Explanation
Background
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Africentric Personal Development Shop, Incorporated (APDS) to provide resources for capacity building and community outreach.
APDS will utilize grant funds to pay expenses for marketing and outreach to reduce stigma surrounding mental health and substance use treatment while recruiting new clients into APDS counseling, outpatient, and wellness programs. This marketing investment focuses on culturally responsive messaging, trusted community engagement, and targeted outreach to individuals and families most impacted by barriers to care. Target audiences include:
• Individuals and families seeking counseling and behavioral health services
• Medicaid-eligible and justice-impacted adults
• Faith-based, healthcare, and community referral partners
• Public systems including courts, child welfare, and re-entry providers
APDS intends to leverage radio ads and public service announcements, billboards and outdoor advertising, digital and social media, community and stakeholder marketing events, and the creative development of educational materials. APDS intends to increase participation in counseling, outpatient, and wellness programs by 10% compared to 2025.
As part of delivering programming, APDS will utilize a portion of the grant for distribution of food and non-alcoholic beverage. Council deems the aforementioned distribution to serve a public purpose in that it encourages participation in APDS programming.
Emergency action is requested in order to avoid any delay in initiating critically-needed services for the target constituencies.
Fiscal Impact: Funding in the amount of $25,000.00 is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Africentric Personal Development Shop, Incorporated (APDS) to provide resources for capacity building and community outreach; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($25,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the mission of Africentric Personal Development Shop (APDS) is to provide culturally responsive behavioral healthcare and personal development programs to individuals and families; and
WHEREAS, APDS will utilize grant funds to pay expenses for marketing and outreach to reduce stigma surrounding mental health and substance use treatment while recruiting new clients into APDS counseling, outpatient, and wellness programs; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily business of the city in that it is immediately necessary to authorize a grant agreement in order to avoid any delay in initiating critically-needed services for the target constituencies; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with Africentric Personal Development Shop, Incorporated (APDS) to provide resources for capacity building and community outreach, and that funding shall be provided in advance.
SECTION 2. That the Auditor is hereby authorized to appropriate $25,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund to Columbus City Council in 05-Other per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That per the action authorized in SECTION 1 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $25,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized per the accounting codes attached to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the distribution of food and beverages associated with the execution of this grant agreement are deemed to be for a public purpose. Food and non-alcoholic beverage costs are authorized in an amount not to exceed the per-person, per-meal costs under the applicable per diem by meal established by location as set by the Department of Finance and Management.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereunto, where is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.