REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
January 27, 2026
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Acting Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Zero-Cost Vehicle Use Agreement with the California Department of Health Care Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Zero-Cost Vehicle Use Agreement, including non-standard terms, with the California Department of Health Care Services for the continued use of County vehicles purchased with the Crisis Care Mobile Units Grant for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2031.
(Presenter: Jennifer Alsina, Assistant 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) as the Agreement with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department of Behavioral Health (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. DBH’s Mobile Crisis Services program provides around-the-clock field-based crisis intervention services to the community. DBH Community Crisis Services (CCS) operates the Crisis Contact Center where incoming crisis calls are triaged. When a field response is warranted, a Community Crisis Response Team (CCRT) is dispatched. CCRTs provide mobile crisis services from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with a contracted provider delivering mobile crisis services from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. When safe and appropriate, mobile crisis teams are dispatched into the field to provide one-on-one crisis intervention at the location where the individual is experiencing the crisis.
On November 15, 2022 (Item No. 24), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contract No. 22-1096 accepting a grant award from DHCS for the Community Mobile Crisis and Non-Crisis Services (CMCS) grant, in the amount of $7,703,122, for the period of September 15, 2021 through June 30, 2025. The Board also approved Subcontractor Agreement No. 22-1097 with Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. on behalf of DHCS, for CMCS grant funding to establish or enhance existing Crisis Care Mobile Units (CCMU) in the amount of $7,703,122, for the existing grant period.
Following the acceptance of the CMCS grant from DHCS for the CCMUs, the County purchased six vehicles to support DBH CCS responses to behavioral health crisis calls. These vehicles are also used to transport individuals to psychiatric facilities and crisis stabilization units when necessary. By delivering timely crisis intervention and appropriate care, DBH CCS has demonstrated success in reducing law enforcement involvement and hospitalizations. CCRT has provided service to 19,994 unduplicated individuals utilizing the CCMU grant between the period of September 15, 2021 through June 30, 2025:
|
Budget Year |
Dates |
Total Number Unduplicated Served |
|
2021/22 |
September 15, 2021 through June 30, 2022 |
3,593 |
|
2022/23 |
July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 |
4,034 |
|
2023/24 |
July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 |
6,241 |
|
2024/25 |
July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 |
6,126 |
|
Total Served |
19,994 |
|
Average Served per Year |
4,999 |
DHCS retains ownership of County vehicles purchased with CCMU grant funds. DHCS issued a non-financial Vehicle Use Agreement (Agreement) which authorizes the use of these vehicles by the County to provide crisis services for an additional six-year period, through June 30, 2031. The Agreement contains non-standard terms that differ from the County standard contract terms, which include the following:
1. The County is required to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless DHCS against certain third-party claims.
• The County standard contract does not include any indemnification or defense by the County of a contractor.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to indemnify DHCS, the County could be contractually waiving the protection of sovereign immunity. Claims that may otherwise be barred against the County, time-limited, or expense-limited could be brought against DHCS without such limitations and the County could be responsible to defend and reimburse DHCS for costs, expenses, and damages, which could exceed the total non-financial Agreement amount.
2. The Agreement does not require DHCS to meet the County’s insurance standards as required pursuant to County Policies 11-05, 11-07 and 11-07SP.
• The County standard contract 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 DHCS will be financially responsible for claims that may arise under the Agreement, which could exceed the non-financial Agreement amount.
DBH recommends approval of the Agreement with DHCS, including the non-standard terms, to allow DBH to continue utilizing six vehicles in providing needed services by DBH CCS.
This item is being presented at this time as this is the first Board date available for presentation following the receipt of the agreement on November 21, 2025, and following the required department administrative and county counsel legal reviews. Approval of this item, retroactive to July 1, 2025, is required to ensure there is no lapse in agreements since Contract No. 22-1096 expired on June 30, 2025. There is no impact to DBH program operations, or services to the community as a result of the retroactive nature of this Board item.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Marianna Martinez, Administrative Supervisor II, 383-3940) on December 16, 2025; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on December 17, 2025; Risk Management (Stephanie Mead, Staff Analyst II, 386-9044) on December 17, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 388-8392) on January 8, 2026.