REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 22, 2026
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Acting Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for General Mental Health Outpatient Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contracts with the following agencies for the provision of General Mental Health outpatient services, in the combined amount of $29,000,000, for the period of October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031:
1. Alliance for Wellness, Inc., in the amount of $3,556,025
2. Simple Solutions Family Therapy, Inc. DBA Simple Solutions Psychotherapy, in the amount of $6,929,030
3. South Coast Children’s Society DBA South Coast Community Services, in the amount of $13,263,435
4. Valley Star Behavioral Health, Inc., in the amount of $1,363,070
5. West End Family Counseling Service, in the amount of $3,888,440
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Acting Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote and Fulfill the Countywide Vision.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The recommended amount of $29,000,000 for General Mental Health (GMH) outpatient services will be funded with Medi-Cal Federal Financial Participation. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2026-27 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
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. GMH outpatient services are designed to support an individual in the reduction of mental disability by enhancing self-sufficiency through mental health activities promoting learning, self-development, and achievement of personal milestones.
GMH outpatient services are County-administered programs that provide Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) in accordance with the State of California Department of Health Care Services Mental Health Plan Contract. GMH contract providers expand DBH’s capacity to meet the Federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ mandates for timeliness and access to services (42 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 431, 432, and 438).
GMH outpatient services support indigent or Medi-Cal eligible adults who meet criteria for SMHS level of care. Individuals who qualify typically experience significant functional impairments associated with a persistent mental illness and/or substance use disorder, affecting one or more areas of daily living, such as health, self-care, housing, employment, education, legal matters, financial stability, and interpersonal or social relationships. Service offerings include assessments and evaluations, therapeutic interventions, rehabilitation services, medication support, crisis intervention, and case management.
GMH outpatient services are also provided to children experiencing serious mental and emotional challenges that result in significant impairment in daily living activities and overall functioning. Eligible children are considered high-risk and/or seriously emotionally disturbed. This includes minors with a mental disorder, other than a primary SUD or developmental disorder, whose behaviors are inappropriate for their age based on expected development norms. To qualify for services, children must meet medical necessity criteria, including significant impairment or the likelihood of significant deterioration in an important area of functioning, or the probability that the child will fail to progress developmentally without intervention.
DBH anticipates that the contractors combined will provide GMH outpatient services to:
• Approximately 2,964 clients annually
• An estimated cost of $1,957 per client
Performance measures for GMH outpatient services contracts focus on tracking service quality, timeliness, accessibility, and outcomes to ensure providers meet established standards. Contractors must submit regular reports, including monthly service logs, outcome data, fiscal reports, and compliance documentation, allowing the department to monitor progress and identify trends or concerns. Accountability mechanisms, including performance audits, contract monitoring meetings, site visits, and corrective action plans, help ensure that services are delivered as intended and align with program goals. Together, these structures promote transparency, support continuous improvement, and ensure that community members receive high-quality, effective behavioral health services.
PROCUREMENT
On March 5, 2026, the County Administrative Office approved and authorized the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) No. DBHE26-ADMN-6185, to solicit interested and qualified organizations and agencies to provide GMH outpatient services throughout the county. The RFP was publicly advertised through direct mailings to more than 1,300 community-based organizations, educational providers, service providers, and other interested parties, and posted on the County’s Electronic Procurement Network.
The proposal conference for GMH outpatient services was held on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. A total of 28 proposals were received, of which 27 met the procurement requirements and advanced to the evaluation phase.
