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Human Services, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice Action Plan

For the first time, Salt Lake County has a comprehensive plan to tackle homelessness, behavioral health challenges, and criminal justice reform. This plan, developed in collaboration with experts and community stakeholders, creates an integrated approach to these critical issues.

Shared Vision of the Plan: Homelessness is brief, rare, and non-recurring. It is essential that systems—criminal justice, behavioral health treatment, workforce, housing, and temporary shelter—are functional and intersect for efficiency and effectiveness.

We have arrived at a unique time in which Governor Cox, key legislators, the business community, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City, and other cities in Salt Lake County are investing more directly in solutions to help homelessness. Within this momentum, we're collectively moving forward with purpose, partnership, and urgency.

Salt Lake County has mapped the gaps in the system, identified barriers, and analyzed the cost of necessary additional investment. These are in alignment with the state's homelessness strategic plan and the Coordinated Homeless Services Plan signed by Governor Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Mendenhall, and Salt Lake County Mayor Wilson in the fall of 2023.

A key part of the plan, the Public Safety Bond, is on the ballot in November 2024.

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Our Goals

Key goals of the plan are to :

  1. Bolster system access (create an efficient system to access housing, behavioral health, employment, and other needed services to reduce the number of people living on our streets and cycling through our criminal justice system, and develop clear, successful pathways to housing with supports and additional opportunities for people experiencing homelessness); 
  2. Increase collaboration/efficiency = reduce costs (increase collaboration and systemic efficiency to realize cost savings and improve outcomes); 
  3. Require criminal accountability (hold people accountable for criminal acts and prevent people from further involvement with the criminal justice system) and 
  4. Decriminalize homelessness (ensure accountability in our communities while not criminalizing acts related to homelessness).

The Challenges

We estimate there are at least 1,000 people living unsheltered within Salt Lake County.

300 people require intensive mental health treatment and housing support such as residential or ACT team levels of care.

300 people require permanent supportive housing with case management and a focus on mental health support.

400 people need various levels of housing which could be permanent supportive housing or rental subsidies with less intensive behavioral health supports.

We don’t have enough trained behavioral health workers nor do we have enough supportive housing for people struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. We need more behavioral health workers and stronger mental health support.

The surge of drug use, particularly fentanyl, is a nationwide problem. We need more targeted enforcement.

Solutions

Build 1,000 units in five years:

300 group home units for people experiencing homelessness with severe mental illness who receive treatment and supportive services through Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams.

300 permanent supportive housing units for people experiencing homelessness with mental illness who need wrap-around services and can engage in community-based treatment, education and employment.

400 housing units for people experiencing homelessness, including permanent supportive housing and other subsidized housing units.

Engage in system policy change and reform, to bring about cost savings and efficiencies for better outcomes.

1. Provide regional Salt Lake County-wide Crisis Intervention Training for local law enforcement.

Progress: Criminal Justice Advisory Council (CJAC) Work Group has been established and is working on a plan to implement/fund. Applying for Federal funding to support for training and coordination.

2. Work with the State to design and implement an effective HOME Court program.

Progress: Salt Lake County Human Services is working with the state Department of Health and Human Services and court system on an implementation plan - $2 million funded for five-year pilot.

3. Support regional law enforcement education and training for use of the new Receiving Center alternative to jail for those in Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and mental health crisis.

Progress: CJAC Work Group has been established and is working with state and law enforcement partners on guiding criteria and educational campaign for Spring 2025 opening.

4. Reinforce Salt Lake City Justice Court Familiar Faces program.

Progress: This program is operational at the Salt Lake City Justice Courts. Salt Lake County Criminal Justice Services is partnering with the court to support this initiative. The program continues to grow.

By further investing, we can continue to get drugs off the street and hold criminals accountable. The federal government provides hard-cost support for the local DEA operations but the salaries of the enforcement officers is a local responsibility. Many local jurisdictions cannot afford officers. Estimated Annual Amount = $1,600,000 for 10 additional officers

DEA operations have not been as extensive as possible due to the decentralized law enforcement system in Salt Lake County.

Progress:DEA Task Force Leadership presented to the Salt Lake County Council on April 9, 2024. DEA Task Force Leadership presented to the Criminal Justice Advisory Council on April 10, 2024. DEA Task Force Expansion Working Group has been added to the Systemic Reform Committee structure to be led by Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera to review and determine the timing/cadence of adding 10 new DEA Task Force officers, the funding (county & federal) and evaluate systemic impacts of the expansion to determine if other gaps are created and/or need to be addressed.

Add:

100-bed community correctional step-down (reentry) model as part of the jail expansion to provide behavioral health treatment, workforce training, and other supports in an environment of accountability as people prepare to leave jail.

Build:

250-300 housing units focused on housing stability, mental health services, training and other support services for those with criminal involvement and experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

Address systemic gaps in workforce, health and wellness care, mental health services, and data.

Workforce:

Implement workforce training programs and a peer support specialist program to help meet service needs and provide employment opportunities.

Progress: Convening local peer support coalition to support their needs and receive feedback for program expansion. Program expansion ready for implementation once funding source is determined. Federal appropriation submitted through Congressman Curtis's office for pilot program. Additional applications for federal funding are being drafted. Also, Salt Lake County-supported legislation passed 2024 session to assist with workforce needs.

Health and Wellness Care:

Expand medical and street services for those who are unsheltered.

Progress: Program is developed and ready for expansion through 4th Street Clinic and VOA once funding source is determined.

Mental Health Services:

Expand mental health supports in the jail and in expanded SMI housing.

Progress: Need currently being evaluated and finalized within the Jail Expansion/JAC design model.

Integrated Data System:

Develop data-sharing agreements and design and implement an integrated data system to support better client outcomes.

Progress: Work group has been established and data integration mapping both internal and external to Salt Lake County is underway.

HUMAN SERVICES, HOMELESSNESS, AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE PUN

Human Services, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice Action Plan

Read the full five-year action plan to tackle homelessness, behavioral health challenges, and criminal justice reform in Salt Lake County. This plan, developed in collaboration with experts and community stakeholders, creates an integrated approach to these critical issues.

Read Full Action Plan