REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 19, 2026
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Acting Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Contract for Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Services California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Life Skills Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Contract with Desert Oasis Sober Living Inc. for the provision of Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Services California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Life Skills program, in the amount not to exceed $438,303, for the contract period of May 19, 2026 through September 30, 2029.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Acting Director 252-5142)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The recommended contract, in an amount not to exceed $483,303, for Substance Use Disorders and Recovery Services (SUDRS) California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Life Skills program, is fully funded by the CalWORKs program through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Transitional Assistance Department (TAD). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) and Human Services Administrative Claim 2025-26 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
As the Mental Health Plan for the San Bernardino County (County), DBH is responsible for providing mental health and/or substance use disorder (SUD) services to county residents who are experiencing major mental illness and/or SUD. The SUDRS CalWORKs Life Skills program (Program) provides life skills education for CalWORKs participants, identifies individuals with SUD and/or mental health barriers, and provides referrals to treatment and resources that will enable participants to obtain and retain employment.
The Program provides CalWORKs participants with information and training by Program facilitators in topics such as stress management, goal setting, home organization, practical living habits, time management, parenting and coping skills, and healthy relationship interactions in order to remove barriers in obtaining and sustaining employment. In addition, CalWORKs participants are screened and referred to appropriate services for SUD and/or mental health treatment.
CalWORKs, a California Department of Social Services program, supports the County’s goals and objectives by addressing the health and social service needs of county residents through cash aid and services to eligible families. Each county participating in the CalWORKs program must develop a plan outlining how it intends to deliver the full range of activities and services necessary to transition CalWORKs recipients from Welfare to Work. In January 1998, Assembly Bill 1542 was enacted into law, requiring counties to offer behavioral health services to CalWORKs participants to assist in removing barriers to employment.
Desert Oasis will be facilitating Program classes out of the Victorville TAD office location serving Victorville and the surrounding communities. This activity has a flexible drop in option to help clients meet Welfare to Work requirements through completion of approved topics to help remove barriers to self-sufficiency. The activity generally lasts 12 weeks at 15 hours per week but can be broken out by client need. Desert Oasis is required to be onsite during established class times to accommodate client schedules.
DBH anticipates the following contract outcomes:
• Serving an estimated 476 clients annually, and
• Average cost of $307 per client.
DBH will monitor contractor performance, provide technical assistance as needed, review provider reports for timely submission, and analyze quality improvement plans to ensure outcomes improve client care. Desert Oasis Sober Living Inc. (Desert Oasis) invoices will be reviewed and approved by DBH Provider Support and Accounting Services for payment, and will verify units and total cost prior to issuing payment.
PROCUREMENT
On August 20, 2024, the County Administrative Office approved and authorized the release of Request for Proposal (RFP) #23-89 to solicit interested and qualified organizations and agencies to provide SUDRS CalWORKs Life Skills services at designated TAD offices located throughout the county. The RFP was publicly advertised through direct mailings to more than 2,000 community-based organizations, service providers, and other interested parties, advertised in local newspapers, and posted on the County Electronic Procurement Network.
A proposal conference was held on September 3, 2024. Three proposals were received by the established deadline in response to the RFP. All three proposals met procurement requirements and continued in the evaluation process.
|
Agency |
TAD Offices to be Served |
Proposed Budget |
|
Desert Oasis |
Barstow, Hesperia, and Victorville |
$614,979 |
|
YOU Life Skills and Leadership Educational Foundation (YOU) |
San Bernardino (4th Street) |
$296,393 |
|
New Life Facility Inc. (New Life) |
Barstow, Hesperia, Needles, Victorville, and Yucca Valley |
$4,346,000 |
The evaluation committee, comprised of six individuals with representation from TAD, Program Development Division, Child Support Services, and DBH, reviewed and evaluated the proposals based on the criteria referenced in the RFP, including, but not limited to: demonstrated ability to serve CalWORKs participants, ability to provide required services, readiness to provide services, experience, and staffing levels and qualifications.
Based on the evaluation results of the proposals, Desert Oasis and YOU were recommended to be awarded contracts for the SUDRS CalWORKs Life Skills Program for the period of May 19, 2026 through September 30, 2029. The proposals submitted indicated that these agencies would be able to provide the most adequate and appropriate services and would be ready to provide services by the contract start date. No protests were received within the allowable protest period.
DBH was prepared to negotiate with Desert Oasis and YOU, however, YOU declined the Intent to Negotiate invitation on March 8, 2026 due to the organization relocating to Georgia. The negotiation process proceeded with only Desert Oasis.
The funding amount allocated for these services, as referenced in the RFP, was $416,087 annually or $1,991,803 for the total contract period from December 17, 2024 through September 30, 2029. Due to the reduced budget allocations from the State of California, the funding amount allocated for these services is now $200,000 annually. Additionally, the budget reduction caused a delay in the procurement process, and as such, the recommended contract award for Desert Oasis will be for an approximate 31-month term beginning on May 19, 2026 through September 30, 2029, in the annual amount of $128,284, or $438,303 for the total contract period.
New Life is not recommended for the Needles and Yucca Valley TAD offices because DBH currently provides SUDRS CalWORKs Life Skills Program services for these locations. DBH will continue to provide the services due to the reduction in the program’s available annual budget. DBH is in the process of releasing a letter of interest to the provider network for an open procurement in the San Bernardino area.
The Purchasing Department concurs with the recommendation and supports this competitive procurement process conducted in accordance with County policy.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Department of Behavioral Health (Diana Barajas, Administrative Supervisor I, 388-0862) on April 3, 2026; County Counsel (Kristina Robb, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 22, 2026; Purchasing Department (Jessica Barajas, Supervising Buyer, 387-2065) on May 6, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392 and John Hallen, Principal Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on May 4, 2026.