REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 22, 2021
FROM
VERONICA KELLEY, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for Therapeutic Behavioral Services Programs
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contracts with the following agencies for Therapeutic Behavioral Services, in the total amount of $24,462,500, for the period of July 1, 2021 through March 31, 2026:
1. Mental Health Systems, Inc., in the amount of $6,175,000
2. South Coast Community Services, in the amount of $5,937,500
3. Uplift Family Services, in the amount of $6,175,000
4. Victor Community Support Services, Inc., in the amount of $6,175,000
(Presenter: Veronica Kelley, Director, 388-0801)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
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). The total cost for services will not exceed $24,462,500 and will be funded by Medi-Cal Federal Financial Participation, 2011 Realignment, and Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2021-22 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
As the Mental Health Plan for the County, DBH is required to provide an array of behavioral health services. DBH utilizes a network of providers in the most cost-effective manner possible for these services. Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) are supplemental specialty mental health services under the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit. TBS is an intensive, individualized, one-to-one, short-term, outpatient treatment intervention for beneficiaries up to age 21 with serious emotional disturbances who are experiencing a stressful transition or life crisis and need additional short-term specific support services to accomplish outcomes specified in the written treatment plan.
TBS serves children, youth, and transitional aged youth (TAY) with a broad range of behavioral or emotional symptoms placing them at risk and in need of TBS (e.g., anger outbursts, property destruction, cutting, or purging). In order to maximize the number of children and youth provided TBS, it is expected that every provider serve a primary region and a secondary region, and the majority of the youth served through this program are also being served by a Specialty Mental Health Provider in a different EPSDT Medi-Cal funded program not funded through this specific contract.
Of the participants that have been placed, or are at risk for placement, into high levels of out-of-home care or psychiatric hospitalizations which begin to utilize TBS, more than half have been shown to reduce the need for placement into a higher level of care and/or repeat hospitalization, with successes in school functioning, school behavior, being oppositional, depression, conduct, anger control, emotional and/or physical dysregulation and almost 90% have diminished the risk of suicide which translates into increased stability for this population and an increased likelihood of continued stabilization. DBH has provided TBS through contracted providers since 2008.
The providers in the Recommendation are expected to provide TBS services to 515 participants annually in the field, the home, and/or at school under a State mandated program which has been augmented by the imposition of a Federal Court order to increase access and participation for TBS eligible children and youth. DBH continues to facilitate interdepartmental cooperation to avail access to eligible TBS participants. DBH allocates an average of $10,000 annually per participant with the level of services provided dependent upon individual needs for a total of $5,150,000 a year during the contract period of 4.75 years. The average period of service was 98 days for 2019-20.
PROCUREMENT
On January 5, 2021, the County Administrative Office approved and authorized the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP), RFP#20-48, RFP#DBHE21-ADMN-4060, to solicit vendors to provide Therapeutic Behavioral Services for the period of July 1, 2021 through March 31, 2026. The RFP was publicly advertised through direct mailings to more than 400 community-based organizations, advertised in eight local newspapers, and posted on the County’s Electronic Procurement Network (ePro).
A total of 21 agencies were in attendance at the mandatory proposal conference on February 13, 2021. Eleven proposals were received in response to the RFP. Two proposals did not meet minimum RFP qualifications; the remaining nine met the RFP qualifications and were reviewed during the evaluation process.
|
Proposing Agency |
Proposed Service Regions |
Clients to be Served Annually |
Cost per Client |
Requested 4.75-Year Budget |
|
Building Bridges FFA |
West Valley |
148 |
$10,126 |
$6,818478 |
|
ChildNet Youth and Family |
SB County |
500 |
$9,768 |
$23,209,574 |
|
Greater Hope Foundation |
High Desert |
60 |
$9,612 |
$2,739,406 |
|
McKinley’s Children’s Center |
High Desert |
105 |
$9,411 |
$4,696,316 |
|
Mental Health Systems, Inc. |
Central Valley based Countywide services |
133 |
$12,112 |
$7,275,357 |
|
Mountain Counseling and Training, Inc. |
Mountain Rim Only |
55 |
$10,126 |
$2,496,643 |
|
South Coast Community Services |
West, Central, and East Valley |
365 |
$10,003 |
$19,475,000 |
|
Uplift Family Services |
Central, East Valley and High Desert |
325 |
$8,869 |
$13,426,136 |
|
Victor Community Support Services |
Central, East Valley and High Desert |
140 |
$9,985 |
$6,650,000 |
The evaluation committee was comprised of six individuals from the Probation Department, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools; County of San Bernardino, Human Services Program Development Division; and DBH. The committee reviewed and evaluated the proposals based on the following evaluation criteria: ability to serve target population, ability to provide services, ability to provide specified services by start date, experience, staffing levels, facility, and serve specified geographic areas.
Based on the evaluation results, the following four agencies were recommended for contract award for the regions listed below.
|
Recommended Agencies |
Primary Service Area |
Secondary Service Area |
Expected Clients Served Annually |
Recommended 4.75-Year Funding |
|
Mental Health Systems, Inc. (MHS) |
Central Valley |
West Valley, Low Desert |
130 |
$6,175,000 |
|
South Coast Community Services |
West Valley |
East Valley |
125 |
$5,937,500 |
|
Uplift Family Services |
High Desert, Mountain |
Central Valley |
130 |
$6,175,000 |
|
Victor Community Support Services |
East Valley |
High Desert, Mountain |
130 |
$6,175,000 |
The proposals submitted indicated these agencies will provide the most adequate and appropriate services, and will be ready to provide services by the contract start date. These agencies are currently providing Therapeutic Behavioral Services to San Bernardino County residents. During meetings with the proposers, it was negotiated that the agencies would receive the similar amounts through all fiscal years and serve a primary and secondary service area(s). The recommended total amounts for each agency are based on the anticipated number of clients to be served.
The agencies not recommended for award were unsuccessful in the procurement process because of one or more of the following reasons: Agency was unable to provide required services as specified in the RFP, to serve the number of unduplicated clients indicated, in the specified geographic area, by the contract start date. All agencies not recommended for contract award were notified by mail, and advised they were able to submit a formal written protest to the Purchasing Director based on the criteria in the RFP. A written protest was not received.
DBH will monitor contractor performance on a regular basis to ensure performance and compliance standards are met.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health Contracts (Natalie Kessee, Administrative Manager, 388-0858) on June 1, 2021; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 3, 2021; Purchasing Department (Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyer, 387-2148) on June 10, 2021; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on June 4, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on June 4, 2021.