Agenda

Return

SD. 3

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	William Walker, M.D.
Date:	January 15, 2013

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Ratification of the Appointment of the Mental Health Director

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 01/15/2013

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

See Clerk Addendum

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Dorothy Sansoe, 925-335-1009

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: January 15, 2013
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

CONSIDER ratifying the appointment of Steven Grolnic-McClurg as the Mental Health Director in Contra Costa County as recommended by the Health Services Director.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No fiscal impact from this recommendation.

BACKGROUND:

The members of the Board of Supervisors and the Health Services Department received various communications regarding the appointment of the Mental Health Director and the process used to make the appointment.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

The former Mental Health Director retired at the end of 2011 after 17 years with Contra Costa County. Since that time, the Mental Health Division, Alcohol and Other Drugs, and Homeless Programs have been re-organized and combined into the Behavioral Health Division. Supervisors Gioia and Glover participated directly in the selection of the Behavioral Health Director, Cynthia Belon.

Ms. Belon then conducted an open process to recruit a Director of Mental Health Services reporting directly to her. An interview panel was created that included ten members. These panel members included the Behavioral Health Director, the Acting Homeless Program Director, three contractors who provide mental health services for the County one of which is also a Human Services Alliance member, two members of the County Mental Health Commission, one member of the Consolidated Planning Advisory Workgroup (CPAW), one employee representative of the line staff (Local 1) within the Mental Health Division and one employee representative of managers (Local 21) within the Mental Health Division.

The interview panel conducted interviews of seven candidates, of which six candidates appeared for the interview, over a two day period. The panel then recommended to the Director of Health Services, that Steven Grolnic-McClurg as the most qualified candidate.

Steven is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 15 years of experience working in the public mental health system in Massachusetts and California. With 11 years experience managing mental health programs that represent a wide spectrum of services, he most recently served as the Director of Mental Health and Wellness at Rubicon Programs, Inc., a community-based nonprofit agency, for the past five years.

Welfare and Institutions Codes Section 5607 states, in part, "The local mental health services shall be administered by a local director of mental health services to be appointed by the governing body..."

The Director of Health Services, Dr. William Walker, M.D., made the appointment based on the interview panel's recommendation. It was felt that Dr. Walker had the authority and delegation of the Board of Supervisor to make this appointment. However, because the position was recently retitled from Assistant Health Services Director to Director of Mental Health, we believe it prudent that we ask the Board of Supervisors to ratify the appointment of Steven Grolnic-McClurg as the County's Director of Mental Health.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

The process to recruite and retain a Mental Health Director may need to be conducted a second time.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

Not applicable.

CLERK'S ADDENDUM

The following people commented on the importance and interrelation of funding for mental health programs and inclusion of all stakeholders in the hiring process of the Mental Health Director of Contra Costa County:

Jack Hiram Feldman, Mental Health Consumer Concerns, Inc.(MHCC), Jim Furman, MHCC; Anthony Brewer, MHCC; Janada Jones, MHCC; Vicki Legaux,MHCC; Stan Baraghin, MHCC; Alyssa Goepfert, resident of Concord; Maria Ramirez, resident of Concord; Stephanie Ornelas; Dean Spencer; Michele Curran, resident of Concord; Willie Mims, East County NAACP; Kenny Melvin, MHCC.

The following people commented in opposition of the appointment :Dr. Ziba Rahimzadeh Local 21, Taylor Stussi, resident of Concord, Brenda Crawford, Mental Health Consumer Concerns, Inc.(MHCC), Loretta Hefner, resident of Pleasant Hill, Teresa Pasquin, resident of El Sobrante (handout provided), Brady Calma, Local 21, John Gragnani, Local 1 Mental Health Unit, Kathi McLaughlin, resident of Martinez (handout provided), Rollie Katz Public Employees Union Local One, Annis Pereyr, resident of Walnut Creek (handout provided)

The following people commented in favor of the appointment: Jane Fischberg, Rubicon Programs; Mariana Moore, Human Services Alliance of Contra Costa.

Staff noted a clerical error in the Board Order background section and the interview panel should reflect:

Nine members: three members of the Mental Health Commission; two contractors who provide mental health services for the County, one of which is also a Human Services Alliance member; the Behavioral Health Director; the Acting Homeless Program Director; one employee representative of the line staff (Local 1) within the Mental Health Division from the Children’s System of Care; and one employee representative of managers (Local 21) within the Mental Health Division from the Adult System of Care.

RATIFIED the appointment of Steven Grolnic-McClurg as Mental Health Director in Contra Costa County; and DIRECTED staff to provide a report back to the board at a future date about the hiring process that took place and to provide recommendations to improve the process in future selections.