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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOlympic Health and Recovery Services MC Contract#20-0:5'8' MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING Among. MASON COUNTY,THE MASON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE CITY OF SHELTON,THE SHELTON POLICE DEPARTMENT,MASON COUNTY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE,MASON COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE AND OLYMPIC HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES Regarding LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTED DIVERSION("LEAD")PROGRAM POLICY COORDINATING GROUP: FORMATION,GOVERNANCE, AND RESPONSIBILITIES WHEREAS, the City of Shelton ("City"), Mason County ("County"), and residents and business owners in Mason County want to improve public safety and public order in their community; and WHEREAS, the City, County, and community members want to reduce future criminal behavior by non-violent and low-level criminal offenders in Mason County; and WHEREAS, booking, prosecuting, and jailing individuals committing low-level non- violent offenses in Mason County has had limited effectiveness in improving either public safety or public order in Mason County communities; and WHEREAS, the booking/prosecution/incarceration model does not alter individuals' underlying addiction and/or mental health problems,costs the County and its taxpayers thousands of dollars per individual each year, and does not serve as a deterrent or reduce recidivism; and. WHEREAS,interventions that connect low-level non-violent offenders with services have been shown to cost less and be more successful at reducing future criminal behavior than processing these individuals through the criminal justice system; and WHEREAS, the procurement of grant funds from Washington State's Health Care Authority (HCA) have allowed for the operation of a LEAD program in the County with the understanding that the Program presents a unique opportunity to work with local partners on a strategy that shows promise for effecting systematic change and a paradigm shift in.the public response to individuals' low-level drug involvement;and WHEREAS, the Parties believe that LEAD's objective—which is to treat the underlying addiction and/or mental health issue leading to criminal behavior—is necessary to conserve tax dollars spent on booking,prosecution, and incarceration and to rebuild our community; and WHEREAS, by separate agreement, a Mason County LEAD Operational Workgroup has been formed to implement LEAD principles and practices in law enforcement and prosecution services; and WHEREAS, the LEAD Program Policy Coordinating Group (PCG), formed by this Agreement,shall serve as the Board of Directors and policymaker for the LEAD Program. NOW, THEREFORE,THE PARTIES STATE THEIR INTENT AS FOLLOWS: I. Formation,Purposes,and Membership of the LEAD Policy Coordinating Group:The LEAD Policy Coordinating Group ("PCG") is hereby formed for the Mason County LEAD Program(hereafter the"Program"). The purposes of the PCG are to review and provide feedback on the Referral.and Diversion Protocols for LEAD participants;review and provide feedback on periodic reports from the Mason County Operational Workgroup; and make criminal justice and human services data available for monitoring and evaluation; and provide policy guidance and administrative oversight for.the LEAD program's operations and evaluation. MOU Signatories'Statements of Intent The parties signing this MOU specifically state their respective intents and commitments as follows: A. Mason County: The Mason County Board of County Commissioners (MCBOCC), is fully committed to the LEAD model. The County will commit a commissioner as well as an employee from Public Health, to the PCG and will look for opportunities to achieve synergies with employment, housing, and other initiatives undertaken by Mason County appropriate for LEAD participants. B. Mason County Sheriff's Office: The Mason County Sheriff's Office(MCSO)has agreed to participate in the LEAD Program on both an operational and policy level. The MCSO will assign officers to the program who will receive focused training on the LEAD referral process and who are knowledgeable in Washington's State's drug laws,search seizure case. law, local, state, and federal criminal history records, State Department of Corrections records, warrant records, and the ability to make street-level decisions on where to direct offenders. At a policy level,the Sheriff will decide who serves on the LEAD PCG. C. The City of Shelton: The City Council, by and through its appointed Chief Executive Officer, the City Manager, is fully committed to the LEAD model. The City will commit the City Manager to the PCG and will look for opportunities to achieve synergies with. employment,housing, and other initiatives undertaken by The City of Shelton appropriate for.LEAD participants. D. The Shelton Police Department: The Shelton Police Department (SPD) has agreed to participate in the LEAD Program on both an operational and policy level. The SPD will .assign officers to the program who will receive focused training on the LEAD referral process and who are knowledgeable in Washington's State's drug laws,search seizure case law, local, state, and federal criminal history records, State Department of Corrections records, warrant records; and the ability to make street-level decisions on where to direct offenders. At a policy level,the Chief of Police will decide who serves on the LEAD PCG. E. Mason County Prosecutors Office: The Mason County Prosecutors Office (MCPO)has committed to participate in the LEAD Program on both an operational and policy level. The MCPO will provide the following staffing to the Program when applicable: 1. The MCPO will,as time and resources allow,commit a deputy prosecuting attorney (DPA) knowledgeable in Washington State's drug laws, search and seizure law, local, state and federal criminal history records, State Department of Corrections records, warrant records, and the ability to make criminal filing decisions, to participate in the case review process. 