Title
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Authorize the HHSA Director, Chief Assistant Director, or Behavioral Health Director, to execute programmatic, administrative, and fiscal documents related to the Board approved and Chair executed County of Fresno Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) Agreement 9405; and
2) Authorize the Behavioral Health Director or County Contract Administrator to sign Admission Agreements for clients being placed through Agreement 9405 (which was included as Exhibit C of the fully executed Agreement), as required by the County of Fresno for client admission and placement by the County of El Dorado into this county’s STRTP facility.
FUNDING: 50% State Mental Health Services Act and 50% State Realignment.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
HHSA contracts with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to be the Mental Health Plan (MHP) in El Dorado County. As the MHP, HHSA is required to provide Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) to qualified individuals, including foster youth and children receiving services through its Child Welfare Service Program and Behavioral Health Division, or County Probation Department Juvenile Services.
On June 28, 2024, DHCS distributed Behavioral Health Information Notice (BHIN) 24-025 providing new regulations that outlined that the county of original jurisdiction shall be proactive in establishing contracts with STRTP facilities and other counties in order to provide SMHS in a timely manner to clients living outside a county’s jurisdiction. To meet this mandate and following notice of the regulation, HHSA’s Behavioral Health Division has been proactive in establishing new contracts with out of county STRTP providers and with other counites.
On March 1, 2025, the Board authorized the Chair to execute Agreement 9405 with the County of Fresno, for the term upon final execution, from April 9, 2025, through June 30, 2027. Said agreement arranges for reimbursement between County of Fresno and County of El Dorado (EDC) for the provision of SMHS to out of county youth who meet criteria for services, as established by California Welfare and Institution Code (WIC) Section 14184.402 (Legistar file 25-0342). EDC will utilize this agreement when youth in EDC’s jurisdiction reside in Fresno County and have been determined to be in need of STRTP services and are referred by HHSA to a Fresno County STRTP. This agreement also arranges for the reverse, so that EDC may be reimbursed for SMHS provided to Fresno County youth residing in an EDC STRTP.
Agreement 9405 stipulates that an Admission Agreement (Exhibit C) must be completed and signed between EDC and County of Fresno for every client placement. In the prior Board agenda item, HHSA did not request the Board delegate this authority. Therefore, to eliminate the need to take each one to Board for approval, HHSA is requesting that the Behavioral Health Director and County Contract Administrator be given the authority to execute these Admission Agreements relating to Agreement 9405.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation HHSA will have to bring a new Admission Agreement to Board every time there is a placement under this agreement.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
04/01/25, 25-0342, HHSA Fresno County STRTP Agreement 9405
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this agenda item as the Admission Agreement is a supplement to the fully executed Agreement 9405 with County of Fresno. Sufficient funding for STRTP agreements with other counties, including Agreement 9405, is covered through the federal Medi-Cal program and have been included in HHSA's Board adopted MHSA-Year Expenditure Plan. Sufficient Medi-Cal and MHSA appropriations have been included in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Budget and 2025-26 Budget request to cover the cost of this agreement and will be included in future budgets for the term of this agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
N/A
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director, Health and Human Services Agency