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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Award Request for Proposal 21-952-041, to the response identified as most appropriate by the evaluation panel, Compassion Pathway Behavioral Health LLC, to start-up and operate a licensed six(6)-bed Social Rehabilitation Facility (SRF) in El Dorado County (County);
2) Approve the one-time use of Mental Health Services Act funding in the amount of $122,673 for the start-up costs of a licensed six-(6) bed SRF in the County; and
3) Authorize HHSA to negotiate a three (3) year Agreement for Services with Compassion Pathway Behavioral Health LLC, for an estimated budget of $2,040,196, which includes the one-time start-up cost, for Fiscal Years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24.
FUNDING: 100% State and Federal funding consisting of a combination of Medi-Cal Reimbursement and Mental Health Services Act funding.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The State of California (CA) Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) contracts with the County to provide Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) to Medi-Cal beneficiaries who meet eligibility criteria for mental health services. Among these SMHS services is the provision and continuum of community-based housing, including Adult Residential Facilities (ARFs) and Social Rehabilitation Facilities (SRFs), to house and care for eligible adults with mental illness in the County. Welfare and Institutions (W&I) Code Section 5897 directs the State to implement the mental health services defined in the W&l Code Section 5800 (Adult and Older Adult Mental Health System of Care Act) through contracts with county mental health programs or with counties acting jointly.
The Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), on behalf of the County, contracts with the State to serve as the local Mental Health Plan (MHP). As the County MHP, HHSA currently contracts with Summitview Child & Family Services, Inc. (Summitview) (Agreement 862, 456-S1411) to operate a licensed Adult Residential Facility (ARF) in the County and provide adult residential treatment services to six (6) County clients on an as-needed basis. Summitview’s Agreement for Services for the ARF is effective through June 30, 2022, however Summitview has communicated their intent to terminate this Agreement as scheduled and intends to close their program.
As a result of this planned ARF closure, on May 21, 2021, the Chief Administrative Office (CAO) Procurement and Contracts Division, released Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 21-952-041, which was requested by the HHSA to solicit responses for the development and operations of a licensed in-County adult residential facility to be located on the West Slope of the County, intended to house and support six (6) or more adult residents (County Clients) with mental illness. Two (2) proposals were received that met the requirements of the RFP, and both proposals were evaluated by a panel of three (3) evaluators with knowledge of HHSA’s adult residential treatment needs.
ARF and SRF licensing and operations requirements in the State are regulated by the California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 22, Division 6, and by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). Both proposers certified that the operations and licensing of an in-County residential treatment facility for adults with mental illness would be in adherence with all regulations and licensing requirements, and as required by CCR Title 2, Division 6 and the CDSS.
One (1) proposal evaluated was for a licensed Social Rehabilitation Facility (SRF) to be developed in the County, which is an enhanced adult residential facility that provides 24-hour-a day non-medical care and supervision in a group setting to adults recovering from mental illness who temporarily need assistance, guidance, or counseling. An SRF is designed to offer non-permanent residential treatment care for up to eighteen (18)-months. Due to the added service components that an SRF delivers to support residents, and given that County clients receiving residential treatment services are continually evaluated for readiness to step down into a lower level of care and that residency is not intended for long-term or beyond eighteen (18)-months, the proposal was included in the evaluation for an in-County adult residential facility.
As a result of this evaluative process, HHSA has selected the most successful proposer to the RFP, Compassion Pathway Behavioral Health LLC, to start-up and operate a licensed SRF in the County and to offer adult residential treatment services to County clients. Compassion Pathway Behavioral Health is a Limited Liability Company (LLC) that currently operates Garfield Wellness and Recovery Center, a licensed Social Rehabilitation Facility, in Sacramento, CA. Compassion Pathway Behavioral Health LLC has proposed to offer interim housing to County clients in their licensed SRF in Sacramento (if needed) until the licensing for the County-located residential facility has been obtained and is operational.
Contingent upon execution of an Agreement for Services by the County, Compassion Pathway Behavioral Health LLC intends to develop and obtain licensing for a six (6) bed SRF located in the West Slope of the County, with dedicated bed use for County clients, within an estimated six (6) month timeframe. HHSA intends to use available Medi-Cal and Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding to prioritize the rehousing of existing County clients from the Summitview operated ARF, as well to provide adult residential treatment services to future clients that are stepping down from a locked restrictive facility or who may need assisted residential services to prevent being placed into a locked facility, into the newly developed SRF resulting from the award of this RFP.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to award RFP 21-952-041, existing County clients residing at the Summitview operated facility will be relocated to out-of-county facilities, which will result in an increased risk of being placed into a higher level or care such as a locked psychiatric setting or Mental Health Rehabilitation Center. This would occur at a high expense to El Dorado County through the use of Behavioral Health Realignment funding. Having a licensed adult residential SRF located in the County is needed to allow mental health clients stepping down from locked care facility placement to be placed in a less restrictive residential care facility, which is more appropriate to meet their level of care while also not utilizing behavioral health realignment funding on high cost placement costs.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
Item No. 14-0446, 5/13/2014, Agenda No. 31 - Board approved prior Agreement for Services for In-County located Adult Residential Facility.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Chief Administrative Office, Procurement and Contracts Division.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agenda item, as the final agreement will be brought back to the Board for approval. For the agreement to be negotiated, sufficient appropriations for MHSA funds are included in the current Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22 budget and will be included in subsequent FY budgets, upon approval of the final Agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Clerk of the Board to provide a copy of the approved Minute Order to the HHSA Contracts Unit at 3057 Briw Road, Suite B.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
County Strategic Goal: “Healthy Communities, Improved Health, Well-being, and Self-sufficiency of El Dorado County communities, residents, and visitors.”
CONTACT
Don Semon, Director