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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Make findings pursuant to Section 3.13.030 (C) of the El Dorado County Ordinance Chapter 13, Contracting Out, that due to the limited timeframes and temporary or occasional nature of the work involved in as-needed after-hours emergency telephone answering services provided by Inland Southern California 211+ (ISC211+), the ongoing aggregate of work to be performed is not sufficient to warrant the addition of permanent staff;
2) Make findings in accordance with Procurement Policy C-17 Section 3.4(2f) to exempt Agreement for Services 10066 from the competitive bidding process, with Purchasing Agent concurrence, because “the procurement is for services where the continuity of providers will provide efficiency or critical knowledge, and other providers of the services cannot provide similar efficiencies or critical knowledge”;
3) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Agreement for Services 10066 with ISC211+, in the amount of $200,000 and for the term of three years from April 10, 2026, through April 9, 2029;
4) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute amendments relating to Agreement 10066, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, which do not increase the maximum dollar amount or term of the Agreement; and
5) Authorize the HHSA Director and the Chief Assistant Director to execute programmatic, administrative, and fiscal documents relating to Agreement 10066.
FUNDING: 37% Federal Funding, 21% State Funding, and 42% County Realignment Funding.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
HHSA Adult Protective Services (APS) and Child Welfare Services (CWS) are mandated to provide 24-hour telephone answering and call transfer services under various Welfare and Institutions Codes. The intent of the legislation is to provide an avenue for the community to contact these County divisions and programs at any time of day or night, even when the County offices are closed.
ISC211+ is Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) accredited, which is the only credential specifically geared to assess quality, compliance, and information exchange for information and referral service providers committed to improving access to human services. ISC211+ has operated its Contact Center since 2005 and has over 18 years of related experience in managing county/city government contracts for operating call lines for mandated and non-mandated Health and Human Services jurisdictions, serving both rural and urban populations. This includes operating telephone answering and call transfer services for mandated and non-mandated reports involving child and elder abuse/neglect, and those who are aging and/or have disabilities. As a result of this specialized experience and accreditation, and in accordance with Board of Supervisors Procurement Policy C-17, this agreement is exempt from competitive bidding, with Purchasing Agent concurrence, per Section 3.4 (2f) because the procurement is for services where the continuity of providers will provide efficiency or critical knowledge, and other providers of the services cannot provide similar efficiencies or critical knowledge.
This proposed Agreement with ISC211+ is a renewal of Agreement 6705, approved by the Purchasing Agent on April 3, 2023, and its Amendment I, approved by the Board on May 21, 2024 (Legistar file 24-0797), to provide the services described in this agenda item. The proposed Agreement would ensure the continuation of after-hours emergency telephone answering services without any service interruption. The increase in the maximum obligation from the prior agreement factors in the increased anticipated usage of services in APS and CWS.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve the renewal of the Inland Southern California 211+ agreement, the HHSA CWS and APS divisions/programs would have insufficient capacity to meet the mandated requirements for 24-hour telephone answering and call transfer services.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
05/21/24, 24-0797, HHSA C6705 A1
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel, Human Resources, Information Technologies, and Risk Management have reviewed the Agreement. The Auditor Controller was notified of this Agreement in accordance with Policy B-12.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this agenda item. Sufficient appropriations were included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 Budget 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 10066.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
N/A
CONTACT:
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director, Health and Human Services Agency