Title
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board:
1) Authorize the HHSA Director to submit a grant application to the California Department of Public Health for the Local Oral Health Program for an estimated $845,180 in funding, for a grant term beginning January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2022;
2) Delegate authority to the HHSA Director to accept funding and execute the grant agreement, if awarded, including any extension(s) or amendment(s) thereto, contingent upon County Counsel and Risk Management Approval; and
3) Authorize the HHSA Director, Assistant Director of Administration and Finance, or Chief Fiscal Officer, to administer any agreement or subsequent administrative documents relating to said award, including required fiscal and programmatic reports.
FUNDING: State Funding.
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board authorize the HHSA Director to submit a grant application to the California Department of Public Health for the Local Oral Health Program Grant, for a term beginning January 1, 2018, or upon award, and ending June 30, 2022, with an estimated amount of $845,180. Additionally, HHSA is recommending the Board delegate authority to the HHSA Director to execute any subsequent funding agreement, contingent upon approval by County Counsel and Risk Management, and authorize the HHSA Director, Assistant Director of Administration and Finance, or Chief Fiscal Officer, to administer any agreement or subsequent administrative documents relating to said award, including required fiscal and programmatic reports.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On August 23, 2017, the California Department of Public Health, Oral Health Program, released a funding announcement for the Local Health Jurisdiction Local Oral Health Program. The purpose of this grant program is to assist each of California’s 61 designated Local Health Jurisdictions in the development or expansion of their Local Oral Health Program. This is accomplished by creating and expanding capacity at the local level to educate, prevent disease, and provide linkages to treatment programs, including dental disease caused by the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products. The grant will fund activities in the community including education, disease prevention, case management, and disease surveillance. These activities will be framed within a logic model that will provide for efforts achieving measurable outcomes that can be independently evaluated.
As the designated Local Health Jurisdiction is the County’s Department of Public Health, HHSA’s efforts in the grant will begin with establishing a Local Oral Health Program within the County. The Local Oral Health Grant Program Guidelines include five (5) objectives for establishing the Local Oral Health Program, which include: establishing the program structure and staffing patterns organizationally; creating a workgroup to conduct a local needs assessment and publish the results; identifying and documenting all assets and resources available to support the project, developing an action plan that includes key staff members, timeframes, and objectives; and developing an Evaluation Plan for determining the success of project efforts. HHSA would request the addition of a 1.0 limited term full-time equivalent allocation to coordinate the grant activities for the duration of the grant period, and may also contract for the Local Oral Health Program based on the findings of the local needs assessment. Following the establishment of the Local Oral Health Program within the County, the County may begin additional objectives aimed at reducing incidents of oral health disease.
Currently, grant funding limits this Local Oral Health program to four and one-half (4.5) years. While there is a possibility that funding could continue past the anticipated term of the grant, funding past June 30, 2022 has not yet been identified. If alternative funding is identified HHSA would return to the Board toward the end of the grant funding period to update the Board; if alternative funding is not identified past June 30, 2022, the program would be discontinued.
As a requirement of the Local Oral Health Grant application, the County must identify a Grant Signatory, an individual who is authorized to sign the resulting grant agreement. While Board policy provides the HHSA Director with the authority to apply for grant opportunities, the Board would need to authorize the Director to apply for the grant and delegate authority to execute any subsequent agreement in order for the Director to meet the grant’s definition of a Grant Signatory.
While the Grant application indicates a due date of September 20, 2017, the State has agreed to allow a late submission with a tenative deadline of November 22, 2017.
ALTERNATIVES
Should the Board decline to authorize the application, the County would be ineligible for the Local Oral Health Program Grant.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel and Risk Management.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agenda Item.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Clerk of the Board to provide a Certified Minute Order to HHSA upon approval of Minutes by the Board.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Health and Human Services Agency Strategic Plan Project 2.4 “Efficiency in Funding”
County Strategic Plan “Healthy Communities” Objective: “Protect against adverse outcomes among children, adults, and seniors.”
CONTACT
Patricia Charles-Heathers, Ph.D.