REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 5, 2019
FROM
MARLENE HAGEN, Director, Children and Family Services
SUBJECT
Title v
Contracts with Agencies to implement the Active Supportive Interventions Services for Transition Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contracts for the Active Supportive Interventions Services for Transition Program to provide support and resources to aid in the transition of youth from residential placements, in the aggregate contract amount not to exceed $1,485,000, for the period of November 6, 2019 through June 30, 2020:
1. Lutheran Social Services of Southern California
2. South Coast Children's Society, Inc.
3. Uplift Family Services
4. Victor Community Services, Inc.
(Presenter: Marlene Hagen, Director, 388-0242)
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 require additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total cost of these contracts will not exceed $1,485,000 for the contract period, and will be 100% state funded. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Human Services Administrative Claim 2019-20 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
California Assembly Bill (AB) 403 (Chapter 773, Statutes of 2015) seeks to improve outcomes for children and youth served by the child welfare system. The Continuum Care Reform (CCR) was established following the passage of AB 403, which seeks to reduce the reliance on residential placement as a frequently used placement option for youth. CCR adopted a new licensing category, known as Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP), which provides short-term, 24-hour intensive care and supervision to children, youth, and Non-Minor Dependents (NMDs). Following full implementation of the reform, residential placement settings that do not convert to the STRTP license model will no longer be eligible for foster care placements. Approximately 200 foster youth will be transitioned from residential settings to family-based settings in San Bernardino County.
The Active Supportive Interventions Services for Transition (ASIST) program was developed to provide additional support and resources to aid in the transition of identified youth who remain in residential placement settings that are not transitioning to a STRTP. The ASIST program is a short-term, time-limited resource for fiscal year 2019-20. The ASIST program funding provides additional resources to aid counties with transition planning, extensive family finding, engagement, specialized permanency services, and other transition support services. Counties participating in the ASIST program must establish contracts with agencies that deliver services, which meet the guidelines of the California Wraparound Standards.
The recommended contracts will allow CFS to contract with qualified providers to coordinate individualized, intensive services for identified youth and families, provide extensive family-finding efforts, specialized permanency services, targeted ongoing transition support of youth, and youth and caregiver coaching to achieve stabilization. Contracted providers will deliver trauma-informed, permanency competent clinical strategies and interventions for the transition of youth with complex and co-occurring needs from residential placement to family- based settings.
Combined spending will not exceed $1,485,000 for the total service period. The contracts are written in this manner to allow CFS the flexibility of selecting the contractor that best meets the needs of each client. CFS will monitor individual referrals to ensure that total payments do not exceed total spending authority.
Services provided under these contracts may be terminated by the County without cause upon 30-day prior written notice. Contractor performance will be monitored by review of invoices and monthly reports to ensure compliance with the administrative, program, and fiscal terms and conditions of the contract.
PROCUREMENT
CFS recommends the non-competitive contracts for the ASIST program to be provided by the recommended agencies based on their ability to deliver services that meet the guidelines of the California Wraparound Standards, a requirement for participation in the ASIST program. Additionally, the ASIST program funding is short term and time-limited for 2019-20.
Purchasing concurs with the non-competitive justification due to the specialized credentials and supports procurement of intensive transition support services from the agencies listed.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Jennifer Mulhall-Daudel, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on September 27, 2019; County Counsel (Michael Markel, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 11, 2019; Purchasing (Leo Gomez, Purchasing Manager, 387-2063) on October 16, 2019; Finance (John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on October 22, 2019; and County Finance and Administration (Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on October 22, 2019.