REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 15, 2022
FROM
DIANA ALEXANDER, Assistant Executive Officer, Department Operations
SUBJECT
Title
Contract with Inland Southern California 211+ for Information and Referral Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contract with Inland Southern California 211+ to provide Information and Referral services countywide, in the amount of $1,822,680, for the contract period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025, with the option for two additional one-year extensions.
(Presenter: Diana Alexander, Assistant Executive Officer, 387-4261)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
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
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total cost of $1,822,680 ($607,560 per year) for Inland Southern California 211+ (Inland SoCal 211) Information and Referral services will be provided as indicated in the table below. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the respective department’s 2022-23 budgets and will be included in future recommended budgets.
|
Department/Partnership |
Amounts |
|
Children and Family Services |
$54,012 |
|
Probation Department |
$450,000 |
|
Preschool Services Department |
$181,167 |
|
Department of Public Health |
$7,500 |
|
Countywide - Realignment |
$1,130,001 |
|
Total |
$1,822,680 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since 2005, Inland SoCal 211, formerly known as Inland Empire United Way, has provided Information and Referral services related to community, health, human, and disaster resources to San Bernardino County residents. Services are provided through a toll-free telephone call center, website, and written directory of resources. The recommended contract will ensure the continuance of the County-designed 211 program, and leverage the considerable investment made by the County since 2005.
Dialing 211 is free and confidential with live, bilingual call specialists to assist callers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Inland SoCal 211 provides crucial referrals to individuals and families in need of information and referral to vital health and social services in the local community. During a prior contract term, some performance concerns identified by the County were discussed with Inland SoCal 211, which led to the development and continued enhancement of contractual performance measures and quarterly progress reporting.
Under the terms of the contract with Inland SoCal 211, services include, but are not limited to:
• Comprehensive information and referrals for residents of San Bernardino County.
• Coordinated support with the County Office of Emergency Services in times of disaster.
• A public website specifically detailing Inland SoCal 211 services, state and federal resources, County contracted services, and links to provider websites.
• Dedicated staff for resource assistance for clients of the Preschool Services Department and Community Corrections Partnership (two Reentry Specialists).
• Data collection, quarterly reporting, client characteristics information, and demographic information.
Human Services Administration will coordinate with the County Administrative Office and respective departments to ensure compliance with the administrative, program, and fiscal terms and conditions of the contract. County staff will review invoices, reports, and other documents submitted by the contractor to ensure charges are for eligible services prior to payment. Performance measures for Inland SoCal 211 include:
• Answering and responding to a minimum of 10,000 call per month (6,200 in previous contract).
• Achieving a call abandonment rate of no more than 10% by January 1, 2024, and maintaining the 10% rate thereafter.
• Maintaining a minimum service level average of 80% of calls answered within five minutes.
• Performing a minimum of 1,000 random callback surveys every quarter evaluating program access, accuracy, and caller satisfaction.
• Providing full and comprehensive Information and Referral services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year.
• Providing quarterly and annual reports to the County Administrative Office, Human Services, and Human Services Program Development Division.
The quarterly and annual reports will be monitored and evaluated to ensure data collection includes, but is not limited to, call volume, call abandonment rate, service level average, and outcomes; number of calls received; number of calls answered; and conducting a minimum of 1,000 random callback surveys each quarter regarding access, accuracy, and caller satisfaction of referred resources. Any deficiencies, including those in performance measures, will be reported to Inland SoCal 211 for immediate corrective action.
This item is being presented to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for approval at this time, as this is the first date available following confirmation of budget and contact information; negotiations with Inland SoCal 211; and the required administrative, operational, and legal reviews. Board approval at this time will not impact Inland SoCal 211 services or activities, as services have continued throughout this period. The total cost of the recommended contract has decreased from the prior contract, as the prior Child and Family Services Specialist is no longer needed nor provided by Inland SoCal 211.
PROCUREMENT
Inland SoCal 211 is known and recognized statewide, and the County’s program is part of the statewide acceptance and use of toll-free 211. For these reasons, Purchasing concurs with the non-competitive nature of the contract.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0214) on October 25, 2022; County Counsel (Kristina Robb, Principal Assistant County Counsel, and Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on October 26, 2022; Purchasing (Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyer, 387-2148) on October 26, 2022; Children and Family Services (Jeany Zepeda, Director, 387-2792) on August 10, 2022; Preschool Services Department (Jacquelyn Greene, Director, 383-2005) on August 10, 2022; Department of Public Health (Joshua Dugas, Director, 387-9146) on August 10, 2022; Probation Department (Thomas Kamara, Director of Probation Administration, 387-9631) on August 9, 2022; Finance (Carolina Mendoza, Administrative Analyst, 387-0294, and John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 388-0802) on October 26, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Robert Saldana, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-4342) on October 31, 2022.