Question: What is the cost to make the RPCA Mental Health Pilots permanent? (Councilwoman Alyia Gaskins)
Response:
The FY 2024 budget provided $75,000 to support this pilot program. Another $75,000 was included in the FY 25 budget.
With $55,000 of this funding, RPCA is currently providing five months of weekly youth mental health and wellness programming at three locations. This includes two weekly programs at William Ramsay and Patrick Henry and one weekly program at Charles Houston. A smaller portion of the funding, $10,000 provides for parent and guardian programs with mental health providers, with a focus on reducing stigma and improving youth and family connections to mental health resources. The remaining $10,000 of the funding supported space improvements to create quiet decompression areas within existing rooms at two locations.
The cost to maintain three locations with weekly school-year youth mental health programming is $110,000.