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Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Accept Amendment I of Grant Agreement 22-10552 (County Agreement 6571) for the Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) Workforce Development Grant, administered by the California Department of Public Health, reducing the total amount of $601,680 by $240,672, resulting in a new total of $361,008, and extending the term and performance period of December 31, 2025, to January 31, 2026; and
2) Delegate authority to the HHSA Director to execute Amendment I to Grant Agreement 6571, the California Civil Rights Laws form, and future amendments that do not increase Net County Cost, contingent upon County Counsel and Risk Management approval, and subsequent administrative documents or required fiscal or programmatic reports.
FUNDING: 100% Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Federal funding authorized pursuant to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, appropriated for the DIS Workforce Development Grant. This funding is administered by the California Department of Public Health for local public health infrastructure to address infectious disease prevention and control; no matching funds are required.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
On May 17, 2021, CDPH Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Branch (STDCB) announced the availability of approximately $10 million in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) federal funds, starting in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22, for the support of governmental public health response to infectious diseases.
On October 8, 2021, the CDPH STDCB notified the HHSA Public Health Division (PHD), via a Notice of Intent to Award letter, of the DIS Workforce Development Grant available to fund DIS workforce development activities and to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases. As outlined in the letter, CDC is awarding funding totaling $200 million to 59 state, local, and territorial project areas, to strengthen county health departments’ infectious diseases prevention and control activities and DIS Workforce Development. On March 28, 2022, the CDPH notified the HHSA PHD that their DIS Workforce Development Grant submission had been awarded, providing funding agreement No. 21-10552, with a retroactive term from July 1, 2021, through December 31, 2025. Subsequently, on May 10, 2022, the Board approved the DIS Workforce Development Grant Agreement 22-10552 (County Agreement 6571) for a five-year allocation totaling $601,680 (File ID 22-0633).
The purpose of the DIS Workforce Development Grant was for Public Health jurisdictions to develop, expand, train, and sustain the disease intervention workforce to address projected jurisdictional STDs, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and other related infectious disease prevention and response needs. This included priority hiring of front-line public health workforce (DIS and DIS supervisors) and supporting roles to ensure the success of frontline DIS response and outbreak efforts. The funding was utilized by HHSA PHD to support two Public Health Disease Specialist positions, including one Public Health Disease Specialist and one DIS Public Health Nurse (PHN) Supervisor. They performed outbreak response investigations, counseling, and educational work related to HIV disease, STDs, tuberculosis, and other communicable diseases, particularly during outbreaks. Additionally, HHSA PHD focused on key strategic targets: increasing capacity for disease investigation, improving linkage to prevention and treatment, providing case management and oversight, and expanding outbreak response for STD, HIV, and other infectious diseases.
On October 6, 2023, CDPH informed the HHSA PHD of that they would be issuing Amendment I to Agreement 22-10552 (County No. 7471), extending the grant agreement's end date and reducing the total grant budget by removing funding amounts for Years 4 and 5. Budget revisions were requested for the periods of January 1, 2024, through January 31, 2025, and February 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026, to include the projected amount to be spent.
Subsequently, on March 25, 2024, the CDPH released said Amendment I. This amendment reduced the total award amount from $601,680 to $361,008, and extended the term and performance period from December 31, 2025, to January 31, 2026. HHSA must execute Amendment I of Grant Agreement 22-10552 and provide it to CDPH by May 10, 2024.
HHSA recommends the Board accept this Amendment I to enable PHD to continue utilizing these grant funds for the additional one-month term.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation, the County would be ineligible to participate in the DIS Workforce Development Grant.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
05/10/22, 22-0633, HHSA Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) Workforce Development Grant Acceptance
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel, Risk Management
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 2023-24 Budget and will be included in future budgets for the term of the Agreement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS:
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Director, Health and Human Services Agency