Public manager observation paper - Essay Example

The Board voted for the program. PAIR is a humanitarian approach in dealing with the mentally sick. It is aligned with the principles of compassion and natural modalities that the Bible and mental health reforms support. Introduction The Board of Supervisors is the leading body of the County, several special districts, and the Housing Authority. The Board passes ordinances and resolutions, approves the annual budget, endorses contracts, appropriates funds, makes decisions regarding land use zoning for the unincorporated area, and appoints some of the County officers and members of various boards and commissions.

To understand more about public administration in practice, one of the meetings of the Board will be analyzed. The Board of Supervisors of Riverside County, California voted on the issue of “Submittal to the Board of Supervisors, County of Riverside, State of California” on 2 October 2012. . The Council of State Governments Justice Center (2008) presents its report, Mental Health Courts: A Primer for Policymakers and Practitioners. According to this report: “In 1999, the Los Angeles County Jail and New York’s Rikers Island jail held more people with mental illnesses than the largest psychiatric inpatient facilities in the United States” (Council of State Governments Justice Center, 2008, p.2). This statistics demonstrate the magnitude of handling mentally ill cases because these people may have such difficulty handling everyday functioning that they consciously or unconsciously participate in criminal activities.

In addition, involvement with a criminal justice system that is tailored for the mentally sane can have harmful effects on the mentally ill and their families, as well public finance and governance. Hence, finding different solutions to help those with mental problems integrate into the community will benefit both the community and the mentally ill. The Board of Supervisors of Riverside County, California understands the importance of the mental health needs of their constituents. The situation of policymaking for this paper is the voting for Agenda 2.

5, “Memorandum of Understanding between the Riverside County Department of Animal Services and Riverside County Department of Mental Health for a Program called Pets Assisting in Recovery (PAIR).” The Board of Supervisors voted on this matter on 2 October 2012 at the County Administration Center, which is located at 4080 Lemon St Riverside, CA 92501. According to the “Submittal” (2007), the Riverside County Department of Mental Health (RCDMH) and Riverside County Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) recommended the