REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 20, 2024
FROM
JEANY ZEPEDA, Director, Children and Family Services
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Agreement with the University of Denver for Student Internship
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Agreement with the University of Denver, including non-standard terms, for student interns to receive field experience in social work under the supervision of Children and Family Services, effective August 20, 2024 through August 19, 2025.
(Presenter: Jeany Zepeda, Director, 387-2792)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost) as the Agreement with the University of Denver (DU) is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The recommended Agreement with DU will provide opportunities for students to receive supervised field experience within Children and Family Services (CFS) in preparation for professional social work practice. Through this Agreement, CFS will provide learning experiences that will help students receive the skills they need to prosper in the 21st century economy, which aligns with the Countywide Vision2Succeed Initiative. Field experience provides opportunities for students to apply and integrate the knowledge, theories, and concepts of social work practice that they learn throughout DU’s social work curriculum. Field experience is an essential element of DU’s educational process for professional social work practice.
Under the Agreement, CFS will work with DU to provide support to students as they engage in field experience. Integration of classroom learning with agency-based practice allows social work students to observe and participate in CFS programs and activities to gain an understanding of the benefits and challenges that CFS and its diverse client populations face. CFS will designate a qualified individual (Field Instructor) to coordinate each student’s learning experience and supervise that student throughout the program. The Field Instructor will use this program as an opportunity to lead students to a personal understanding of their responsibilities and the rewards of a professional social work practice.
The Agreement is required by DU and omits certain County standard contract terms, which include the following:
1. The Agreement is silent on insurance coverage.
• County policy requires contractors to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the County’s Risk Management Department and as set forth in County policy and in the County standard contract.
• Potential Impact: The County has no assurance that DU will be financially responsible for claims that may arise under the Agreement, which could result in the County being solely liable for any potential costs of defense and damages.
2. The Agreement is silent on indemnification.
• The County standard contract indemnity provision requires the contractor to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the County and its authorized officers, employees, agents, and volunteers from any and all claims, actions, losses, damages, and/or liability arising out of the Agreement, except where such indemnification is prohibited by law.
• Potential Impact: DU is not required to defend, indemnify, or hold the County harmless from any and all claims, actions, losses, damages, or liability arising out of the Agreement. If the County is sued for any claim arising under the Agreement, the County may be solely liable for the costs of defense and damages.
CFS recommends approval of the Agreement with DU, including the non-standard terms, to provide opportunities for students to receive supervised field experience within CFS in preparation for professional social work practice and to provide learning experiences that will help students prosper in the 21st century, aligning with the Countywide Vision2Suceed Initiative.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on June 10, 2024; County Counsel (Daniella V. Hernandez, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 9, 2024; Risk Management (Gregory Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst II, 386-9008) on July 10, 2024; Finance (John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on August 5, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on August 5, 2024.