Posting Language
Title
Authorize negotiation and execution of an interlocal agreement with Austin-Travis County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center, d/b/a Integral Care (Integral Care), that will consolidate 12 existing social services agreements with Integral Care into one agreement for Integral Care’s provision of behavioral health, crisis response, outreach, supportive services, homelessness services, community planning, and housing services, for an initial term of 12 months beginning October 1, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $13,946,970, with four 12-month extension options, each in an amount not to exceed $13,946,970, for a total agreement amount not to exceed $69,734,850. Funding: $13,946,970 is available in the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Operating Budgets of Austin Community Court, Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations, and Austin Public Health. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets.
De
Lead Department
Austin Community Court.
Fiscal Note
Funding in the amount of $13,946,970 is available in the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Operating Budgets of Austin Community Court, Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations, and Austin Public Health. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets.
Prior Council Action:
July 23, 2026 - Council ratified an amendment to the interlocal agreement with Integral Care for the Homeless Outreach Street Team to provide street outreach services to individuals experiencing homelessness to add funding in an amount not to exceed $440,000 to the current term beginning on October 1, 2025, and $440,000 to each of the three remaining 12-month extension options, for a revised per-extension option amount not to exceed $839,354 and a revised total agreement amount not to exceed $3,756,770.
February 26, 2026 - Council authorized an amendment to the interlocal agreement with Integral Care for the Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team to support continued 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operations of the EMCOT Field Response Team to add one-time funding in an amount not to exceed $2,089,033 and increase funding for the remaining two extension options in an amount not to exceed $2,086,033 per extension option, for a revised total agreement amount not to exceed $24,044,584.
December 11, 2025 - Council ratified an amendment to the agreement with Integral Care to provide permanent supportive housing services at PSH North/Bungalows at Century Park to add two 12-month extension options, each in an amount not to exceed $1,199,220, for a total agreement amount not to exceed $7,755,300.
August 28, 2025 - Council authorized an amendment to the agreement with Integral Care to provide tenant-based permanent supportive housing services to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, to add funding in an amount not to exceed $900,000, and extend the agreement through September 30, 2029, for a revised total agreement amount not to exceed $2,900,000.
August 28, 2025 - Council authorized an amendment to the interlocal agreement with Integral Care to provide behavioral health infrastructure and authority services to add one 12-month extension option for the term ending September 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $1,998,591, for a revised total agreement amount not to exceed $20,933,568.
August 28, 2025 - Council authorized an amendment to the agreement with Integral Care to provide community forums for creative and collaborative problem solving, inclusive community participation, and community consensus building to add one 12-month extension option for the term ending on September 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $100,797, for a revised total agreement amount not to exceed $1,192,327.
April 24, 2025 - Council authorized an amendment to the interlocal agreement with Integral Care for the Homeless Health and Wellness Center program to extend the current term of the agreement through December 31, 2026, at no additional cost to the City.
September 12, 2024 - Council authorized an amendment to the agreement with Integral Care to provide permanent supportive housing and individualized intensive community-based services through the Assertive Community Treatment program to add funds in the amount of $1,012,620, extend the term of the agreement until September 30, 2025, and add two 12-month extension options in an amount not to exceed $1,012,620 each, for a revised total agreement amount not to exceed $11,721,201.
August 29, 2024 - Council authorized an interlocal agreement with Integral Care for integrated mental health and substance use disorder treatment services through the Road to Recovery program, starting October 1, 2024, for a term of 12 months in an amount not to exceed $805,095, for a total agreement amount not to exceed $4,025,475.
September 1, 2022 - Council authorized agreements supporting permanent supportive housing services, including an agreement with Integral Care for Permanent Supportive Housing for $562,180 for the initial term and four 12-month extension options, for a total amount not to exceed $2,810,900, and an agreement with Integral Care for Permanent Supportive Housing for $726,350 for the initial term and four 12-month extension options, for a total amount not to exceed $3,631,750.
July 28, 2022 - Council authorized agreements for community-based behavioral health services, including Mental Health and Community Health Worker Care and Coordination provided by Integral Care, for an initial 12-month term for $124,697 and four 12-month extension options, for a total amount not to exceed $623,485.
For More Information:
Robert Kingham, Court Administrator, Austin Community Court, (512) 974-1394; David Gray, Director, Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations, (512) 972-7836; Adrienne Sturrup, Director, Austin Public Health, (512) 972-5010.
Additional Backup Information:
This action will consolidate 12 existing social services agreements with Integral Care into a single interlocal agreement for a range of behavioral health, crisis response, outreach, supportive services, community planning, and housing services for Austin residents.
The City currently contracts with Integral Care through multiple agreements supporting programs that address interconnected community needs. These programs have developed through separate agreements and funding actions over time and have historically been administered through multiple City departments. The proposed agreement will consolidate 12 existing programs into a single contractual structure organized into four program categories: Crisis, Outreach, and Supportive Services; Behavioral Health Infrastructure and Authority Services; Community Action Network; and Housing Services.
Consolidating these services into one agreement will create a more coordinated contractual framework for the City's partnership with Integral Care while preserving the individual program purposes, services, funding requirements, and performance expectations. The consolidated structure will also support more consistent contract administration, monitoring, reporting, amendment processing, and coordination across programs that collectively contribute to the City's behavioral health and homelessness response systems.
