DATE: October 20, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Susan L. Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Agreement with Youth Leadership Institute for Substance Use Disorder
Prevention and Friday Night Live/Club Live Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with Youth Leadership Institute for Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Friday Night Live/Club Live services, effective November 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031, which includes a two-year and eight-month base contract and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $5,867,913.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The recommended action will allow the Department to provide youth-focused substance use disorder prevention services, including Friday Night Live/Club Live (FNL/CL) programming, for youth and young adults ages 10-20 residing in Fresno County. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the Department would be unable to implement substance use disorder prevention and Friday Night Live/Club Live services for youth and young adults ages 10-20, which may result in reduced access to substance use prevention programming and impact the County’s ability to meet State and federal Substance Use Block Grant (SUBG) prevention requirements.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The maximum cost of the Agreement ($5,867,913) will be funded with Substance Use Block Grant (SUBG) funds. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department of Behavioral Health’s Org 5630 FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget and will be included in future budget requests for the duration of the term of the Agreement.
DISCUSSION:
On July 13, 2021, the Board approved Agreement No. 21-270 with Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) to provide substance use disorder primary prevention services for youth and young adults ages 10-20. The agreement was amended five times during the term to add supplemental revenue, update with State-mandated requirements, and extend the term to expire on September 30, 2026.
The Department released Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 26-047 on March 23, 2026, for the provision of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) primary prevention services for youth and young adults ages 10-20 residing in the County of Fresno. Services include prevention of alcohol, marijuana, and prescription drug misuse, as well as youth leadership development through FNL/CL programming. Addendum No. one (1) to the RFP was issued on April 8, 2026 to respond to questions from potential bidders. The RFP closed on April 21, 2026, and four proposals were received: YLI ($1,189,351), A Hopeful Encounter ($1,189,351), California Health Collaborative ($1,189,351), and Integral Community Solutions Institute ($1,067,668).
The proposals were reviewed and ranked by an evaluation committee, comprised of three members, according to Purchasing guidelines based on a comprehensive review of the proposal contents which included but was not limited to cost, capability and qualifications, management plan, and service outcome measures. The evaluation committee consisted of a Department Utilization Review Specialist, Senior Substance Abuse Specialist, and Staff Analyst, who reviewed the proposals. YLI was determined to be the most qualified bidder and best able to meet the needs of the County. The selected proposal demonstrated a strong understanding of prevention service delivery, youth engagement through FNL/CL programming, and the ability to meet data collection and reporting requirements.
The recommended agreement will allow the Department to continue SUD prevention services with the selected bidder, YLI. Utilization data for this program demonstrates significant community impact in FY 2024-25, with 798 youth participants engaged across 28 chapters and 640 chapter activities completed. School-based prevention curriculum reached an additional 2,605 students. Program outcomes show strong effectiveness: 77% of annual objectives were met, 92% of youth participants reported improved mental health, and 96% reported that FNL/Club Live programming helped them make decisions to avoid alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
The modification clause in the agreement delegates the Board’s authority to the DBH Director to make limited non-material changes to the agreement during the term of the Agreement. These changes shall not result in any change to the maximum compensation amount.
OTHER REVIEWING AGENCIES:
The Behavioral Health Board was notified of the recommended Agreement during the September 2026 meeting.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #44, June 30, 2026
BAI #21, March 17, 2026
BAI #27, June 6, 2023
BAI #49, June 21, 2022
BAI #32, April 19, 2022
BAI #9, July 13, 2021
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with YLI
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander Jr.