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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: October 21, 2008 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: EI Futuro, Inc. Request for Funding: Mental Health and Substance Abuse <br />Services <br />DEPARTMENT: County Manager's Office PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />A. Letter from EI Futuro, Inc. <br />presented to the BOCC on <br />September 16, 2008 <br />B. Letter from EI Futuro dated October <br />14, 2008 <br />C. 2008-09 HSAC Recommendations <br />D. Safety Net and Critical Needs <br />Reserve Summary FY03-FY08 <br />INFORMATION CONTACT <br />Gwen Harvey, Asst Co. Mgr, 245 -2307 <br />PURPOSE: <br />Consideration of request from EI Futuro, Inc. a Carrboro not-for-profit providing behavioral <br />health resources for underserved Latinos in Orange County. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />EI Futuro, incorporated in November 2004, was founded by a coalition of trainees from the UNC <br />Psychiatry Department, members of the Latino-serving social services agencies, and physicians <br />from Carrboro Community Health Center. They shared a mutual concern about the unmet need <br />for treatment of Latinos with emotional problems. Since then they have seen almost 900 clients, <br />66% of whom are uninsured, and 27% through Health Choice or Medicaid. Seventy-eight (78) <br />percent of clients have household incomes below the poverty level. <br />EI Futuro, Inc. approached the BOCC at its meeting on September 16 with a request for funding <br />in the amount of $60,000, recalling the recommendation from the Human Services Advisory <br />Commission (HSAC) in spring 2008 as part of the outside agency grant application process. (EI <br />Futuro, Inc. has since updated their letter of request and provided a copy to County <br />Management. See Attachment A and B for copies of their correspondence.) <br />EI Futuro, Inc. had requested in the 2008 application and HSAC had recommended to the <br />BOCC that the agency be funded in full at $60,000. At the time, Judy Truitt and OPC <br />management had supported the recommendation as well, saying "EI Futuro continues to be a <br />significant player in the provision of treatment to the underserved Latino community". <br />