REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 24, 2022
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Interim Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for Residential Co-Occurring Treatment Services for Forensic Clients
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contracts with the following agencies to provide residential co-occurring treatment services for forensic clients, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $1,271,855, for the contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2027:
1. Social Science Services, Inc, dba Cedar House Life Change Center
2. Veterans Alcoholic Rehabilitation Program, Inc.
(Presenter: Georgina Yoshioka, Interim Director, 388-0801)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total aggregate contract amount of $1,271,855 for residential co-occurring treatment services is funded by Mental Health Services Act, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Community Services Mental Health Block Grant, and Assembly Bill 109 Public Safety Realignment. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2022-23 recommended budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
As the Mental Health Plan for the County, DBH is required to provide an array of behavioral health services. DBH utilizes a network of providers in the most cost effective manner possible for these services. Social Science Services, Inc. dba Cedar House Life Change Center (Cedar House) and the Veterans Alcoholic Rehabilitation Program, Inc. (VARP) provide monitored residential co-occurring treatment beds for individuals with mental health and/or co-occurring disorders. The recommended contracts with Cedar House and VARP will allow DBH to continue referring clients enrolled in DBH’s Supervised Treatment After Release (STAR), Community Supervised Treatment After Release (CSTAR), and Choosing Healthy Options to Instill Change and Empowerment (CHOICE) programs to receive residential co-occurring treatment services.
STAR, CSTAR, and CHOICE clients are living with a serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) or with SPMI in addition to a substance use disorder, known as co-occurring disorders, and have a history of contact with the criminal justice system. It is anticipated that Cedar House and VARP will provide a total of 24 beds for approximately 96 clients annually, at an average cost of $2,650 per client.
Cedar House and VARP have extensive experience in providing residential treatment services and performing in a multi-faceted service delivery system. They meet the unique needs of STAR, CSTAR and CHOICE program participants by serving forensic clients (those with a history of contact with the criminal justice system) with mental health and substance use disorders in a residential substance use disorder treatment setting, working as part of a multi-disciplinary treatment team with the Mental Health Court system and Probation, and having close geographic proximity to the STAR, CSTAR and CHOICE treatment programs located in Colton. Additionally, the agencies will provide transportation for the STAR, CSTAR and CHOICE participants to community resources, medical services and outpatient programs, based on individual treatment needs.
PROCUREMENT
Due to the nature of the services provided under this contract, it is required that the agencies have a current contract for substance use disorder and recovery services (SUDRS) for residential treatment services with DBH. DBH contacted the five providers that met the current SUDRS residential treatment contract requirement to determine their ability and willingness to provide these specialized services. The two recommended agencies expressed willingness and ability to provide services, while the other three agencies declined. Purchasing supports the non-competitive contracts with a specialized services justification.
The recommended non-competitive contracts will ensure the County continues to provide Residential Co-Occurring Treatment Services for Forensic Clients. DBH will monitor contract performance on a regular basis to ensure performance and compliance standards are met by reviewing monthly reports, ongoing site visits to review client progress, as well as an annual program review. The provider invoices will be reviewed and approved by DBH Programs to ensure clients and bed count are accurate prior to being forwarded to DBH Fiscal for payment. DBH Fiscal will verify signatures, bed rate and total cost prior to issuing payment.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health Contracts (Ellayna Hoatson, Contracts Supervisor, 388-0858) on April 19, 2022; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 22, 2022; Purchasing (Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyer, 387-2148) on March 25, 2022; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on May 3, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on May 10, 2022.