TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Beth Beatty, City Manager
SUBJECT:
title
Resolution to Approve an Updated Master Service Agreement (MSA) between the City of Joliet and Thriveworks Administrative Services
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BACKGROUND:
The Joliet Fire Department started a community mental health program in July of 2022. According to the 2020 Will County Community Needs Assessment, access, cost, and transportation were the top three barriers to receiving mental health care. Access to basic clinical care can take 4-6 weeks, and the wait for psychiatric services is 3-4 months. If a person is uninsured or underinsured, it is tough to get the needed treatment. Residences that do not have access to mental healthcare often call an ambulance for treatment but are routinely sent home with no definitive care. This cycle continually repeats itself.
Joliet partnered with Thriveworks in 2022 to remove the barriers to definitive care our residents were facing by providing timely access to mental health care. Thriveworks is a national network of over 2000 clinicians that offers therapy from Family Counseling to Psychiatry. Residents can make an appointment to see a therapist and are often helped the same day. The level of care depends on the patient's needs.
In the first 18 months of the program, 1200 Joliet residents enrolled in the program and received over 8000 therapy sessions. In 2023, the Joliet Fire Department's responses to mental health calls dropped by 3%, and our suicides dropped by 31%. The Joliet Fire Department also partnered with Joliet Township High School District 204, Joliet Grade School District 86, and Troy District 30C Schools to address the mental health issues of our youth. This collaboration led to no teenage suicides in Joliet in 2023. This item was reviewed at the Public Safety Committee Meeting held on May 7, 2024, and recommended to the full Council for approval.
CONCLUSION:
The attached MSA is an updated agreement from the original 2022 Master Service Agreement. The MSA describes the provision of mental health counseling and medication management services offered to Joliet residents and employees who may benefit from Thriveworks’ services. Thriveworks and Joliet desire to enter into an arrangement whereby Thriveworks will become part of the suite of services that Joliet offers to its Covered Lives.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
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Based on the above, it is recommended the Mayor and City Council approve the attached Resolution Approving the Execution of a Master Service Agreement between the City of Joliet and Thriveworks Administrative Services.