DATE: June 6, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Amendment to Agreement with Allvest Information Services, Inc., dba Vant4ge
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and Authorize the Chairman to execute an Amendment to Agreement with Allvest Information Services, Inc., dba Vant4ge, to add additional annual Train-the-Trainer Certification training for each remaining year of the term, for the utilization of risk-assessment software applications for juveniles and adults, to increase the number of participants from fifteen to twenty, and increase the total contract maximum compensation amount, by $15,000 for the current year and $20,000 annually thereafter, from $1,275,900 to a total of $1,330,900, with no change to the term of April 9, 2019 through March 31, 2026.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Due to unanticipated high staff turnover and the need to effectively train end-user personnel to utilize risk-assessment software applications for juvenile and adult offenders, the Probation Department needs to acquire additional training and increase the number of staff participants who will be trained to become trainers, from fifteen to twenty. Approval of the recommended action will provide additional annual Train-the-Trainer (TTT) Certification training for each remaining year of the term of the agreement, through Allvest Information Services, Inc. (Allvest), for the utilization of risk-assessment software applications for juveniles/adults and increase the number of participants from fifteen to twenty. This will increase the total contract maximum compensation amount, by $15,000 for the current year and $20,000 annually thereafter, from $1,275,900 to a total of $1,330,900, with no changes to the term of April 9, 2019 through March 31, 2026. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended action is not approved, the Probation Department will not be able to increase the number of certified in-house trainers to adequately train its personnel to utilize risk-assessment software applications for juveniles and adults.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The increased costs for services provided under the recommended amendment include $15,000 for the current year and $20,000 annually thereafter, increasing the total contract maximum compensation from $1,275,900 to $1,330,900. These costs are fully offset with the Youthful Offender Block Grant (YOBG) and SB 678 revenues. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are available in Probation’s Org 3430 FY 2022-23 and will be included in subsequent budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
On March 15, 2011, the Board approved an agreement with Allvest that provided risk-assessment software applications for juveniles and adults to the Fresno County Probation Department. Risk-assessment applications are used to determine the appropriate level of supervision and services for probationers, in an effort to reduce their likelihood of recidivating. This agreement provided for the installation, implementation, training, integration, and customization of these applications. On June 2, 2015, the Board approved a new agreement with Allvest to continue to provide web-based risk-assessment applications such as the Positive Achievement Change Tool (PACT), which is used to determine the risk-level associated with juvenile probationers, and the Static Risk and Offender Needs Guide (STRONG), which is used to determine the risk-level associated with adult probationers.
On April 9, 2019, your Board approved the current agreement, which superseded agreement no. A-15-216, and which allowed the Department to upgrade from the current PACT and STRONG assessment tools to the M-PACT and STRONG-R risk assessment applications. Both applications not only classify the types of risk levels, such as high, moderate, and low, but also display the full spectrum of offender behaviors, from technical violations to extremely violent offenses. Along with M-PACT and STRONG-R, the agreement provided the Department with the Commercial Sexual Exploitation - Identification Tool (CSE-IT), Static-99, and the Detention Risk Assessment Instrument (DRAI) applications. Allvest provided training to help staff become familiarized with these applications, followed by a one-time TTT Certification training for up to fifteen participants.
Initially, fifteen staff members completed the TTT Certification training. Of those staff, only seven remain employed within the Department, which is less than half of the original trainees. Due to unanticipated high staff turnover and the need to effectively train end-user personnel to utilize the above-mentioned risk-assessment software applications, it is critical that the Department acquire additional TTT Certification trainings and increase the number of staff participants, who will be trained to become trainers, from fifteen to twenty. Approval of the recommended action will provide an additional annual TTT Certification training for each remaining year of the term of the agreement, for the utilization of risk-assessment software applications for juvenile and adult probationers, and increase the number of participants from fifteen to twenty. This will increase the total contract maximum compensation amount by $15,000 for the current year and $20,000 annually thereafter, from $1,275,900 to a total of $1,330,900, with no changes to the term of April 9, 2019 through March 31, 2026.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #43, April 9, 2019
BAI #35, June 2, 2015
BAI #27, March 15, 2011
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Amendment to Agreement with Allvest
CAO ANALYST:
Fine Nai