Item 08: St. David’s Foundation’s Libraries for Health Initiative Grant

[COSM_Admin]

Consider approval of Resolution 2022-37R, accepting the award of a grant by the San Marcos Public Library from the St. David’s Foundation’s Libraries for Health Initiative Grant to support the community’s mental wellness and health in the annual amount of $40,000.00 and total three year amount of $120,000.00; authorizing the City Manager or her designee to execute any and all documents as necessary to accept and implement the grant on
behalf of the City as of an effective date that aligns with the grant award, and declaring an effective date.

 

[JHughson]

How do we plan to use the funding?

 

[COSM_Admin]

Response provided by Diane Insley, Library Director:
The funding will be used to provide programs, teachers, therapists, supplies, and materials for anything that we think will improve the mental health of our community. There is a team of St. David’s staff that includes an onsite Mental Health Associate and access to an assigned Licensed Counselor. These professionals will be paid by St. David’s and consult with us to add a mental health component to existing programs for adults and also provide therapeutic programs to groups and individuals. We are one of eight public libraries that are participating in the first round of funding. We will be assigned research and development academic personnel from RAND who will be evaluating our programs and determining which were the most effective. Based on this research, St. David’s hopes to be able to provide a model of mental health support that could be used in public libraries throughout the USA.