REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
October 26, 2021
FROM
VERONICA KELLEY, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with Valley Star Behavioral Health, Inc. for Full Service Partnership and Mental Health Court Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 1, effective October 26, 2021, to Contract No. 18-390 with Valley Star Behavioral Health, Inc. for Full Service Partnership and Mental Health Court services, adding General Mental Health outpatient services and California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids mental health services, updating standard contract language, and increasing the total contract amount by $2,240,000, from $12,324,990 to $14,564,990, with no change to the contract period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2023.
(Presenter: Veronica Kelley, Director, 388-0801)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The increase in the amount of $2,240,000 is funded through a combination of Medi-Cal Federal Financial Participation, 2011 Realignment, 1991 Realignment, and California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs). Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2021-22 budget and will be included in the 2022-23 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Full Service Partnership (FSP) services are designed to address chronic behavioral health conditions by providing a full spectrum of community and mental health services to support a client’s recovery, wellness, and resilience. Currently, the contract with Valley Star Behavioral Health, Inc. (Valley Star) provides Mental Health Court (MHC) services. MHC specialized mental health services are provided to individuals involved in the criminal justice system. The recommended amendment will add the provision of General Mental Health (GMH) outpatient services and California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) mental health services to DBH’s existing contract with Valley Star due to a recent need for a service provider in the Morongo Basin.
DBH provides GMH services to indigent or Medi-Cal eligible adults who require Tier III level of care and children who are experiencing serious mental and emotional difficulties resulting in significant impairment in daily living activities and functioning. CalWORKs recipients referred to DBH by the Transitional Assistance Department are assessed and evaluated to determine the level of mental health services needed to remove barriers to employment and to provide clients assistance in applying for Social Security Income benefits when mental illness makes them unemployable. Upon approval of the recommended amendment, DBH anticipates that Valley Star will provide GMH outpatient services annually to approximately 250 clients at an estimated average cost of $3,580 per client and CalWORKs mental health services annually to approximately 59 CalWORKs recipients at an estimated average cost of $3,806 per recipient.
On April 21, 2021, Hi-Desert Medical Center notified DBH that effective June 14, 2021, they were terminating their contract with DBH and would no longer provide GMH outpatient services and CalWORKs mental health services to the Morongo Basin. Upon review of the providers in the Morongo Basin, DBH determined that Valley Star is the provider best able to provide these mandated services. Valley Star has the clinical and support staff, experience and knowledge in place to provide GMH outpatient services and CalWORKs mental health services immediately. Furthermore, FSP services provide the same continuum of care services as GMH outpatient services, just on a more intensive level. Therefore, adding these services to the current Valley Star FSP and MHC contract in the Morongo Basin allows for a seamless transition from Hi-Desert Medical Center to Valley Star.
PROCUREMENT
On June 26, 2018 (Item No. 22), as the result of a formal procurement, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the contract with Valley Star to provide FSP and MHC services in the amount of $12,324,990, for the period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2023.
The recommended amendment will allow DBH to continue to meet the needs of individuals requiring GMH outpatient services and CalWORKs mental health services in the Morongo Basin through June 30, 2023. DBH will continue to monitor contractor performance on a regular basis to ensure compliance standards are met.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health Contracts (Ellayna Hoatson, Contracts Supervisor, 388-0858) on September 23, 2021; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 27, 2021; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on October 1, 2021; and County Finance and Administration (Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on October 5, 2021.