Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Veterans Suicide Prevention topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Veterans services reports early enrollments for Staff Sergeant Fox suicide‑prevention grant
Summary
Santa Clara County Veterans Services reported initial screening and enrollment activity under the federal Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox suicide prevention grant, with outreach and staffing ramping up and an initial goal of 100 enrolled veterans noted.
The Santa Clara County Veterans Services Office reported progress implementing the federal Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox suicide prevention grant, telling the Health and Hospital Committee that initial assessments and outreach have begun and that staff are working to scale enrollment.
"This grant empowers local agencies like ours to connect veterans in crisis to essential mental health services, stabilize their lives, and ultimately prevent further tragedies," Darlene Escalante, director of the Veterans Services Office, told the committee, describing the grant's purpose and local implementation plans.
Escalante said the Veterans Services Office has completed 402 assessments under an existing MHSA/Prop 63‑funded program, with 162 entering case management. Using that caseload as a starting point, the Fox grant will expand targeted services. Screenings under the Fox grant began June 2; staff reported 16 veterans screened and 5 enrolled in the first two weeks, exceeding an initial short‑term target of 10 screenings and 5 enrollments.
Staffing and targets: The office said an extra‑help social worker began May 27; a second social worker's start was delayed by background checks to a target of July 7. The Fox grant's program target is 100 enrolled veterans; month‑by‑month targets presented to the committee aim for 20 screenings and 15 enrollments by July, increasing to 40 monthly screenings and 60 enrolled by Sept. 30.
Emergency supports and funding limits: Presenters described emergency supports for housing, food, employment and medical needs. County staff said the third‑party payment pool for such critical needs is about $165,000. Some spending caps were cited: childcare is capped at $5,000 per veteran per fiscal year and employment services at $750 per veteran per fiscal year; other emergency supports have no per‑veteran cap so long as grant funds remain available.
Committee action: The committee voted to receive the report. County staff said they will return with outcome data and further enrollment figures as the program scales and if extensions or renewals of federal funding are approved.
