REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 19, 2023
FROM
SHARON NEVINS, Director, Department of Aging and Adult Services
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contracts for Supportive Services and Older Californians Nutrition Program for Intergenerational Activities funding
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Amendment No. 2 to the following contracts for Supportive Services, as it pertains to the Older Californians Nutrition Program and Intergenerational activities funding, extending the contract term for three additional months for the total contract period of July 1, 2021 through September 30, 2024, with no change in total contract amounts as follows:
a. Inland Caregiver Resource Center, Contract No. 21-564, for a total contract amount of $795,000.
b. Victor Valley Community Services Council, Contract No. 21-570, for a total contract amount of $635,000.
2. Approve Amendment No. 4 to Contract No. 22-662 with Barstow Senior Citizens Center, for Older Californians Nutrition Program services under the Older Californians Nutrition Program and Intergenerational activities funding, extending the expenditure deadline for nine months, from December 31, 2023, to September 30, 2024, with no change to the total contract amount of $5,498,000 or the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
(Presenter: Sharon Nevins, Director, 891-3917)
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 require Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Older Californians Nutrition Program (OCNP) and Intergenerational activities is one-time funding by the Older Adults' Recovery and Resilience (OARR) Act. This funding is eligible for use for the period of April 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. OARR funding does not have a required match and cannot be used as match for any other program. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) 2023-24 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
As the designated Area Agency on Aging, DAAS has received funding for the last 45 years to provide supportive services to older adults. The Supportive Services program provides a variety of services to older adults 60 years of age and older to address functional limitations, promote socialization, maintain health and independence, and promote access to and participation in the local community. Services include, but are not limited to, in home services (e.g., personal care, homemaker, chore, day care), access to the community (assisted transportation), and activities in local senior centers. In addition, DAAS has administered OCNP, formerly known as the Elderly Nutrition Program, for San Bernardino County since 1978. The OCNP provides nourishing meals and nutrition education to individuals 60 years of age or older, spouses of OCNP participants, and individuals with a disability.
On June 10, 2022, the California Department of Aging (CDA) issued Program Memo No. 22-09 for the OARR funding under Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) programs for the OCNP and Intergenerational activities, with an expiration date of December 31, 2024. This funding provided California with the financial resources to strengthen older adults’ recovery and resilience from the isolation and health impacts resulting from staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goal of implementing intergenerational activities was to connect older adults with younger generations in a continued effort to reduce the isolation some older adults experienced during and after the pandemic. Examples of intergenerational activities include, but are not limited to, story reading, games, crafts, gardening, and karaoke.
On February 16, 2023, the CDA reissued Program Memo No. 22-09 to change the expiration date of the OARR funding under HCBS to expire December 31, 2023. Subsequently, the CDA issued guidance on intergenerational activities and noted this program could be added to existing contracts for both III-B Supportive Services and III-C OCNP services, provided the vendor agreed to participate, submit a proposal for intergenerational activities, and keep track of program/funding separately. Two vendors for Supportive Services, Inland Caregiver Resource Center and Victor Valley Community Services Council, and two OCNP vendors, Barstow Senior Citizens Center and Crest Forest, elected to add the new program to their contracts.
On March 28, 2023 (Item No. 5), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-662 to Barstow’s OCNP contract to add intergenerational activities, increasing the contract amount by $168,000, from $5,330,000 to a total contract amount not to exceed $5,498,000, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025. The amendment contained a provision that the intergenerational funding in the amount of $168,000 had an expenditure deadline of December 31, 2023.
On April 11, 2023 (Item No. 5), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-667 to Crest Forest’s Nutrition program contract to add intergenerational activities, increasing the contract amount by $53,200, from $515,000 to a total contract amount not to exceed $568,200, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025. The amendment contained a provision that the intergenerational funding in the amount of $53,200 had an expenditure deadline of December 31, 2023.
On June 13, 2023 (Item No. 6), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 21-564 to Inland Caregiver Resource Center’s Supportive Services contract to add $100,000 for intergenerational activities and $185,000 for Supportive Services, increasing the contract amount by $285,000, from $510,000 to a total contract amount not to exceed $795,000, and Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 21-570 to Victor Valley Community Services Council’s Senior Supportive Services contract to add $24,000 for intergenerational activities and an additional $326,000 for Supportive Services, increasing the contract amount by $350,000, from $285,000 to a total contract amount not to exceed $635,000, with no change to the contract period of July 21, 2021 to June 30, 2024. The amendments contained a provision that the funding earmarked for intergenerational activities had an expenditure deadline of December 31, 2023.
On August 7, 2023, the CDA issued a revision to Program Memo No. 22-09, extending the expenditure deadline for intergenerational activities and funding from December 31, 2023 to September 30, 2024. The Supportive Services contracts with Inland Caregiver Resource Center and Victor Valley Community Services Council contracts expire before the revised expenditure deadline for the intergenerational activities funding. Therefore, the recommended amendment will extend the contract term to September 30, 2024, allowing the vendors to continue the program activities and have additional time to expend the intergenerational funding portion of the contract.
The recommended amendment for the OCNP contract with Barstow Senior Citizens Center will extend the deadline for the program and expend the intergenerational activities funding through September 30, 2024. Crest Forest did not need an extension for the $53,200 in intergenerational funds as they reported this funding would be exhausted by December 31, 2023.
Contractor performance will continue to be measured by reviewing monthly reports and annual site visits by San Bernardino County (County) staff to monitor compliance with the administrative, fiscal, and program requirements of the contract. The contracts may be terminated by the County immediately and without cause by the County by serving a written notice to the contractor 30 days in advance of termination or in the event that additional funding is not available to the County for the remainder of the contract period.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on November 27, 2023; County Counsel (Jacqueline Carey-Wilson, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 27, 2023; Finance (John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on November 30, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on December 4, 2023.