|
Proposal Name |
Proposed Regions |
Proposed Costs |
|
A Coming of Age to Adulthood, Inc. |
East Valley |
$4,289,201 |
|
Alliance for Wellness, Inc. (AFW) |
Desert/Mountain East Valley Morongo Basin West Valley |
$6,963,718 $6,583,290 $5,213,270 $5,436,970 |
|
Ark Homes Foster Family Agency |
West Valley |
$5,573,245 |
|
Aspire Counseling Services - Victorville, LLC |
Desert/Mountain |
$4,434,360 |
|
Building Bridges Foster Family Agency |
East Valley West Valley |
$3,503,195 $5,526,391 |
|
Child Care Resource Center, Inc. |
East Valley |
$9,871,600 |
|
ChildNet Youth and Family Services, Inc. |
East Valley |
$7,172,870 |
|
Counseling and Research Associates, Inc. dba Masada |
West Valley |
$24,080,907 |
|
Del Rosa Villa |
All |
$10,763,208 |
|
Empowered Minds Mentorship Program |
Did not indicate. |
Did not indicate. |
|
Five Acres - The Boys’ and Girls’ Aid Society of Los Angeles County |
West Valley |
$9,493,242 |
|
Florence Crittenton Services of Orange County, Inc. |
Desert/Mountain East Valley West Valley |
$9,632,354 $7,224,277 $7,224,277 |
|
Healing Waters Marriage and Family Therapy, Inc. |
Desert/Mountain |
$151,548 |
|
Lobban Marriage and Family Therapy, Inc. |
Desert/Mountain East Valley West Valley |
$21,815,200 |
|
Loma Linda Psychiatric Medical Group |
Desert/Mountain East Valley West Valley |
$4,134,947 |
|
The Mom & Dad Project |
Desert/Mountain |
$4,621,501 |
|
New Hope Christian Counseling Foundation, Inc. |
East Valley West Valley |
$6,562,766 |
|
Pacific Clinics |
East Valley Morongo Basin |
$4,218,457 $7,931,743 |
|
Patla & Associates Children and Family Therapy, Inc. dba Psyvera Services |
Desert/Mountain East Valley West Valley |
$6,329,437 $6,329,437 $10,184,241 |
|
Simple Solutions Psychotherapy (SSFT) |
Desert/Mountain East Valley West Valley |
$8,744,456 |
|
South Coast Children’s Society, Inc. dba South Coast Community Services (SCCS) |
East Valley West Valley |
$4,812,811 $9,720,825 |
|
Step Up on Second Street, Inc. |
All |
$11,188,986 |
|
Symba Center |
Desert/Mountain West Valley |
$6,859,994 $6,859,994 |
|
Ubuntu Psychological Services, Inc. |
East Valley West Valley |
$10,184,814 $7,910,662 |
|
Valley Star Behavioral Health, Inc. (VSBH) |
East Valley Morongo Basin West Valley |
$6,985,738 $1,363,068 $10,932,968 |
|
Volunteers of America Southwest California, Inc. |
West Valley |
$11,721,323 |
|
West End Family Counseling Service (WEFCS) |
West Valley |
$5,315,886 |
The evaluation committee, comprised of five individuals from the Behavioral Health Commission, Probation Department, Department of Public Health, and DBH, evaluated the proposals based on the criteria in the RFP, including, but not limited to, the ability to: serve the target population, provide required services, serve a sufficient volume of participants, provide specified services by contract start date, and identify and measure key outcomes. Other categories include experience providing services, meeting staffing levels and requirements, and appropriate facility location (within proposed service area, availability of transportation, and facility layout).
Based on the evaluation criteria, the evaluation committee determined that AFW, SSFT, SCCS, VSBH, and WEFCS best met the County’s standards to provide GMH outpatient services and recommended them for the award. Upon approval, AFW and SSFT will provide GMH outpatient services in the Desert/Mountain region; SCCS will provide services in the East Valley and West Valley regions; VSBH will serve the Morongo Basin region; and WEFCS will provide GMH services in the West Valley region.
Citrus Counseling Services, Inc. DBA Family Service Agency of San Bernardino (CCS) and Lutheran Social Services of Southern California (LSSSC) are the current providers for the Desert/Mountain region but did not submit proposals in response to the RFP, therefore, their current clients will need to transition to the new providers when the existing contract expires on September 30, 2026. DBH will work with CCS, LSSSC, AFW, and SSFT for the Desert/Mountain region to ensure timely notification and transition of affected clients prior to the contract expiration date of September 30, 2026. DBH will work to facilitate continuity of care and minimize disruption to GMH services for current and potential clients in the Desert/Mountain region.
Award and denial letters were sent to all responsible and responsive proposers on August 6, 2026. No protests were received within the allowable period.
The Purchasing Department supports this competitive procurement based on the formal solicitation completed by DBH.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Diana Barajas, Administrative Supervisor I, 388-0862) on August 18, 2026; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 25, 2026; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2065) on August 21, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on September 4, 2026.