Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Eleonora Fagan Respite topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances Westside amendment to expand Eleonora Fagan respite beds, adds $13.7 million
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee recommended Board approval of a DPH amendment to extend and add roughly $13.7 million to Westside Community Mental Health Center’s Eleonora Fagan Center contract (bringing total to about $21.5M) to provide short-term respite and stabilization beds for people experiencing homelessness; committee heard outcome data showing 93% of exits include referrals to next-step services.
The Budget and Finance Committee on June 3 voted 3–0 to send to the full Board an amendment to the Department of Public Health’s contract with Westside Community Mental Health Center for the Eleonora Fagan Center, extending the agreement through June 30, 2028 and increasing the not-to-exceed amount by approximately $13,700,000 to a new total near $21.5 million.
Kelly Hamm, director of substance use services for DPH Behavioral Health Services, described the facility at 1018 Mission Street as a short-term respite and stabilization center for people experiencing homelessness with substance use issues. The center has a stated capacity of 72 beds, an average length of stay around three months and provides assessments, linkages to housing and treatment, and field-based clinician support. Hamm said the program has delivered about 5,000 encounters serving 183 unique individuals since opening in August 2025, and that roughly 93% ‘leave with a referral to the next step in their treatment and recovery.’
DPH also presented Item 10 on a separate performance contract with the California Department of Health Care Services that formalizes reporting and compliance standards for several behavioral-health funding streams; DPH staff said the new performance contract (07/01/2026–06/30/2029) includes updated reporting requirements tied to the Bureau of Health Services Act.
The Budget & Legislative Analyst recommended approval of the Westside amendment, noting on-page budget figures and that the contract cost projection is similar to shelter-bed costs (about $70,000 per bed in the DPH estimate) but that Medi-Cal eligibility for part of the services should offset some city costs. Committee members asked for clarity about encounter counts and what ‘referral to the next step’ means; DPH officials explained that referral indicates engagement with clinical staff to discuss treatment and housing options and that follow-up linkages are part of the program design.
Vice Chair Supervisor Matt Dorsey praised the respite model as an important clinically focused option within the city’s broader homelessness response, while other members asked follow-up questions about the services and Medicaid reimbursement. The committee moved both Items 10 and 11 to the full Board with recommendation (3 ayes). The amendment now goes to the Board for final approval and execution.
