REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 13, 2022
FROM
SHARON NEVINS, Director, Department of Aging and Adult Services - Public Guardian
SUBJECT
Title
Application to the California Department of Social Services for Community Care Expansion - Capital Expansion Program Funding
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve submission of a grant application, in the amount of $14,165,593, to the California Department of Social Services for Community Care Expansion - Capital Expansion Program funding to support expansion of the Pacific Village Campus.
2. Designate the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or Director of the Department of Aging and Adult Services - Public Guardian to execute and submit any subsequent non-substantive application documents required to receive the Community Care Expansion - Capital Expansion Program funding, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel.
3. Direct the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or Director of the Department of Aging and Adult Services - Public Guardian to transmit all documents in relation to the Community Care Expansion - Capital Expansion Program application to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Sharon Nevins, Director-Public Guardian, 891-3917)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES.
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The item does not impact Discretional General Funding (Net County Cost). The Community Care Expansion (CCE) - Capital Expansion grant, in the amount of $14,165,593, is funded by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and requires a 10% local match. The total project cost for the Pacific Village Campus is estimated at $16,174,120 and will be funded with $14,165,593 in CCE - Capital Expansion grant funding and $2,008,527 in American Rescue Plan Act funds ($1,183,935 for the local match and $824,592 for developer fees). The Pacific Village Campus project development phases will include feasibility/due diligence, pre-development, development planning, rehabilitation, and new construction. A portion of the CCE - Capital Expansion budget includes federal funding that must be obligated by June 2024 and liquidated by December 2026.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
CDSS is providing CCE - Capital Expansion funding, established through Assembly Bill 172, for the acquisition, construction, and rehabilitation of adult and senior care facilities that serve Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) and Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) applicants and recipients and other adults who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
CCE - Capital Expansion is designed to address the following State priorities:
• Invest in behavioral health and community care options that advance racial equity;
• Seek geographic equity of behavioral health and community care options;
• Address urgent gaps in the care continuum for people with behavioral health conditions, including seniors, adults with disabilities, and children;
• Increase options across the life span that serve as an alternative to incarceration, hospitalization, homelessness, and institutionalization;
• Meet the needs of vulnerable populations with the greatest barriers to access, including people experiencing homelessness and justice involvement;
• Ensure care can be provided in the least restrictive settings to support community integration, choice, and autonomy;
• Leverage County and Medi-Cal investments to support ongoing sustainability; and
• Leverage state investments in housing and homelessness.
San Bernardino County owns approximately 6.82 acres of land in the City of San Bernardino, known as Pacific Village, which currently provides 28 interim supportive/temporary housing units, including a single-family home and multi-family apartments. The Department of Aging and Adult Services - Public Guardian (DAAS-PG) intends to utilize the CCE-Capital Expansion grant to fund the expansion of Pacific Village into a full-service Continuum of Care (CoC) campus to promote community health and housing options for the most vulnerable residents within the county. The CoC campus concept will include an array of affordable housing types providing access to affordable and permanent housing options with on-site supportive services, such as medical and behavioral health. The Platinum Campus will be the first project for the expansion, which will include 30 new permanent housing units and a 32-bed Recuperative Care Center. Funding from the CCE-Capital Expansion grant will allow the Platinum Campus to serve a minimum of 168 San Bernardino County residents experiencing or at risk of homelessness annually.
The Platinum Campus housing units will be newly constructed, single-story prefabricated buildings. The 30 units will provide one- and two-bedroom options, equipped with a full kitchen, living room, and full bathroom, and will comply with Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. Residents will have access to community features such as outdoor recreational areas, supportive social services, individual and group therapy, and employment assistance. Platinum Campus housing will create affordable independent living options and supportive wellness services in a holistic community-based setting, for older adults and adults with disabilities, giving priority to applicants and recipients of SSI/SSP and/or CAPI benefits who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness. Monthly rental fees will be income-based in accordance with established Federal, State, and local housing policies and procedures.
The existing chapel building, centrally located on campus, will be remodeled to develop the 32-bed Recuperative Care Center. Clients will receive short-term medical and behavioral health care support for up to 90 days, targeted at serving individuals transitioning out of hospitals, correctional and other institutional settings, experiencing or at risk of homelessness and recovering from an acute illness or injury that generally does not require hospitalization. Ten of the 32 beds will be dedicated to Severely Mentally Ill clients. The Recuperative Care Center will include a community gathering area, semi-private rooms, restrooms, shower and laundry facilities, assessment/exam rooms, and administrative offices. The grant will allow a renovation of the current on-site commercial kitchen, which will provide residents with three nutritious meals prepared daily and served in the kitchen/dining hall. Additional services include intensive case management, supportive social services, workforce development, and transportation to off-site medical appointments. Recuperative care services will be funded through Medi-Cal reimbursement.
Through a collective impact partnership between County Departments and contracted providers, the CoC campus will increase access to a safe home environment and resources for whole-person wellness and self-sufficiency for a minimum of 168 San Bernardino County residents annually.
CCE - Capital Expansion is a competitive grant application, open to government, nonprofit, for-profit and other private organizations, including developers. To ensure jurisdictions throughout the state have an equitable opportunity to apply for funds, CDSS divided the state into seven regions. San Bernardino County is included in the Southern California region, and shares $100.4 million in reserved funding with five surrounding counties: Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and Ventura. As of September 6, 2022, $2.5 million in CCE - Capital Expansion funds have been awarded in the Southern California region, grant awards are issued and announced on a rolling basis. Should the competitive grant application be successful, DAAS-PG will return to the Board of Supervisors to receive approval to accept grant funds awarded by CDSS.
PROCUREMENT
This item will not require a procurement, however, a Request for Proposal (RFP) will be required to obtain competitive bids to secure a developer for the property expansion; a separate RFP will also be required to secure a contracted operator for the Recuperative Care Center. The timeline to complete the required RFP process may adversely impact the County’s level of competitiveness for this proposed grant.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Jacqueline Care-Wilson, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 8, 2022; Finance (John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on September 8, 2022; County Administrative Office (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-3076) on September 6, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on September 8, 2022.