REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
March 1, 2022
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Interim Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Memorandum of Understanding with Fontana Fire Protection District and Fontana Police Department for Dedicated Office Space
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with Fontana Fire Protection District and Fontana Police Department for dedicated office space for the Department of Behavioral Health staff to provide crisis services, for the period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2026.
(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.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allows the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) to utilize dedicated office space located within Fontana Fire Protection District (FFPD) and Fontana Police Department (FPD) at no cost to the County in order for DBH to provide crisis services through the Community Outreach and Support Team (COAST) program.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since 2015, DBH has partnered with various key agencies for no cost office space to place DBH crisis triage staff in underserved areas throughout San Bernardino County. DBH manages locations known as ‘point of access’ agencies such as law enforcement, hospital emergency departments, colleges, and agencies within the judicial court system, to assist consumers experiencing a mental health crisis. Due to the continued need to expand rapid access to mental health crisis care, DBH has partnered with FFPD and FPD for no cost office space to collaborate in the COAST pilot program to provide rapid access to crisis triage by a mental health specialist.
The recommended non-financial MOU outlines the use of office space by DBH staff at FFPD and FPD to participate in the COAST pilot program. The COAST team provides a specialized response to the City of Fontana’s 9-1-1 behavioral health crises calls to enhance service quality and mitigate the potential for unintended negative consequences. It is anticipated that the COAST teams located at FFPD and FPD will experience an estimated 10,542 encounters annually.
Recently, the City of Fontana has experienced an increased number of behavioral health related emergency calls to the City’s 9-1-1 dispatch center. As a result, the City of Fontana is providing no cost office space at the FFPD and FPD locations to collaborate with DBH in piloting the COAST program for enhanced rapid crisis stabilization, thus avoiding unnecessary incarcerations and/or hospitalizations, as well as reducing law enforcement and emergency hospital expenditures. Currently, the FPD location provides no cost office space for DBH’s Triage Engagement and Support Team (TEST). TEST team staff provide specialized crisis intervention, continuum of care, and intensive case management for individuals experiencing an urgent psychiatric health condition with up to 59 days of individualized linkage and follow up services.
The COAST pilot program consists of a crisis response mobile unit, which includes a TEST behavioral health expert, a firefighter Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), a plain clothed specially trained police officer, and a therapy canine with the purpose of working as a multidisciplinary team in order to respond in the field to the behavioral health needs of residents during specific crisis encounters.
The recommended non-financial MOU will allow DBH to utilize dedicated office space at FFPD and FPD through June 30, 2026, and may be terminated without cause upon 30 days written notice by either party. The MOU reaffirms DBH’s commitment to provide access to crisis services for underserved populations at a variety of collaborated sites throughout San Bernardino County.
On July 1, 2021, DBH began piloting the COAST program with the City of Fontana at its FFPD and FPD locations, operating under the existing TEST MOU No. 18-852 (Board of Supervisors approved on December 14, 2018, Item No. 25) for the dedicated office space utilized by DBH staff. In August 2021, County Counsel recommended that the COAST program be a separate MOU for the additional no-cost dedicated office space at FFPD. This item is being presented at this time as this is the first date available following the conclusion of contract negotiations with FFPD and FPD, and the required administrative, program and legal reviews, which were completed in February 2022. Approval at this time will not impact COAST services or activities.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health Contracts (Ellayna Hoatson, Contracts Supervisor, 388-0858) on February 2, 2022; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on February 2, 2022; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on February 4, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on February 14, 2022.