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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Make findings that the provision of Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP) services provided by MAXIMUS Human Services are in the public's best interest and that there are specialty skills, qualifications, and equipment not expressly identified in County classifications involved in the performance of the work in accordance with El Dorado County Ordinance Code, Chapter 3.13.030(B);
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Amendment I to Agreement for Services 6410 with MAXIMUS Human Services, to increase the maximum obligation by $45,000, bringing total compensation to $95,000, revise the Scope of Services to add co-location language and expand the provision of services for Adult Protective Services (APS) clients, update the Contract Administrator, and add Exhibit G for the Acceptance of Liability for Borrowed Keys/Entry Cards by the Contractor; and
3) Authorize the HHSA Director, or the Assistant Director of Human Services to execute further documents relating to Agreement for Services 6410, including amendments, contingent upon County Counsel and Risk Management approval, which do not increase the maximum dollar amount or term of the Agreement.
FUNDING: 47% California Department of Social Services Home Safe Program funding and 53% Housing Disability Advocacy Program funding.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The County of El Dorado Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Social Services Division administers the Self Sufficiency Housing Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP) and the Adult Protective Services Home Safe Programs.
The HDAP was established in 2016 by Assembly Bill 1603 (Chapter 25, Statutes of 2016) and updated by Senate Bill 80 (Chapter 27, Statutes 2019) to assist people experiencing homelessness who are likely eligible for disability benefits by providing advocacy for those benefits as well as housing supports. The Budget Act of 2021 appropriated the ongoing, annual HDAP appropriation of $175 million in additional one-time funding for HDAP in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22. Of the total amount available in FY 2021-22, $133.75 million was allocated as non-competitive State funding, available to all counties and federally recognized tribes throughout California, to establish, continue, and expand housing and homelessness assistance through the HDAP. The one-time, non-competitive HDAP allocation for El Dorado County for FY 2021-22 was $625,238. On November 16, 2021 (File ID 21-1691) the Board authorized the HHSA Director to execute the resulting funding agreement from said allocation due to the tight timeline required to return the document to the state.
The Home Safe Program is administered by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and provides non-competitive funding to county and tribal APS jurisdictions to provide safety, housing stability, and homelessness prevention services to clients served by Adult Protective Services. The CDSS requires Home Safe grantees to consult with their broader homelessness response system as they develop and implement the Home Safe Program in their community. Home Safe Programs should serve participants until housing stability is reached or a connection to longer-term permanent housing is made, which may require short, medium, or long-term supports depending on the individual’s needs. Grantees operating local Home Safe Programs can utilize a range of strategies to prevent homelessness and increase housing stability for APS clients, consistent with Housing First Principles that address and prevent homelessness among eligible adults being served or going through intake by local APS jurisdictions, including but not limited to: housing-related case management, short-term housing related financial assistance, eviction prevention, landlord mediation, mental health services, and housing navigation services. This funding was accepted as a non-competitive funding allocation administered by the CDSS on October 25, 2022 (File ID 22-1836)
In accordance with the California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) Section 15771(c)(2), APS programs participating in the Home Safe Program must assess each APS client’s housing needs to create an individualized case plan for meeting those needs, with the plan to be developed in coordination with a multidisciplinary team that may include housing program providers, mental health providers, local law enforcement, legal assistance providers, and others as deemed relevant by the APS agency. Accordingly, the County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) APS program developed a letter of support and performed outreach in early 2022 with potential internal and external partnering agencies to identify parties interested in serving on a Home Safe multidisciplinary team in the County.
Agreement for Services 6410 with MAXIMUS Human Services was executed with Purchasing Agent signature authority on July 22, 2022, for the maximum obligation amount of $50,000. HHSA utilizes this agreement to provide Housing and Disability Advocacy Program (HDAP) services related to disability benefit application assistance for clients, including Social Security and income screening, application assistance, document readiness, and reconsideration hearings/disability reviews.
Amendment I to Agreement for Services 6410 will allow for the utilization of these services for APS Home Safe Program clients and will increase the maximum obligation amount to $95,000, revise the Scope of Services to add co-location language, update the Contract Administrator, and will add Exhibit G for the Acceptance of Liability for Borrowed Keys/Entry Cards by the Contractor.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation, Adult Protective Services would not be able to provide these services to their Home Safe Program clients and the co-location language in the contract would not be the most recent approved by County Counsel. Self Sufficiency would still be able to utilize the contract for their HDAP clients.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 10/25/22, 22-1820, HHSA Housing and Disability Advocacy Program Funding FY 2022- 23
2) 10/25/22, 22-1836, Home Safe Program allocation acceptance FY 2022-23
3) 11/16/21, 21-1691, HHSA Housing and Disability Advocacy Program 2021
4) 11/16/21, 21-1711, Home Safe Program allocation acceptance FY 2021-22
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Approved by County Counsel, Human Resources, 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 2022-23 budget and will be included in future budgets for the term of the Agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Clerk of the Board to obtain signature of Chair on one (1) original Amendment I to Agreement for Services 6410
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Interim Director, Health and Human Services Agency