2. At a policy level, the elected Prosecuting Attorney and/or the Chief Deputy Prosecutor, shall serve on the LEAD PCG. The elected Prosecuting Attorney and/or Chief Deputy Prosecutor will serve on the PCG as long as it exists or unless. and until the MCPO withdraws from the Lead.Program. 3. Though they will be informed by the LEAD Operational Groups'recommendations .regarding program participants,the Mason County Prosecutor retains ultimate and exclusive authority to make filing decisions.in all cases. F. Mason County Public Defender's Office: The Mason County Public Defender's Office (MCPDO)is in full support:of Mason County's LEAD program and is looking forward to working with local partners on a strategy that shows promise for effecting systematic change and a paradigm shift in the public response to individuals' low-level drug involvement. The MCPDO will be available to provide legal consultation to LEAD program participants upon request. In addition,the MCPDO will participate in the LEAD Program on the policy level, by providing a representative at the PCG. G. Olympic Health and Recovery Services: Olympic Health and Recovery Services (OHRS) will be providing the direct service component of the Mason County LEAD program. •OHRS has extensive experience working with Mason County, its treatment providers and its law enforcement agencies. OHRS commits to bringing a harm reduction approach to the LEAD program and with their experience in the behavioral health field. OHRS will work to provide quality services to Mason County residents as well as needed leadership and wisdom to the Mason County LEAD policy and operations groups. OHRS will have representatives at both the operations workgroup and PCG. H. PCG Membership: The PCG's membership shall consist of representatives from the following entities and organizations: 1. Mason County- a. Mason County commissioner(1) b. Public Health employee(Manager and/or Program Coordinator) 2. Mason County Sheriff's Office- a. Undersheriff b. Chief Criminal Deputy 3. The City of Shelton- a. The City Manager 4. The Shelton Police Department- a. The Chief of Police and/or Captain/Lieutenant 5. Mason County Prosecutors Office- a. Prosecuting Attorney and/or Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney 6. Public Defenders Office a. Deputy Public Defender 7. Olympic Health and Recovery Services a. Chief Executive Officer b. Chief Operating Officer 8. Northwest Justice Project a. Attorney Additional member entities and organizations may be added to the PCG upon unanimous consent of the existing members. II. Governance. Participation in LEAD PCG is voluntary, and any member may withdraw unilaterally at any time for any reason. This MOU does not amend any law or ordinance;nor does it create any binding obligation on the party of any signatory. This MOU simply memorializes the intent of the PCG's members in participation in the Program and describes the responsibilities they accept through their participation. All decisions of the PCG will be made by modified consensus. For purposes of this MOU, "modified consensus" means a decision that is acceptable to participants even if not ideal to one or more. Each member organization shall designate one representative.for purposes of determining consensus in the PCG decisions, but multiple representatives from each organization may attend meetings and participate in discussions as non-voting members. III. Responsibilities. The role of the PCG is to make policy-level decisions regarding the LEAD Program and to provide periodic administrative oversight of the Program. Specific responsibilities include,but are not limited to,the following: A. Review of LEAD Referral and Diversion Protocols B. Collaboration on funding applications for LEAD operation and evaluation C. Making available criminal justice and human service system data for comparison and evaluative purposes D. Oversight of LEAD implementation, contract compliance of service providers and evaluators,and solicitation and review of community feedback; and E. Modification of service provision, or evaluation criteria and process, as needed. This MOU may be signed in Counterparts and shall be effective as of the date it is signed by all parties. No amendment or modification of this MOU will have effect unless it is made in writing and agreed to by all signatories and their successors. • ata -,104 Sharon Trask Casey S isbuiy, d Mason County Commissioner- Chair Mason County Sheriff Date: /z 3l z o Date: aVZ--)V/C20 Jeff Niten Damn Moody City Manager, City of Shelton Chief of Police, of Shelton Date: Date: ce, ____ �g Mich 1 orcy t .+ ` .nes Mason C ecuting Attorney a • County Deputy Public Defender Date: tl0-C.1 Date: al g-H Jo alos Chief Operating Officer Olympic Health and Recovery Services ° Date: