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San Francisco DPH to accept $473,485 SAMHSA award to link primary care with behavioral health
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee recommended that the Board approve a $473,485 SAMHSA "Accept and Expand" grant to integrate primary care into behavioral health clinics serving seriously mentally ill, high‑risk homeless clients; DPH said funds will reimburse existing positions and expand outreach and case tracking.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health will accept and expand a $473,485 federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to integrate primary care services into community behavioral health clinics, the Budget and Finance Committee recommended Sept. 27.
Dr. Toni Rucker told the committee the funding will support primary care co‑location at South of Market mental‑health clinics and Tom Waddell Health Center and expand a coordinated case‑management system for high‑risk patients with serious mental illness, homelessness risk and chronic conditions such as diabetes and HIV. Rucker said the application dated to February 2009 and that the city received notice of additional funding this summer.
Chair Carmen Chiu and DPH staff clarified the grant will partially reimburse existing civil‑service positions and will not require new positions or ASO amendments. Supervisor Kim, who authored the request, said she supported the grant and pressed DPH on how clients are tracked; DPH described an existing coordinated case‑management infrastructure, peer outreach workers and partnerships with the SF First team.
Supervisor Mercarini emphasized data gaps across DPH and criminal‑justice agencies and asked that the department strengthen data‑sharing with reentry and public‑safety partners; Rucker said the grant improves tracking across health systems though it does not fully integrate criminal‑justice datasets.
No members of the public spoke on the item. The committee closed public comment and moved Item 1 forward with recommendation to the full Board of Supervisors.
