REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 24, 2024
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for 0-5 Comprehensive Treatment Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contracts, with the following list of agencies, for the provision of 0-5 Comprehensive Treatment Services, in an amount not to exceed $91,084,174, for the contract period of October 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028:
1. Citrus Counseling Services, Inc., in the amount of $9,662,171.
2. California Association of Health and Educational Linked Professions, Joint Powers Authority, in the amount of $38,840,539.
3. Hearts & Lives, in the amount of $2,243,696.
4. Lutheran Social Services of Southern California, in the amount of $3,739,493.
5. Victor Community Support Services, Inc., in the amount of $22,495,665.
6. West End Family Counseling Services, in the amount of $14,102,610.
(Presenter: Georgina Yoshioka, Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
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 recommended contracts, totaling $91,084,174, are funded by Memorandum of Understanding with Children and Families Commission for San Bernardino County (First 5), Federal Financial Participation Medi-Cal fund, and Mental Health Services Act . The Desert/Mountain Children’s Center under the California Association of Health and Educational Linked Professions Joint Powers Authority (JPA), will provide matching funds reimbursement of up to $2,070,634 ($552,169 annually over the three-year nine month term of the contract) for children and youth who receive mental health services offered through its center. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2024-25 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DBH is responsible for providing mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services to San Bernardino County (County) residents experiencing severe mental illness and/or SUD. An integral part of the service delivery system consists of County-operated clinics and contracted service providers delivering a variety of mental health treatment services. This includes 0-5 Comprehensive Treatment Services (0-5 CTS), which is a Mental Health Services Act Prevention and Early Intervention program administered through DBH Children and Youth Collaborative Services unit. The 0-5 CTS program is comprised of two programs with services provided countywide: Screening, Assessment, Referral, and Treatment (SART) and Early Identification and Intervention Services (EIIS).
The SART program is designed to improve social, developmental, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning of children ages 0-5. These children have been diagnosed with mental health disorders that require specialty mental health services. Children referred to SART have experienced abuse (e.g., physical, sexual, or emotional), neo-natal issues (e.g., premature birth, poor maternal nutrition, and/or prenatal exposure to alcohol or other drugs), family issues (e.g., family violence, family substance use disorders, maternal mental illness), or been involved in the foster care system. For children who begin SART services before their sixth birthday, services may continue until their seventh birthday.
The EIIS program provides services to children ages 0-9 who struggle with social-emotional disturbances or display developmental concerns that require less intensive, short-term interventions. Services focus on children identified as unserved, underserved, or who have been referred from SART through the universal screening process.
DBH anticipates that the recommended providers will provide 0-5 CTS services to approximately 2,243 SART clients annually at an estimated cost of $7,000 per client, and 1,108 EIIS clients annually at an estimated cost of $7,745 per client.
On June 27, 2023 (Item No. 45), the Board of Supervisors approved the revenue Memorandum of Understanding with Children and Families Commission for San Bernardino County (First 5) for the reimbursement of services provided through the 0-5 CTS program, in the amount of $7,823,368, for the period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2028.
DBH will also implement mechanisms to regularly review 1) client service data and progress, conduct site visits and annual monitoring to ensure performance and compliance standards of the contract(s) are met; 2) applicable claims data and claims for reimbursement to ensure fidelity and accuracy of service billing and optimization of Medi-Cal reimbursement in alignment with Contract terms and Department of Health Care Services billing requirements; and 3) provider invoices administratively to ensure client and/or bed counts are accurate prior to payment processing.
PROCUREMENT
On March 27, 2024, the County Administrative Office approved and authorized the release of Request for Proposals (RFP) No. DBHE24-ADMN-5334 through the County’s Electronic Procurement Network (ePro), to solicit interested and qualified organizations and agencies to provide 0-5 CTS, for the period of October 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028. The RFP was advertised through direct mailings to 614 community-based organizations, educational providers, service providers and other interested parties; and advertised in local newspapers.
A proposal conference was held on April 2, 2024. Thirteen proposals were received in response to the RFP by the established deadline. The 13 agencies listed below met the procurement conditions and were moved forward for further evaluation:
|
Agency |
Proposed Region(s) to be served |
Proposed Service(s) to be provided |
Total Proposed Amount |
|
Citrus Counseling Services, Inc. |
East Valley |
SART & EIIS |
$10,671,655 |
|
Lutheran Social Services |
High Desert/Mountain |
EIIS only |
$4,151,858 |
|
West End Family Counseling |
West Valley and East Valley |
SART & EIIS |
$15,527,104 |
|
Koinonia Family Services |
West Valley, East Valley, High Desert/Mountain, and Eastern Desert |
EIIS only |
$1,276,080 |
|
Pacific Clinics |
East Valley, High Desert/Mountain, and Eastern Desert |
EIIS only |
$9,532,219 |
|
ChildNet |
West Valley, East Valley, High Desert/Mountain, and Eastern Desert |
SART & EIIS |
$8,828,052 |
|
Hearts & Lives |
East Valley, and High Desert/Mountain |
EIIS only |
$2,678,172 |
|
Victor Community Support Services |
East Valley |
SART & EIIS |
$23,995,380 |
|
McKinley Children’s Center |
West Valley, East Valley, High Desert/Mountain, and Eastern Desert |
SART & EIIS |
$35,305,520 |
|
California Association of Health and Educational Linked Professions, JPA |
High Desert/Mountain, and Eastern Desert |
SART & EIIS |
$69,435,571 |
|
Building Bridges Foster Family Agency |
West Valley |
SART & EIIS |
$3,716,073 |
|
eTeam |
None specified |
None specified |
$Nothing specified |
|
Ark Homes Foster Family Agency |
West Valley |
SART & EIIS |
$10,749,910 |
The evaluation committee was comprised of three individuals, including one from the Preschool Services Department and one DBH program staff member and one fiscal staff member. The evaluation committee evaluated the proposals based on criteria referenced in the RFP, including but not limited to: ability to serve target population, ability to provide required services, ability to serve the number of unduplicated participants indicated, ability to provide specified services by contract start date, experience in providing services described in RFP, staffing levels and requirements, appropriate facility location within proposed service area, facility layout (in geographic service option/area; near mass transit; facility layout; etc.), ability to provide required services in the specified geographic area and ability to perform outcome measures.
Based on the evaluation results, Citrus Counseling Services, Inc. is recommended for a contract award for SART & EIIS services for the East Valley region, Lutheran Social Services is recommended for a contract award for EIIS services for the High Desert/Mountain region (Barstow), West End Family Counseling is recommended for a contract award for SART & EIIS services for the West Valley , Hearts & Lives is recommended for a contract award for EIIS services for the High Desert/Mountain region (Crestline/Blue Jay), Victor Community Support Services, Inc. is recommended for a contract award for SART & EIIS services for the East Valley region, and California Association of Health and Educational Linked Professions, JPA is recommended for a contract award for SART & EIIS services for the High Desert/Mountain and Eastern Desert regions. The proposals submitted indicated these agencies will provide the most appropriate services and will be ready to provide services by the contract start date in the specified regions.
The agencies not recommended for contract award were notified by letter via electronic mail and letters were mailed out via United States Postal Service. The agencies were advised of their ability to submit a formal written protest to the Purchasing Director based on the criteria in the RFP. One written protest was received, reviewed, and denied.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Natalie Kessee, Senior Program Manager, 388-0858) on September 5, 2024; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 10, 2024; Purchasing (Jessica Barajas, Supervising Buyer, 387-2065) on September 9, 2024; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on September 10, 2024, and; County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on September 10, 2024.