Alternative For Better Living

ALTERNATIVES HELPS FAMILIES STAY SAFE. WE OFFER COUNSELING AND EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE AT-RISK OF, OR CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING, LIFE PROBLEMS. THIS INCLUDES CRIMINAL JUSTICE, PAROLE SERVICES, OR CHILD WELFARE INVOLVEMENT. THE PRIMARY FOCI OF SERVICES ARE PARENTING, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, ANGER (OR OTHER EMOTION) MANAGEMENT, AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. BY PROVIDING LOW COST, ACCESSIBLE SERVICES TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING LIFE AND BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS ALTERNATIVES INTENDS TO REDUCE CURRENT SUFFERING AND REDUCE THE INTER- GENERATIONAL OF PROBLEM BEHAVIORS.

THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS' EVENTS HAVE BEEN DRAMATIC AND ALTERNATIVES FOR BETTER LIVING'S STATISTICS REFLECT THE STRUGGLE OF DOING BUSINESS IN THE TIME OF COVID. THE NUMBER OF CONTACTS (INCIDENTS OF SERVICE PROVIDED I.E. SESSIONS) AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED EXPERIENCED A SHARP DECREASE IN THE 19-20 FY, THE FIRST YEAR OF COVID, FROM ALMOST 6,000 CONTACTS IN THE PRIOR YEAR TO 4,700 AND HAVE ONLY RECOVERED IN THE 21-22 FY. OVERALL THE ORIGINAL PROGRAMS ARE BACK AT OR ABOVE PRE-COVID LEVELS AND WITH THE WITH THE ADDITION OF THE DUI PROGRAM BOTH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED AND THE NUMBER OF SERVICES PROVIDED ARE AT NEW HIGHS. THE ADDITION OF THE DUI PROGRAM BEGINNING IN 2020-2021 SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED OVERALL OUTPUT AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED FROM 4,700 SESSIONS FOR 300 PEOPLE IN 2017-18 TO 15,000 SESSIONS FOR 1,000 PEOPLE IN 2021-22. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES IN THE ORIGINAL PROGRAMS DURING THE PAST 5 YEARS. ALTERNATIVES QUICKLY PIVOTED TO PROVIDING VIRTUAL SERVICES VIA ZOOM AND ADJUSTING REFERRAL PROCESSES. THIS PREVENTED A WORSE DECLINE IN WORK AND REVENUE. IN THE 2020-2021 YEAR, THE AGENCY PROVIDED 797 UNITS OF SERVICES AND SERVED 50 PEOPLE IN THE AOD PROGRAM.

OVERALL THE AGENCY'S OUTPUT (EXCLUDING DUI) GREW FROM ABOUT 4,700 UNITS OF SERVICE/CONTACTS (2017-18) TO ALMOST 6,000 UNITS IN 2021-22. INCLUDING DUI THE 21-22 OUTPUT WAS OVER 15,000 CONTACTS. THE EXTREMELY RAPID GROWTH OF THE DUI PROGRAM SHOULD CONTINUE THE UPWARD TREND DURING THE CURRENT YEAR WHICH WILL BE REFLECTED IN NEXT YEAR'S TAXES.

THE 2020-21 TAX YEAR SAW SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS IN PRODUCTIVITY. THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS BEGAN TO INCREASE IN REFERRALS AND SERVICES, ALTERNATIVES BEGAN PROVIDING DUI SERVICES UNDER A NEW CONTRACT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, AND THE FAIRLY NEW NAPA STATE HOSPITAL STAFFING CONTRACT BEGAN. OVERALL OUTPUT WAS ABOUT THE SAME AS THE PRIOR YEAR. THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAM SAW FURTHER REDUCTION (ABOUT 25%) BUT THE DRUG DIVERSION PROGRAM (PC1000) EXPERIENCED A SHORT-LIVED BOOST WITH 25% INCREASE IN SESSIONS PROVIDED. IN THE 2021-22 FY DRUG DIVERSION FELL FROM 24% OF ALL SERVICES TO 15% OF OUTPUT OF SERVICES.

WITHIN THE CORE OF ORIGINAL (PRE-COVID) PROGRAMS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (BATTERER'S TREATMENT WHICH IS COURT-ORDERED TREATMENT FOR INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE) HAS BEEN TRENDING DOWNWARD SLIGHTLY SINCE 2018-19 AND DRUG DIVERSION (DEJ OR PC1000) HAS SEEN AN INCREASING MISMATCH BETWEEN PEOPLE SERVED AND AMOUNT OF TREATMENT PROVIDED. BATTERERS TREATMENT HAS SEEN A CONSISTENT CASELOAD BUT THE NUMBER OF CONTACTS PER PERSON ENROLLED HAS DECLINED BY ABOUT 10% FROM 21 CONTACTS PER ENROLLEE IN 2017-18 FY TO ABOUT 18 CONTACTS PER ENROLLEE IN 2021-22. REGARDING DRUG DIVERSION THE NUMBER OF CONTACTS PER CLIENT HAS DECLINED FROM OVER 7 CONTACTS PER ENROLLEE IN 2017-18 TO 4.8 IN 2021-22. THIS SUGGESTS THAT MORE PEOPLE REFERRED TO THE PROGRAM ARE DROPPING OUT OR NEVER SHOWING UP AFTER THE COURTS REFER THEM. AS A RESULT ALTERNATIVES SPENDS MORE TIME FINDING AND ENGAGING DRUG DIVERSION CLIENTS AND LESS TIME EDUCATING OR PROVIDING SERVICES. SINCE REVENUE IS BASED ON SERVICES PROVIDED AND SINCE THERE IS A FLOOR COST TO ENROLLING A PERSON FEWER CONTACTS PER PERSON REDUCES REVENUE AND REDUCES THE CHANCE OF A POSITIVE TREATMENT OUTCOME. ALTERNATIVES PROVIDED 4,700 CONTACTS IN THE 2017-2018 TAX YEAR AND THAT 51% OF THAT WORK WAS PROVIDED IN THE BATTERER'S PROGRAM. IN 2018-2019 THE AMOUNT OF OUTPUT WAS ALMOST 6,000 UNITS OF SERVICE, A 26% INCREASE AND AGAIN OVER 50% OF THE WORK WAS IN THE BATTERER'S PROGRAM. IN 2019-2020 THE OVERALL OUTPUT WAS BACK DOWN TO ABOUT 4,700 UNITS OF SERVICE AND THE BATTERERS' PROGRAM SAW A REDUCTION OF ABOUT 1/3. SIMILAR REDUCTIONS HAPPENED IN OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS ALTERNATIVES OPERATES INFLUENCED IN A LARGE MEASURE BY THE CLOSING OF THE COURTS IN MARCH 2020 WHEN REFERRALS BECAME ZERO. FORTUNATELY ALTERNATIVES QUICKLY PIVOTED TO PROVIDING VIRTUAL SERVICES VIA ZOOM AND ADJUSTING REFERRAL PROCESSES. THIS PREVENTED A WORSE DECLINE IN WORK AND REVENUE.