Kenneth J. Burkhart

This Cultural and Linguistic Competence Plan outlines the commitment of Alpine County Behavioral Health Services to provide safe, ethical, and accessible services that foster personal growth and development. The plan focuses on improving access, quality of care, and outcomes by addressing cultural and linguistic requirements, analyzing service utilization data, assessing workforce competence, and implementing targeted training. Key strategic goals include increasing access to behavioral health services for underserved populations such as children, older adults, Native American, and Hispanic individuals; enhancing culturally sensitive service delivery in preferred languages; and cultivating an environment of cultural awareness, dignity, and respect among staff and in the community.

This Strategic Prevention Plan for Substance Use Disorder Services, developed by Alpine County Behavioral Health Services, outlines a five-year roadmap from fiscal years 2023-24 to 2027-28. Utilizing the Strategic Prevention Framework, the plan primarily addresses alcohol use and abuse across all age groups in Alpine County, focusing on challenges such as community isolation, limited engagement opportunities, and low risk perception. Key strategies include parent and prevention education, information dissemination, youth mentoring, social-emotional learning, community events, and referrals to behavioral health services. The plan aims to increase community awareness, reduce alcohol use, foster positive youth development, strengthen community bonds, and ensure responsible alcohol sales practices.

The meeting includes discussion and action items related to the consent agenda, financials, and reports from the Executive Director. Key topics include approving the meeting agenda and minutes from the previous meeting, reviewing income and expense summaries, approving the updated FY 2025-26 budget, and discussing updates on meetings, outreach, the Mobile Family Resource Center, and the Managed Care Plan MOU. Additionally, the commission will discuss and potentially approve the 2026 meeting schedule and a contract for a database system to track the Mobile Family Resource Center services.

The special meeting of the Board of Supervisors was convened to address the urgency item of redistricting. Discussions revolved around the redistricting committee's efforts to present another option to the board. Key points included concerns about maintaining the integrity of the Honolulu community while adhering to census block numbers and population counts. The board also addressed the need for technical assistance with mapping tools to ensure accurate data and compliance with regulations. The potential consequences of failing to meet the December 15th deadline for adopting the ordinance were discussed, including the possibility of court intervention and associated expenses.

The Alpine County Redistricting Advisory Commission meeting included discussions on the comparison of 2010 and 2020 census maps, and a demonstration of the Esri redistricting map software. The commission discussed the challenges of interpreting maps without finalized numbers and the importance of considering communities and neighborhoods in the redistricting process. Questions were raised about splitting census blocks and the resolution of available mapping tools. The commission also explored how to involve the public in the redistricting process, including the submission of community maps.