REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 16, 2025
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Non-Financial Student Internship Program Agreement with Grand Canyon University
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve non-financial Student Internship Program Agreement with Grand Canyon University, including a non-standard term, for the provision of Nurse Practitioner and Nursing Student Internship training and field experience, from the date of execution through December 31, 2029.
(Presenter: Marina Espinosa, Assistant Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
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) as the recommended Student Internship Program Agreement (Agreement) is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) employs qualified professionals in multiple disciplines including medicine, nursing, psychology, marriage and family therapy, and social work. As a result, DBH can provide necessary tutelage and guidance to student interns participating in a variety of behavioral health-related educational programs. Reciprocally, the use of student interns to assist the County’s workforce is a valuable means of maximizing available public resources. Through student internship programs, DBH provides learning experiences that will help students develop the skills they need to prosper in their chosen profession, which aligns with the Countywide Vision.
Since 2008, DBH has operated the internship program through agreements with schools and other institutions, which established terms and conditions under which DBH will accept interns. These agreements enable interns to earn the required internship hours while working under the supervision of qualified DBH staff.
This Agreement with Grand Canyon University (GCU) will allow Registered Nursing (RN) student interns and Nurse Practitioner (NP) interns placement in DBH clinics and/or programs through the internship program. Interns will perform either RN or specialty NP duties involving examination, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of behavioral health patients. Interns will perform related duties, as required, on assigned patients under DBH standardized procedures and protocols. Interns will report to a designated Supervising Nurse Practitioner in the outpatient clinics to develop the experience required to perform at a fully qualified working level.
RN intern’s duties include assisting with health assessments, gathering vital signs, documenting patient histories, and supporting medication management activities (such as education and adherence monitoring). RN interns may help facilitate group sessions, reinforce coping strategies, provide patient education on behavioral health and substance use topics, and participate in care coordination with interdisciplinary team members. RN interns will also gain exposure to crisis intervention techniques, community resource navigation, and the principles of trauma-informed and culturally responsive care while learning how to promote safety, recovery, and therapeutic engagement in an outpatient setting.
NP interns’ duties include conducting focused psychiatric and physical assessments, contributing to diagnostic evaluations, supporting medication management, and developing patient-centered treatment plans. NP interns may also provide psychoeducation, assist with crisis evaluation, participate in interdisciplinary care coordination, and apply evidence-based practices to support individuals with behavioral health and substance use treatment needs.
On February 27, 2024 (Item No. 21), the Board of Supervisors approved a Standard Agreement Template (Template) for public schools and other institutions. The recommended Agreement with GCU contains modifications from the Template; however, it remains in conformance with the County Policy 11-05. The modification is as follows:
The indemnification provision has been modified from the Template and differs from the standard County contract language. The non-standard term includes the following:
Per the Agreement, each party is required to defend, indemnify or hold the other party harmless to the extent arising out of the respective party’s breach of the Agreement and negligent or wrongful acts or omissions in connection with its performance under the Agreement.
• County Policy 11-07 requires the contractor to indemnify the County against all claims arising out of the contract from any cause whatsoever.
• Potential Impact: By agreeing to indemnify GCU, the County could be contractually waiving the protection of sovereign immunity. If the County is sued for any claim resulting from its own breach of the Agreement and negligent or wrongful acts or omissions in connection with its performance of the Agreement, the County may be solely liable for the costs of defense and damages.
DBH recommends approval of this Agreement, including the non-standard term, as it will allow students from GCU to participate in a valuable learning opportunity and provide DBH with additional staffing resources for the delivery of services.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Diana Barajas, Acting Contracts Supervisor, 388-0862) on November 14, 2025; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 12, 2025; Risk Management (Stephanie Mead, Staff Analyst II, 386-8655) on October 22, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on December 2, 2025.