If voters concur, individuals receiving general assistance from San Joaquin County will need to be screened for substance abuse.

The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors is conducting a special meeting Thursday at =9;30 a.m. to consider placing a measure on the Nov. 5 ballot requiring just that.

The measure, if placed on the ballot and passed, would:

*Require a professional evaluation if screening indicates a recipient may be dependent on illegal drugs.

*If that evaluation paid for by the county shows they may be a dependency issue, the recipient may be referred to an appropriate program for treatment.

*If that program is available at no cost, the recipient will be required to participate to continue receiving general assistance benefits.

*The individuals does not require recipients to maintain sobriety to be eligible for benefits as long as they participate in program is space is available.

The San Joaquin County proposal is modeled a measure passed on March 5, 2024 by voters in the City of San Francisco.

The measure requires single adults age 65 and under with no dependent children who receive city public assistance benefits and whom the city reasonably suspects are dependent on illegal drugs to participate in screening, evaluation, and treatment for drug dependency for those adults to be eligible for most of those benefits.

General assistance recipients in San Joaquin County are eligible to receive between $27 and $75 per month as a cash benefit.

They are also eligible for additional funding for housing, which is paid directly to the landlord.

The total maximum benefit is $367 per person per month based on a single room occupancy living situation.

San Joaquin County’s general assistance caseload projected for 2024-2025 is 412 individuals per month.

All of those individuals are homeless.

The Human Services Agency staff estimates that 5 to 10 individuals may qualify for the substance use counseling program per month.

Total 2023-2024 expenditures for the Human Services Agency – general assistance program were $301,354.

Precise costs to provide substance abuse treatment is unknown, as costs are dependent upon several variables.

These include level and duration of the services needed and whether the recipient is Medi-Cal eligible, so that the cost is not county general funds but a combination of federal financial participation and state realignment funds with the latter being a finite amount and drawn down by billable services.

State law requires every county to provide public assistance programs for poor, single adults age 65 and under.

 Generally, general assistance serves only single adults age 65 and under with no dependent children.

Recipients currently collect benefit packages that pay for or provide needed services and are entitled to full benefits regardless of whether they are dependent on illegal drugs.

This is consistent with other programs where cash benefits are provided including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security, Unemployment, Veterans’ benefits, etc., for which there is no sobriety requirement.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com