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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 Chapter 3.13, Contracting Out, that specialty skills and qualifications not expressly identified in County classifications are involved in the performance of the work of Agreement for Services 7940 with Sierra Child and Family Services, Inc. for outpatient Specialty Mental Health Services;
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Amendment II to Agreement for Services 7940 with Sierra Child and Family Services, Inc., increasing the contract value by $27,053, for the initial 18-month term ending on December 31, 2024, for a revised initial term amount of $3,282,053, and adding an optional one year term extension through December 31, 2025, and an additional $2,100,000 for this term extension, for a new maximum not-to-exceed amount of $5,382,053, if the extension is granted and a term not to exceed 30 months, with no change to the rates of the contract;
3) Authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute amendments relating to Agreement 7940, 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 7940.
FUNDING: Federal and State Funding: 76% Federal Medi-Cal, 1% Realignment, and 23% Mental Health Services Act.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The Mental Health Plan (MHP) in each county is responsible for providing or arranging for the provision of Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) to residents that are Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Beneficiaries become eligible for SMHS when an identified mental health condition has a significant impact on the individual's life functioning. HHSA’s Behavioral Health Division (BHD) serves as the El Dorado County (EDC) MHP and thereby has the obligation to provide eligible children, youth, and young adult residents with access to designated SMHS, in accordance with California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 5600 et seq., 1400 et seq., and 1700 et seq.
SCFS provides SMHS for clients requiring a high level of treatment interventions and supportive services to reach their treatment goals. A continued agreement with sufficient funding with SCFS would ensure the ongoing provision of SMHS to EDC Clients while ensuring compliance with all federal and state requirements, and it will uphold parameters such as consistency in service delivery expectations, performance measures and outcomes and productivity.
The original Agreement 7940 was approved by the Board on August 15, 2023, (Legistar file 23-0985) and Amendment I of the Agreement was approved on December 12, 2023, (Legistar file 23-2114). The Children's SMHS system utilizes a dynamic referral system, placing clients among the four current contract providers depending on capacity, specialty, location, and several other factors. The Children's Full-Service Partnership (FSP) project did not fully expend the annual allotment approved in the Fiscal Year (FY) 23-26 Three-Year MHSA Plan, as three provider contracts spent well under their contracted amount. This under-spending provides offset budget to support the $27,053 increase to the SCFS contract.
On May 16, 2024, on behalf of HHSA, the Chief Administrative Office (CAO) Procurement and Contracts (P&C) Division, released Request for Qualifications (RFQ) 24-0051, to solicit responses for the operation of County-wide SMHS. On July 15, 2024, CAO P&C posted the RFQ’s resulting Qualified List, determining that SCFS was deemed qualified to provide SHMS in the County. The resulting competitive bid agreement with SCFS, which will ensure continuity in SMHS services has not yet been finalized.
HHSA recommends approval of this agenda item to ensure continuity of SMHS services in the interim while the renewal agreement is being developed and to allow HHSA to utilize unspent FY 2023-24 MHSA funding.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve these recommendations, HHSA would continue to provide services through other contracts with other vendors but would be limited in its capacity to provide SMHS and clients currently receiving services from SCFS may experience a disruption in the continuity of SMHS.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 08/15/23, 23-0985, HHSA Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) Youth Renewal Agreements
2) 12/12/23, 23-2114, HHSA Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) Amendment I to Agreements 7928, 7937, 7938, 7940, and 7944
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Approved by County Counsel, Human Resources, and Risk Management. The Auditor Controller has been notified per Policy B-12.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with this agenda item. Sufficient appropriations have been included in HHSA’s Fiscal Year 2024-25 Budget and will be included in future budgets for the term of the Agreement, as well as Medi-Cal reimbursement as appropriate.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Clerk of the Board to obtain signature of Chair on one (1) original Amendment II to Agreement 7940.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
N/A
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director, Health and Human Services Agency