DATE: March 6, 2018
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Dawan Utecht, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Amendment I to Participation Agreement with California Mental Health Services Authority for the Central Valley Suicide Prevention Hotline
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute Amendment I to Agreement No. 17-532 with the California Mental Health Services Authority for Central Valley Suicide Prevention Hotline services, effective upon execution through June 30, 2018, and increasing the maximum compensation by $120,459 to a total of $426,075.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will assign additional funding to the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) for FY 2017-18 to act as a fiscal intermediary and provide program management and oversight for the Central Valley Suicide Prevention Hotline (CVSPH) program. To maintain the services, the proposed amendment will increase the contract maximum to $426,075 for FY 2017-18. The additional funds are necessary to support ongoing costs of CVSPH until June 30, 2018 and cover estimated state funding, which did not materialize. The services will be funded with Mental Health Services Act - Prevention and Early Intervention funds, with no increase in Net County Cost.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the primary suicide prevention hotline for the Counties of Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Stanislaus would be non-operational. Suicide prevention calls for the participating counties would instead be made to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which may delay assistance to individuals as they are less familiar with local resources and the unique populations within the participating counties.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The recommended action will increase the compensation amount from $305,616 to $426,075 for FY 2017-18. The recommended amendment is fully funded with Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) - Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) funds. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5630 FY 2017-18 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
On September 14, 2010, your Board executed Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) No. 10-489 to implement Statewide MHSA PEI projects through CalMHSA, pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code, section 5897. The JPA allowed CalMHSA to increase cost efficiency for suicide prevention, student mental health initiatives, and reduction in stigma and discrimination related to mental illness. The County can choose to participate in CalMHSA activities, specifically the CVSPH.
On October 17, 2017, your Board approved a retroactive Participation Agreement (No. 17-532) with CalMHSA to act as a fiscal intermediary and provide program management and oversight for the CVSPH program. CVSPH operates a 24-hour/7 days a week accredited American Association of Suicidology hotline that serves as the primary suicide prevention hotline for the Counties of Fresno, Tulare, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Stanislaus. CVSPH answers calls through its participation in the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, maintains a hotline website, and provides outreach and technical assistance to the involved counties.
CalMHSA notified Fresno County of the shortage of funding for the CVSPH program in November 2017. Counties were able to contribute their proportional amounts requested of them but state funds from the Department of Health Care Services did not materialize. CVSPH has limited their spending as much as possible, but even with stringent spending measures in place, without the approval of the proposed amendment, funding from the counties via CalMHSA to CVSPH will be expended by early March.
The recommended amendment will provide additional funding for CalMHSA to cover the funding gap to ensure there is no interruption to the suicide prevention hotline and allow CalMHSA to continue their program management and oversight of the CVSPH program. Approval of the recommended amendment will allow the Department to increase the contract maximum for FY 2017-18 from $305,616 to $426,075. All other agreement terms and conditions remain unchanged.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #44, October 17, 2017, Agreement A-17-532 with CalMHSA
BAI #57, June 13, 2013, Amendment I to Agreement No. 10-489 with CalMHSA
BAI #39, September 14, 2010, Agreement No. 10-489 with CalMHSA
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Amendment I to Agreement No. 17-532
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander