REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 26, 2023
FROM
GEORGINA YOSHIOKA, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with Telecare Corporation for Crisis Residential Treatment Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-361 with Telecare Corporation for the provision of Crisis Residential Treatment services, to update standard contract language, with no change to the total contract amount of $14,000,000, or the contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2027.
(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 amount of $14,000,000 for Crisis Residential Treatment (CRT) program services is funded by Medi-Cal Federal Financial Participation, 2011 Realignment, and Mental Health Services Act funding. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2023-24 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DBH, as the San Bernardino County Mental Health Plan, provides behavioral health treatment services throughout the county for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. This has been a seamless system of care enabling consumers to access behavioral health treatment services in all regions of the county. CRT is a bundled service for individuals in crisis, aged 18-59, which includes, but is not limited to, assessments, treatment plan development, collateral services, crisis intervention, medication support services, and individual and group therapy.
Telecare Corporation (Telecare) has been the contracted provider for adult CRT services in the West Valley region since 2018. These services are facilitated at the Wellspring Center in Fontana. The length of stay in a CRT can be up to 30 days. If deemed medically necessary, up to two 30-day extensions are available, not to exceed a total of 90 days. Services are provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This program is anticipated to serve approximately 120 consumers annually at an estimated cost of $23,333 per consumer.
A significant percentage (44.6% in 2021-22) of consumers who participate in CRT services at the Wellspring Center are experiencing co-occurring substance use disorders along with their mental health crises. To better assist these consumers in connecting to appropriate resources to support their recovery from these co-occurring disorders, this amendment adds language allowing Telecare to provide optional Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) services in conjunction with CRT services. MAT is the use of medications in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, which is effective in the treatment of co-occurring substance use disorders and can help individuals sustain recovery. This amendment enables authorized staff to initiate the prescription of specific medications approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use in MAT services.
PROCUREMENT
On May 24, 2022 (Item No. 31), as the result of a formal procurement, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract No. 22-361 with Telecare to provide CRT services in the amount of $14,000,000, for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2027.
DBH will monitor contractor performance on a regular basis to ensure compliance standards are met. Contract monitoring is inclusive of, but not limited to, site visits and assessments of policy, procedures, process implementation, and service delivery components, to ensure compliance with the contract and applicable laws and regulations. The fiscal review ensures costs claimed are reasonable, allowable, and in compliance with related financial records and procedures.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health Contracts (Ellayna Hoatson, Contracts Supervisor, 388-0858) on August 10, 2023; County Counsel (Charles Phan, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 24, 2023; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on September 1, 2023; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on September 8, 2023.