REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 17, 2024
FROM
TRACY REECE, Chief Probation Officer, Probation Department
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for Housing Services for Youth Under the Jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contracts with the following agencies to provide housing services for youth under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court, in an aggregate amount of $5,300,000, for the total contract period of January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2029:
1. Avector Community Group, Inc.
2. Beloved Housing, LLC
3. Bigger Than You LLC
4. Citadel Community Care Facilities
5. Hope Homes, LLC
6. Molding Hearts.Org
(Presenter: Tracy Reece, Chief Probation Officer, 387-5692)
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.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total cost of housing services contracts will not exceed an aggregate amount of $5,300,000 for a five year period, and is funded through 2011 Realignment Juvenile Justice Subaccount, Juvenile Reentry Grant Special Account (Assembly Bill 1628). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Probation Department’s (Probation) 2024-25 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The recommended contracts will allow Probation to provide specific housing services to assist youth under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court who have previously been committed to the California Division of Juvenile Justice or to a Secure Youth Treatment Facility to overcome problems related to housing impacting their rehabilitation and reintegration into the community.
Pursuant to Chapter 337, Statutes of 2020 (Senate Bill 823) and Welfare and Institutions Code section 875, upon discharge from a Secure Youth Treatment Facility, a youth shall be placed on a period of probation supervision to facilitate the youth’s successful reentry into the community. However, people who have histories of incarceration often face significant challenges in obtaining housing at release. Access to stable, affordable housing is vital to successful reentry into society, helping to reduce returns to jail and prison.
The recommended contracts would provide youth in residential settings with high-quality reentry services and aftercare programs that connect youth with professional case managers, mentors, and education and/or employment opportunities to reduce recidivism. The contracts will help provide support and guidance to youth to assist with preventing transfers of youth to the adult system, support the youths’ successful transition into adulthood and help them become responsible, thriving, and engaged members of their communities.
Probation estimates that approximately 60 youth will be served annually under the contracts. For each referral, an appropriate vendor will be selected based on an optimal combination of availability of beds, type of facility required and proximity to critical support services.
PROCUREMENT
Probation released Request for Proposal (RFP) No. PROB24-PROB-5321 on March 6, 2024, requesting interested and qualified agencies to provide housing services countywide for a five-year period beginning January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2029. The RFP was publicly advertised through direct mailings to 178 agencies with related experience and posted on the County’s Electronic Procurement Network (ePro). Nine proposals were received by the established deadline.
Six proposals met the minimum requirements and were evaluated by a team of Probation representatives. Evaluations were made based on the selection criteria listed in the RFP, which included qualifications and experience, financial and technical review, cost and references. Based on the evaluation results, all six of the evaluated agencies are being recommended for contract award. No written protests were received within the allowable period.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Probation (Thomas Kamara, Director of Administration, 387-9631) on October 29, 2024; County Counsel (Maria Insixiengmay, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 31, 2024; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on October 31, 2024; Finance (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4205) on December 3, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on December 3, 2024