REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 6, 2024
FROM
JEANY ZEPEDA, Director, Children and Family Services
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Memorandum of Understanding for Coordination of Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Memorandum of Understanding between Children and Family Services, the Department of Behavioral Health, Probation Department, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, California Department of Rehabilitation, and Inland Regional Center, Inc., including non-standard terms, to set forth the roles and responsibilities of each agency to ensure coordinated, timely, and trauma-informed services are provided to children and youth in foster care, for the term of August 6, 2024, through July 31, 2029.
(Presenter: Jeany Zepeda, Director, 387-2792)
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
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Children and Family Services (CFS), the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), Probation Department (Probation), San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools (SBCSS), California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), and Inland Regional Center, Inc. (IRC) is non-financial; therefore, it does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In September 2018, the California Legislature approved Assembly Bill (AB) 2083, adding Section 16521.6 to the Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC). The intent of Section 16521.6 is to develop a coordinated, timely, and trauma-informed system-of-care approach for children and youth in foster care who have experienced severe trauma. Such an approach will contribute to the Continuum of Care Reform efforts to improve California's child welfare system. Guided by the Integrated Core Practice Model (ICPM), child and family serving agencies will strive to integrate services, share decision making, and engage families. The ICPM released in 2018, offers an enhanced framework for service delivery, integrating theory and practice from the ICPM, Wraparound, California Partnership for Permanency, and Safety Organized Practice among other initiatives.
An ICPM is an articulation of shared values, core components, and standards of practice expected from those serving California’s children, youth, and families. It sets out specific expectations of practice behaviors for staff as well as those who serve in supervisory and leadership roles in child welfare, juvenile probation, and behavioral health as they work together in integrated teams to assure effective service delivery for California’s children, youth, and families. Additionally, it promotes a set of values, principles, and practices meant to be shared by all who seek to support children, youth, and families.
In September 2020, CFS, DBH, Probation, SBCSS, DOR and IRC entered into a joint agreement to fulfill the obligations under AB 2083 and WIC Section 16521.6 including, but not limited to: continued commitment to and implementation of processes for screening, assessment, and entry to care; processes for child and family teaming and universal service planning; alignment and coordination of transportation and other foster youth services; information and data sharing agreements; staff recruitment, training, and coaching; financial resource management and cost sharing; dispute resolution; recruitment and management of resource families; and delivery of therapeutic foster care.
In July 2021, AB 153 was passed, amending WIC Section 1652.6 requiring that each county establish a process, through tribal consultation with the federally recognized tribes to engage and coordinate regarding the ongoing implementation of the joint agreement required under AB 2083 and WIC Section 16521.6. The recommended MOU updates general indemnification within the joint agreement between CFS, DBH, Probation, SBCSS, DOR and IRC and records efforts to include the Tribal Leadership in continuing implementation of the ICPM and fulfilling the shared obligations under AB 2083 and WIC Section 16521.6.
The MOU includes the following non-standard contract term:
1. The MOU requires mutual indemnification among all parties.
• The County standard contract does not include any indemnification or defense by the County of a contractor.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to indemnify the other parties to this MOU, the County could be responsible to defend and reimburse DBH, Probation, SBCSS, DOR and/or IRC for costs, expenses, and damages.
CFS recommends approval of this MOU, including the nonstandard term, to promote the continued commitment of the agencies to the ICPM and the active efforts to engage local tribes in the collaboration and coordination of needed services for all children and youth throughout the county.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on June 17, 2024; County Counsel (Kaleigh Ragon, Deputy County Counsel 387-5455) on June 28, 2024; County Counsel (Maria Insixiengmay, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 2, 2024; Risk Management (Gregory Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst II, 386-9008) on July 8, 2024; Finance (Jevin Kaye, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-3078) on July 8, 2024; Finance (John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on July 22, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on July 22, 2024.