REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 25, 2024
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Memorandum of Understanding with the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino, for Drug Court Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 4 to Memorandum of Understanding No. 20-486 with the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino, for the provision of Drug Court services, increasing the total contract amount by $225,964, from $769,963 to $995,927, and exercising the final one-year extension for the total contract period of April 1, 2020, through June 30, 2025.
(Presenter: Georgina Yoshioka, Director, 252-5142)
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
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The recommended contract increase of $225,964, from $769,963 to $995,927, with the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino (Superior Court) for Drug Court services (Drug Court) is funded by 2011 Realignment. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2024-25 budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DBH is responsible for providing mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services to San Bernardino County (County) residents experiencing severe mental illness and/or SUD. DBH SUD and Recovery Services (SUDRS) provides a full range of SUD treatment services and education for communities and residents through contracts with community-based organizations and County-operated clinics with the goal of promoting prevention, intervention, recovery and resiliency for individuals and families.
The recommended Amendment No. 4 to the Memorandum of Understanding No. 20-486 (MOU) will continue the partnership between DBH and Superior Court to collaborate in providing Drug Court to non-violent probationers and defendants. Under the terms of the MOU, the Superior Court provides one Treatment Court Coordinator (TCC) position and one Court Account Clerk position, assigns a judge to facilitate Drug Court, and funds related court and treatment expenses. The TCC provides oversight of the Drug Court Program and is the liaison between the Drug Court and DBH. The Court Account Clerk supports drug court administrative activities including fiscal monitoring, data collection and reporting, and provides clerical support to the TCC and court clerical staff. Clients are not served directly by the cost of this MOU; they receive treatment services through various DBH contracts with contract providers.
Drug Court serves the community by addressing the underlying challenges faced by nonviolent SUD offenders. The goal of the Drug Court program is to reduce substance misuse and recidivism, provide court-supervised treatment; integrate drug treatment with other rehabilitative services to promote long-term recovery, and reduce social costs. The State has supported the development of drug courts since 1998. DBH and Superior Court have collaborated to provide Drug Court services since 1999. Both agencies are committed to the concept that SUD services are preferable to incarceration for non-violent offenders.
On June 23, 2020 (Item No. 34), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the MOU with the Superior Court for the provision of Drug Court, in the amount of $181,168, for the period of April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021.
On March 23, 2021 (Item No. 21), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to the MOU with the Superior Court for the provision of Drug Court, increasing the MOU by $181,168, from $181,168 to $362,336, and extending the MOU an additional year, for the amended MOU period of April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022.
On October 26, 2021 (Item No. 20), the Board approved Amendment No. 2 to the MOU with the Superior Court for the provision of Drug Court, increasing the MOU by $181,168, from $362,336 to $543,504, and extending the MOU an additional year, for the amended MOU period of April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2023.
On February 28, 2023 (Item No. 21), the Board approved Amendment No. 3 to the MOU with the Superior Court for the provision of Drug Court, increasing the MOU by $226,459, from $543,504 to $769,963, and extending the MOU an additional 15 months, for the amended MOU period of April 1, 2020 through June 30, 2024.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Ellayna Hoatson, Contract Supervisor, 388-0858) on May 24, 2024; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 29, 2024; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on June 5, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on June 5, 2024.