REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 20, 2025
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Memorandum of Understanding with the City of San Bernardino Police Department for Office Space
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Memorandum of Understanding with the City of San Bernardino Police Department, including a non-standard term, for office space for the Department of Behavioral Health staff to provide homeless outreach services, for the term of May 20, 2025 through March 31, 2030.
(Presenter: Georgina Yoshioka, Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
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), as this is a non-financial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is responsible for providing mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services to county residents experiencing severe mental illness and/or SUD. This non-financial MOU reaffirms DBH’s commitment to provide access to outreach, engagement and support through the Homeless Outreach Support Team (HOST) program, to the homeless population with behavioral health problems, in the City of San Bernardino (City).
Following the success of the City of Fontana HOST pilot program in February 2020, the City of San Bernardino Police Department (SBPD) will be providing no-cost office space within SBPD facilities to collaborate with DBH in piloting the HOST program within the City. HOST provides outreach and engagement to individuals with behavioral health challenges who are currently homeless or chronically homeless. The partnership between DBH and SBPD is a joint effort to provide case management and linkage to mental health services to those who are in most need of these services.
DBH HOST staff have been working alongside SBPD as part of their Police Enforcement and Community Engagement (PEACE) team, to conduct homeless outreach and engage individuals in riverbeds, abandoned buildings, fields, and homeless encampments. The PEACE team consists of a behavioral health specialist, police officer, and probation officer to engage and provide support to homeless individuals, in an effort to assist with wellness, provide screening, education, engagement, supportive case management, and linkage to available housing and consultation services based on client needs. Based on the outcomes of HOST programs with other Police Departments, approximately 300 clients are expected to be served annually.
Approval of the recommended non-financial MOU will allow DBH to utilize no-cost office space within SBPD to provide HOST services. The MOU may be terminated without cause upon 30 days written notice by either party and contains modifications to the standard contract language, which includes the following:
The MOU contains the following non-standard County term:
The County agrees to defend and indemnify the City from claims that result from the County’s negligence or willful misconduct, or any breach by the County of its representations, warranties, or covenants or obligations under the MOU.
• The County’s standard contract does not contractually obligate the County to indemnify the other party under any circumstance.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to indemnify the City, 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 the City without such limitations and the County would be responsible to defend and reimburse the City for costs, expenses, and damages, which could exceed the non-financial MOU costs. It should be noted that the City is similarly obligated to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the County.
DBH recommends approval of this non-financial MOU, including the non-standard term, as it will allow DBH to utilize space at SBPD and be able to provide HOST services, and expand the collaborative effort made to reach and serve the homeless population.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health Contracts (Lisa Rivas-Ordaz, Contracts Supervisor, 383-3940) on March 19, 2025; Risk Management (Gregory Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst, 386-9008) on April 28, 2025; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 22, 2025; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on May 5, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on May 5, 2025.