Community Safety Support Investment Model

What is the Community Safety Support Investment Model?

The Community Safety Support Funding Model provides high-level direction and recommendations for the City’s investment in the safety of its residents. It will help set human services investment priorities, guide budgeting decision and select the most effective strategies. 

What does the Community Safety Support Investment Model do and why is it important?

State and federal funding for human services program is declining and unpredictable, and cities bear the impact. At the same time, City revenues are down. The Community Safety Support Investment Model :

Guides our efforts to use limited human services resources as wisely and effectively as possible to ensure the safety of our community and its residents
Helps us to identify the programs that are most successful at improving community safety conditions.

What will change as a result of the Community Safety Support Investment Model?

We will continue to move away from simply purchasing units of service and toward funding those programs that contribute most to improving community conditions. To help with this effort, the City will improve evaluation of funded programs and direct dollars to the programs that get the best results. Over time, our investment in the safety and support of our residents will help people to achieve economic and social success as well s reduce potential crime, violence and
human suffering.

What are the implications of the Community Safety support Model?

The Community Safety Support Investment Model is a policy framework and emphasizes a movement toward contracting that is more focused on outcomes that may have a direct impact on police, fire and safety services provided by the City. All of our contracts are already "outcome based" and agencies will remain accountable for their contract outcomes. The Office of Human Services will collect individual performance data from contracted agencies. We will continue to issue requests for proposals (RFP's) and focus contract and investments on services that are most effectively improving community conditions.

How was the Community Safety Support Investment Model developed?

In July 2005 the Mesa City Council determined that it needed a more definitive policy priority to be established for human services funding which ensures a network of services that support community safety. Staff was directed to draft a model that included funding guidelines for review and approval by the Human Services Advisory Board and ultimate approval by the Mesa City Council.

Areas for Funding

Mesa City government recognizes that there are unlimited human needs in the community. The resources of City government are one source in a system of resources that includes other levels of government, the business sector, private foundations, the faith community, friends, family, and the resources and efforts of the people in need. Mesa City government also recognizes that people in need are served, and public resources are used most effectively, when services are provided through a comprehensive, coordinated continuum of care. To this end, it is the intent of the City to maintain balance within a continuum of care of services by addressing gaps in service delivery, when appropriate. 

Area #1: TRANSITIONAL SERVICES: Services which assist individuals and families to remove their barriers to obtaining and maintaining economic self-sufficiency. Examples of these services: job training programs, child care, transportation, transitional housing programs, job development, and rehabilitation programs such as treatment programs for substance abuse.

Area #2: CRISIS SERVICES: Services which assist individuals and families in meeting emergency health and safety needs to stabilize a crisis, and for which no other or inadequate funding sources are available. Examples of these services: Short-term emergency assistance with food, clothing, temporary shelter, utility or rent/mortgage payments, crisis intervention such as detox or crisis counseling, and refuge programs in cases of abuse.

Area #3: LONG TERM SUPPORT: Services which assist individuals and families to maintain an independent or semi-independent lifestyle. Examples of these services: subsidized housing programs, home delivered meals or other home-based assistance, adult day care, community-based services to non-institutionalized special populations.

Area #4: PREVENTION/EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES: Services and programs that prevent or intervene in addressing the causes of family breakdown, violence, or poverty. Examples of these services: parent training programs, youth mentor programs, anti-gang social development and academic enrichment programs.

Area #5: SYSTEM SUPPORT: Services that increase the ability of
low-income people to participate in the community, or make the social service delivery system more accessible, effective or responsive to the needs and interests of low-income people. Examples of these services: information and referral services, outreach services, and services that coordinate or leverage resources that can be used by the system as a whole.