REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 9, 2022
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Memorandum of Understanding with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools for Implementation of Assembly Bill 86 Safe Schools for All Program Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Memorandum of Understanding with San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, including non-standard terms, to provide support for Safe Schools for All Program through activities related to self-care, social emotional intelligence, and student voice in the amount of $300,000, for the contract period of August 9, 2022 through December 31, 2022.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
Focus on Recovery and Resiliency Following Major Emergency Responses such as the December 2, 2015 Terrorist Attack (SB Strong) and the Global COVID-19 Pandemic.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Reimbursement made to San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS) by the Department of Public Health (DPH) is not to exceed $300,000 and is funded by COVID-19 Assembly Bill (AB) 86 Safe Schools for All (Safe Schools). Adequate appropriation and revenue are included in DPH’s 2022-23 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The California Legislature passed AB 86 - a COVID-19 relief package - which included funding for In-Person Instruction (IPI) and Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO). Governor Newsom signed AB 86 into law on March 5, 2021. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) provided a Notice of Award dated May 12, 2021, to San Bernardino County for the Safe Schools funding, in the amount of $350,000, for the period of May 12, 2021 to June 30, 2022. The funding period for Safe Schools services was extended through December 31, 2022. The goal of the funding is to allow Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJs) to partner with County Offices of Education to increase risk mitigation strategies and address barriers to IPI, with specific emphasis on the most at-risk school districts.
In May 2021, DPH staff began internal discussions and reached out to personnel from SBCSS to collaborate and meet Safe Schools objectives. Through this collaborative engagement, a work plan (Plan) was developed that focused on the safety and health of students, staff, and their families, with the overarching goal to return students to the classroom for in-person learning in order to achieve optimal outcomes educationally, emotionally, and socially for K-12 students in San Bernardino County. The Plan included hosting mini-workshops (virtually and in-person where permitted) at various school sites for parents and children who may be reluctant regarding the student’s return to IPI. It also included public health education and resources for COVID-19 safety mitigation including access to masks, hand sanitizers, other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), testing, and up-to-date information/resources for vaccines. Public Health utilized their Health Ambassador teams to provide multiple education sessions over the course of the Plan to school administrators, parents/families and students.
The recommended Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allows for delivery of Safe Schools services by providing enhanced support for mental and behavioral health services, social emotional intelligence, and engagement with student voices and family/parent advisory groups to ensure services are being provided through the MOU. SBCSS will partner to provide Wellness Together, Inner Explorer, and Youth Truth, which are programs designed to provide a safer and supporting environment, mindfulness, and engagement for students throughout local schools.
Either party may terminate the agreement without cause with 30 days written notice. Both parties will develop and implement procedures to administer and document program participation, compliance, and effectiveness.
The MOU with SBCSS includes the following terms that differ from the standard County contract terms:
The MOU does not require SBCSS to meet the County’s insurance or indemnity standards as required pursuant to County Policy 11-07.
• The County standard contract requires contractors to carry appropriate insurance at limits and under conditions determined by the County’s Risk Management Department.
• Potential Impact: The MOU does not include County standard insurance or indemnity requirements. However, SBCSS is a self-insured public entity for purposes of Professional Liability, General Liability, Automobile Liability and Workers’ Compensation and agrees through the MOU to indemnify the County from liability arising from SBCSS’ acts or omissions any which is sufficient to protect the County against liabilities arising out of the performance of the terms, conditions or obligations of this MOU.
DPH recommends approval of this item, including non-standard terms, to formalize a partnership between SBCSS and DPH, educate families, and enable schools to operate safely in the County.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager,
388-0241) on July 11, 2022; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 12, 2022; Risk Management (Victor Tordesillas, Director, 386-8623) on July 18, 2022; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on July 19, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on July 26, 2022.