REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2026
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Acting Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Amendments to Contracts for Environmental Prevention Strategies and Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1 to the following contracts for the provision of Environmental Prevention Strategies and Services, updating contract language regarding staffing requirements, increasing the combined amount by $3,227,895, from $9,000,000 to $12,227,895, with no change to the contract period of January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030:
1. Contract No. 25-1114 with Institute for Public Strategies increasing the amount not to exceed by $1,613,948, from $4,500,000 to $6,113,948.
2. Contract No. 25-1115 with Reach Out West End increasing the amount not to exceed by $1,097,484, from $3,060,000 to $4,157,484.
3. Contract No. 25-1116 with Rim Family Services, Inc., increasing the amount not to exceed by $516,463, from $1,440,000 to $1,956,463.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Acting Director, 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The recommended increase of $3,227,895 for Environmental Prevention Strategies and Services (EPSS) is funded by the Opioid Settlement Funds - Targeted Population Outreach (OSF-TPO). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) 2025-26 and 2026-27 budgets and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DBH provides mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services to San Bernardino County (County) residents experiencing severe mental illness and/or SUD. Through County-operated clinics and partnerships with community-based organizations, DBH delivers a comprehensive continuum of behavioral health services that support prevention, early intervention, treatment, education, recovery, and resiliency for individuals and families across the county.
As part of its SUD continuum of care, DBH provides EPSS to County residents with the objective of achieving positive community-level change by reducing SUD-related issues among youth throughout the county. Since 2007, DBH has provided EPSS through contracted providers throughout the county.
EPSS are designed to achieve effective community-level outcomes through five integrated strategies: data collection and analysis, community organizing, policy development based on environmental or community condition changes, media advocacy, and enforcement. These evidence-informed strategies are intended to support a sustainable system and behavioral changes across the county, aligning with the four primary SUD Prevention Initiatives: Alcohol Prevention, Cannabis Prevention, Methamphetamine Prevention, Opioid and other Emerging Substances Prevention.
On December 16, 2025 (Item No. 27), as the result of a formal procurement, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract No. 25-1114 with Institute for Public Strategies in the amount of $4,500,000, Contract No. 25-1115 with Reach Out West End in the amount of $3,060,000, and Contract No. 25-1116 with Rim Family Services, Inc. in the amount of $1,440,000, for a combined contract total of $9,000,000, for the period of January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030.
During 2024-25, EPSS conducted the following outreach activities:
• 220 health fairs, conferences, and community events
• Conducted 198 speaking engagements
• Managed 9 active coalitions throughout the county
• Provided 212 training services on environmental prevention strategies and issues.
In addition, providers collected a total of 2,318 surveys, which assisted in determining community risk levels. DBH uses this information to inform outreach, education, media campaigns, and other targeted prevention strategies.
As the demand for prevention efforts continues to increase, providers are experiencing rising costs associated with staffing, travel, training materials, community outreach, data collection, media campaigns, and coordination with community partners, schools, law enforcement, and healthcare systems. The additional funding was required at the outset of the contract, as the program was awaiting Opioid Settlement Funds to ensure providers could continue delivering their contracted services. Continued funding is necessary to sustain current service levels and address emerging behavioral health and SUD challenges throughout the county. The recommended contract amendments will support continued service delivery, promote workforce stability, and ongoing commitment to evidence-based EPSS that improve community health outcomes.
From January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030, DBH anticipates that EPSS will include the total contract deliverables as follows:
• Completion of 360 prevention-related media pieces
• Approximately 1,000 outreach events
• Implementation of 24 prevention policies
• Completion of approximately 8,250 surveys
In addition to the above, the providers will continue carrying out activities in direct support of EPSS, including participating in coalitions, delivering training services, and conducting outreach through speaking engagements, health fairs, conferences, and other related community events.
Performance measures for EPSS 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 activity logs, workplan implementation data, and compliance documentation, which allows the department to monitor progress and identify trends or concerns. Accountability mechanisms, including review of invoices to ensure accurate expenses prior to payment processing, deliverable and performance audits, technical assistance, 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 prevention services.
DBH will regularly 1) review client service data and progress, conduct site visits and annual monitoring to ensure performance and compliance standards of the contract(s) are met; and 2) review provider invoices to ensure expenses are accurate prior to payment processing.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health (Marianna Martinez, Administrative Supervisor II, 383-3940) on May 29, 2026; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 29, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on June 4, 2026.