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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Make findings pursuant to Section 3.13.030 (B) of the El Dorado County Ordinance, Contracting Out, that the web-based SafeMeasures system and ad-hoc analytic services for Child Welfare Services provided by Evident Change requires specialty skills and qualifications not expressly identified in County classifications are involved in the performance of the work;
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Agreement for Services 9333 with Evident Change, in the amount of $61,289, and for the term of four years from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2029;
3) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute amendments relating to Agreement 9333, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, which do not increase the maximum dollar amount or term of the Agreement; and
4) Authorize the HHSA Director, or the Chief Assistant Director, to execute programmatic, administrative, and fiscal documents relating to Agreement 9333.
FUNDING: 28% Federal Funding including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program (Title IV-B), Foster Care (Title IV-E), and 72% County Realignment Funding.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
Since 2004, Evident Change (previously known as the National Council on Crime and Delinquency) has provided the child welfare reporting service, along with ad-hoc analytics, identified as the Evident Change Internet Reporting Service and referred to as SafeMeasures. Evident Change is the only provider that has access to California’s Child Welfare Services (CWS)/Case Management System (CMS) raw data, and this data is critical for continuous quality improvement efforts. California Department of Social Services (CDSS) provides Evident Change with bi-weekly extracts from the statewide CWS/CMS database and uses SafeMeasures for its audits of county compliance. SafeMeasures uses the data from the CWS/CMS and publishes it via a conventional online browser in a customized series of reports, dashboards, scorecards, and key performance indicators. It permits County CWS and Probation staff to monitor service delivery activity and agency performance by navigating an extensive set of customized reports and dashboards presented in multiple formats that can be aggregated by time frame, location, assignment, or specific demographics and services.
This contract will allow HHSA CWS and Probation employees to continue to access SafeMeasures to inform case planning for families involved with the CWS and/or Probation systems. These reports permit counties to estimate current workload demand, plan more effective service interventions, and monitor certain performance indicators established by county, state, or federal regulatory requirements. Additionally, State legislature Assembly Bill (AB) 636 requires counties to be responsible for reporting on a series of measurements that provide key indicators of program outcomes, process and receipt of critical services; SafeMeasures allows for enhanced county-specific data needs that measure progress in achieving AB 636 outcome measures. SafeMeasures includes quality control displays that agencies may employ to improve compliance with state or federal performance audits. Evident Change will also provide SafeMeasures training(s) as requested by the County.
This proposed Agreement with Evident Change is a renewal of Agreement 6240. The proposed Agreement is needed to continue providing web-based reports for CWS and Probation. Continued access to SafeMeasures is necessary to ensure immediate access to timely reports to enable CWS and Probation to monitor service activity delivery data to improve outcomes while helping ensure HHSA meets State and Federal outcome measures as defined by AB 636.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation, HHSA will be unable to pay for the proprietary SafeMeasures software/services provided by Evident Change. CWS and Probation would be unable to obtain data for reporting and continuous quality improvement purposes which may result in workload demand issues, ineffective service intervention for CWS/Probation clients, and under-performance in relation to performance indicators as established by county, state, and federal regulatory requirements.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
06/15/10, 10-0528, DHS 6-15-10, National Council on Crime & Delinquency 005-S1110
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Approved by County Counsel, Human Resources, Information Technologies, and Risk Management.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no General Fund Cost associated with this agenda item. Sufficient appropriations were included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget request and will be included in future budgets for the term of the Agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS:
Clerk of the Board to obtain signature of Chair on one original Agreement for Services 9333.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
N/A
CONTACT:
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director, Health and Human Services Agency