Author: Gregory Fearon

Presidential Executive Order

Greetings!

Last Thursday, President Trump declared war on local government.  His Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets Executive Order directs his administration “to restore order to American cities and remove vagrant individuals from our streets, redirecting federal resources toward programs that tackle substance abuse and returning to the acute necessity of civil commitment”.  He directed his Attorney General, and Secretaries of HEW, HUD, and Transportation to: 

  1. Prioritize grants for states and municipalities that enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering, and urban squatting
  2. Redirect funding to ensure that individuals camping on streets and causing public disorder and that are suffering from serious mental illness or addiction are moved into treatment centers, assisted outpatient treatment, or other facilities; and 
  3. Ensure discretionary grants for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery do not fund drug injection sites or illicit drug use.

His specific targets are to prohibit encampments, end Housing First programs and requirements, and eliminate harm reduction and safe injection programs.  Local governments which refuse to do so will lose all federal funding.  
Thank you very much for your service, but you are no longer needed in Trump’s America.  He will dictate the response to the needs of states, counties, and cities.
Gregory

Presidential Executive Order – HomelessnessDownload
Trump Executive Order to End HomelessnessDownload

New Meeting Summary & Transcripting Technology

Fieldy, an AI-driven device, which is worn as a necklace and communicate with an app on your phone, if absolutely fabulous!! I bought one, and wore it to a local Behavioral Health Board meeting last night, and it produced some excellent summaries of the evening’s conversation on pdfs without any work at all. I’m buying more of these, and distributing them to friends who attend local public meetings. I think that demonstrating the ease of using them, and their results, will expand our effectiveness at being advocates for community government engagement.

Sonoma_Behavioral_Health_Board_Mission (1)Download
Enhancing_Public_Input_&_Health_Partnerships(1)Download
Integrated_Plan_DeadlinesDownload
Navigating_Public_Health_Improvements (1)Download

Behavioral Health Board

Recommendations to the Behavioral Health Board – July 15th Meeting in Guerneville, 5-7pm, Russian River Resiliency Center, 16385 First Street.

  1. Schedule Bi-Monthly Open Comment periods for the FY 26-29 Behavioral Health Integrated Plan, in September, November, January, March, and June.

Over the last month, the Behavioral Health Director and I have communicated concerning important Executive Committee recommendations about publishing recent behavioral health reports, guidelines, and the draft plan.  The result is that, soon, the public will be able to find those reports and guidelines on the Department’s website. Their remaining decision, included in our recommendations, is to place the draft Integrated Plan, on the Department website in Open Comment Periods between now and the State submission deadline.

Motion: To advise the Department of Health Services and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to place the developing Implementation Plan documents on the County website, inviting Open Comment by all stakeholders online over the next eight months.  Governmental planning has utilized this procedure regularly to broaden the opportunity for public input on important strategic plans and policy changes.   

  2. Partner with the Community Foundation of Sonoma County to achieve their Strategic Plan Goal #2.

I’m asking the Board to act on a recent invitation by the Community Foundation of Sonoma County when it revealed on July 10th. its new Strategic Plan, and expressed their desire to partner with us.

Motion: To advise the Department of Health Services and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to invite the Community Foundation of Sonoma County into a partnership in the development of our Integrated Plan.

Community Foundation Strategic Plan Goal # 2:

“We will partner with organizations that expand access to healthcare and mental health support, especially for communities historically excluded from care.  By centering community voice, we will support systems change that leads to more just, responsive health outcomes.”

Our Board’s responsibility under Proposition One is to develop this fall an Integrated Plan for all funding available, and I believe that partnering with the Community Foundation of Sonoma County would expand the resources and options available and would be an exciting message to our community.

Gregory

Beginning the BHSA Integrated Plan

Click on the Online, Comment-able Sonoma County Behavioral Health Services Act Integrated Plan for FY 26-29. The Policy Manual for the Prop 1 BHSA Integrated Plan is also available online.

Additionally, the Draft Gap Analysis being prepared by Mission Consulting, a report by Departmental consultants on FY 23-24 listening sessions, and a report on a May 7th Listenin Session Forum are also available to assist in the development of the Integrated Plan.

HHAP 6 NOFA Funding restored by Legislature

Shortly before the deadline for the adoption of the California FY25-26 Budget, the Legislature included $ 500 million for the popular Homeless, Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program ROUND 6 (HHAP 6). The California Department of Housing and Community Development is now moving forward with its implementation of the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) with a deadline for application of August 29, 2025.

hhap-6-nofaDownload
hhap-6-allocationsDownload