Crisis, Outreach and Supportive Services
The Crisis, Outreach and Supportive Services category includes six programs providing crisis intervention, outreach and engagement, behavioral health treatment, care coordination, intensive supportive services, and connections to appropriate community-based care. Together, these programs provide a continuum of services ranging from crisis response and street outreach to treatment, care coordination, intensive community-based services, and connections to longer-term supports.
• Expanded Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (EMCOT): EMCOT works collaboratively with City first responders to respond to individuals experiencing psychiatric crises. The multidisciplinary team provides community-based crisis assessment and intervention with the goals of stabilizing individuals, connecting them to the appropriate level of care, reducing unnecessary emergency department utilization and incarceration, and allowing first responders to return to other public safety and medical emergencies. The EMCOT Call Center clinicians and field response teams provides services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST): HOST is a multidisciplinary street outreach initiative involving Integral Care and City of Austin public safety partners. The program engages individuals and families experiencing homelessness, identifies their needs, and connects them to services that support long-term stability, including medical and behavioral healthcare, case management, housing resources, and other appropriate community services.
• Homeless Health and Wellness Center: This program expands access to specialty mental health, substance use treatment, primary care, and intensive, person-centered, housing-focused case management for individuals experiencing homelessness. Individuals with high needs and acuity who are referred through the Austin Community Court are prioritized for services.
• Road to Recovery: Road to Recovery provides integrated mental health and substance use disorder treatment for Austin Community Court clients experiencing homelessness with high acuity and complex behavioral health, medical, and substance use needs. Services include residential treatment, individual treatment planning, psychotherapeutic and pharmacologic support, rehabilitative skills training, case management, peer support, psychiatric services, and other appropriate clinical services.
• Community Health Workers: The Community Health Worker program provides mental health and community health worker care and coordination services. The program supports access to community-based behavioral health services and assists individuals in navigating and connecting with appropriate resources.
• City Assertive Community Treatment Expansion: The City Assertive Community Treatment Expansion program provides individualized, intensive community-based services to individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness and have disabling conditions. Services are designed to address complex behavioral health and other needs while supporting housing stability and long-term community integration.
Behavioral Health Infrastructure and Authority Services
The Behavioral Health Infrastructure and Authority Services category supports Integral Care's role in maintaining and coordinating critical components of the local behavioral health system. Services include behavioral health and basic needs support, mental health disaster preparedness, outreach and prevention, education and awareness, community planning, and maintenance of behavioral health infrastructure for residents of Austin and Travis County. These services support the broader behavioral health system and provide infrastructure necessary to coordinate and sustain community-based behavioral health resources.
Community Action Network
The Community Action Network program supports community forums designed to facilitate creative and collaborative problem solving, inclusive community participation, and community consensus building.
Through this work, Integral Care supports opportunities for community organizations, governmental entities, service providers, and other stakeholders to collaborate on community priorities and develop coordinated approaches to complex community issues.
Housing Services
Permanent Supportive Housing combines long-term housing assistance with individualized supportive services for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, including individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, physical disabilities, and other complex needs. Supportive services may include outreach and engagement, case management, psychosocial rehabilitation, behavioral health treatment, psychiatric care, primary healthcare services, referrals to employment and vocational resources, and connections to other community supports. The Housing Services category includes two Permanent Supportive Housing programs: Project-Based Permanent Supportive Housing and Tenant-Based Permanent Supportive Housing.
• Project-Based Permanent Supportive Housing: The Project-Based Permanent Supportive Housing program provides housing and supportive services at designated housing developments, including Manor Road, PSH North/Bungalows at Century Park, and Terrace at Oak Springs. Services are designed to help individuals with complex needs achieve and maintain housing stability and may include outreach and engagement, case management, psychosocial rehabilitation, behavioral health treatment, psychiatric care, primary healthcare services, referrals to employment and vocational resources, and connections to other community supports.
• Tenant-Based Permanent Supportive Housing: The Tenant-Based Permanent Supportive Housing program provides long-term rental assistance and individualized supportive services to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Under the tenant-based model, rental assistance is attached to the participant, allowing the participant to select housing within an eligible geographic area rather than being limited to a specific housing development. Supportive services are provided to help participants address behavioral health and other needs, maintain housing stability, and achieve greater long-term stability.
Together, the Project-Based and Tenant-Based Permanent Supportive Housing programs provide complementary approaches to meeting the housing and supportive service needs of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Maintaining the programs separately within the Housing Services category recognizes the distinct service delivery and housing models while allowing both programs to operate within the City's consolidated agreement with Integral Care.
Consolidated Agreement
The programs included in this agreement represent longstanding partnerships between the City and Integral Care and have been authorized through multiple Council actions over time. The proposed consolidation does not eliminate the distinct purposes and focus of the individual programs. Instead, it establishes a common contractual framework through which the City can administer and oversee these interconnected services.
Integral Care provides services across the behavioral health and homelessness response continuums, ranging from community planning and behavioral health infrastructure to crisis intervention, street outreach, treatment, supportive services, and housing services. Consolidating these programs recognizes the interconnected nature of these services and provides a structure that supports coordination while maintaining appropriate program-level work statements, budgets, performance measures, and accountability. Approval of this item will allow the City to continue these services through a single comprehensive agreement with Integral Care.