Health Task Force is seeking feedback from the Board and initial support <br /> to move forward with detailed design and implementation planning. The first recommended action <br /> step is funding for contracting with a project design consultant to conduct detailed planning <br /> including design of Facility space, staffing, and licensing. Implementation planning would also <br /> include governance, policies and procedures, and cost estimates, budget sources, and funding <br /> needs. <br /> BACKGROUND: In April 2019, over thirty community stakeholders from the criminal justice <br /> system, healthcare, behavioral health system, and housing came together to participate in the <br /> Orange County Sequential Intercept Mapping (SIM) Workshop facilitated by the North Carolina <br /> Department of Health and Human Services. The SIM process is designed to inform and address <br /> community-based responses to the involvement of individuals with behavioral health issues and <br /> intercepts with the criminal justice system. An intercept map and Final Report were created (SIM <br /> Final Report) and one of the identified community gaps that emerged from this process was the <br /> critical need for a Crisis/Diversion facility that would support diverting individuals in behavioral <br /> health crisis from the criminal justice system and the Emergency Departments at UNC Hospitals. <br /> The Behavioral Health Task Force (BHTF), co-chaired by Barbara-Ann Bybel, Director of Inpatient <br /> Psychiatry Services at UNC Hospitals, and Caitlin Fenhagen, CJRD Director, formed in 2019 to <br /> address the behavioral health intercept gaps identified in Orange County. The mission of the <br /> BHTF is to improve outcomes for individuals with behavioral health disorders through partnerships <br /> across justice, law enforcement, mental health, homelessness and substance use service <br /> systems. Later in 2019, the Crisis/Diversion Facility Subcommittee was formed and tasked with <br /> bringing forth recommendations and a plan for a dedicated Facility. This Facility will offer <br />