REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2026
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Acting Director, Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Amendments to Contracts for Promotores de Salud/Community Health Worker Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve amendments to contracts with the following agencies for the provision of Promotores de Salud/Community Health Worker Program services, increasing the combined contract amounts by $1,709,144 from $5,057,716 to $6,766,860, updating contract language and extending contracts for an additional one year and six months, for a total contract period of July 1, 2022 through December 31, 2027:
1. Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-577 with Hearts & Lives, increasing the amount by $210,000 from $560,000 to $770,000.
2. Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-578 with Riverside - San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc., increasing the amount by $546,000 from $1,456,000 to $2,002,000.
3. Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 22-579 with Pacific Clinics, increasing the amount by $202,500 from $540,000 to $742,500.
4. Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-580 with Victor Community Support Services, increasing the amount by $750,644 from $2,001,716 to $2,752,360.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Acting Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote and Fulfill the Countywide Vision.
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
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 increase of $1,709,144 for the Promotores de Salud/Community Health Worker (PdS/CHW) program services will be funded by the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) and Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2025-26 and 2026-27 budgets and will be included in the 2027-28 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The recommended amendments are required as part of a significant funding source transition from the MHSA to BHSA, reflecting a broader focus on integrating behavioral health services within the community. These amendments update four out of the five existing contracts to incorporate new BHSA language and operational requirements, while also extending the four contracts for an additional one year and six months, resulting in a total contract term of July 1, 2022 through December 31, 2027, which will support program transition to BHSA and/or other funding sources as appropriate.
On May 5, 2026, Asian American Resource Center (AARC)notified DBH of their decision not to renew their PdS/CHW contract. As a result, the PdS/CHW services will conclude at the end of the current contract term, with no impact on the service regions.
In November 2004, California voters approved Proposition 63, the MHSA, which established a comprehensive framework for behavioral health services, including prevention and early intervention programs, innovative service models, infrastructure development, technology improvements, and workforce education and training. In March 2024, California voters approved Proposition 1, which established the BHSA. The BHSA is designed to modernize and expand access to behavioral health services statewide, replacing MHSA and restructuring behavioral health funding to prioritize direct service delivery, improve access to care for all individuals, and enhance oversight, transparency, and accountability at both the state and local levels.
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 provides a full range of mental health services for residents of the county through contracts with community-based organizations and County-operated clinics, with the goal of promoting prevention, intervention, treatment, education, recovery, and resiliency for individuals and families.
The PdS/CHW program is now categorized under the reporting area of Outreach for Increasing Recognition of Early Signs of Mental Illness. The program’s purpose is to engage, encourage, educate, train, and learn from potential responders regarding effective approaches to early signs of potentially severe and persistent mental illness. Services are culturally and linguistically specific, community-driven, and designed to reduce the stigma associated with seeking behavioral health services among unserved, underserved, or inappropriately served populations. The program provides community education on mental health and SUD topics, promotes behavioral health prevention and wellness, and connects community members to local resources and support services.
Performance measures for PdS/CHW contracts focus on tracking service quality, timeliness, accessibility, and outcomes to ensure providers meet established standards. Contractors are required to submit regular reporting such as monthly service logs, outcome data, fiscal reports, and compliance documentation, which allows 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.
Previous target populations to be served included African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, Latino/LatinX, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and Native American communities. With the transition to BHSA, the focus now includes BHSA Priority Population participants (chronically homeless, experiencing homelessness, or at risk of homelessness; in, or at risk of being in, the justice system, and/or reentering the community from prison or jail; at risk of conservatorship; and at risk of institutionalization) and/or potential community responders to BHSA Priority populations.
In 2024-25, the PdS/CHWs projected providing field-based outreach and education to 30,665 unduplicated participants at a cost of $41 per participant. However, the ability of the PdS/CHWs to leverage existing local and community resources to connect participants to services, which includes first responders, instead of providing the services directly, allowed 70,605 additional participants to be served, for a total of 101,270 participants gaining awareness and access to services, while reducing the cost per participant to $13.
For the remaining contract term, DBH requires and anticipates the PdS/CHW program to serve a minimum of 28,432 unduplicated participants at an anticipated cost of $40 per participant. Based on prior-year experience, actual participation may exceed the minimum service level as providers continue leveraging local and community resources to connect participants to behavioral health education, prevention, wellness, and support services.
On June 28, 2022 (Item No. 32), as a result of a formal procurement, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Contract No. 22-576 with AARC in the amount of $375,000, Contract No. 22-577 with Hearts & Lives in the amount of $420,000, Contract No. 22-578 with Riverside - San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc. in the amount of $1,092,000, Contract No. 22-579 with Uplift Family Services dba Pacific Clinics in the amount of $405,000, and Contract No. 22-580 with Victor Community Support Services (VCSS) in the amount of $1,501,287, for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
On November 14, 2023 (Item No. 23), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-579, reflecting the legal name change of Uplift Family Services dba Pacific Clinics to Pacific Clinics with no changes to the terms of the contract.
On June 18, 2025 (Item No. 23), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-576 with AARC, increasing the amount by $125,000 from $375,000 to $500,000, Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-577 with Hearts & Lives, increasing the amount by $140,000 from $420,000 to $560,000, Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-578 with Riverside - San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc., increasing the amount by $364,000 from $1,092,000 to $1,456,000, Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-579 with Pacific Clinics, increasing the amount by $135,000 from $405,000 to $540,000, and Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-580 with VCSS, increasing the amount by $500,429 from $1,501,287 to $2,001,716, updating contract language and exercising the first option to extend the contracts by an additional year, for the total contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2026.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Marianna Martinez, Administrative Supervisor II, 383-3940) on May 27, 2026; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 28, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on June 4, 2026.