DATE: June 21, 2022
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Susan Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Agreement with National Latino Behavioral Health Association
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Make a finding that it is in the best interest to suspend the competitive bidding process consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual and extraordinary circumstances as National Latino Behavioral Health Association provides unique training services consistent with the Department of Behavioral Health’s needs and is the only vendor that can support this service; and,
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with National Latino Behavioral Health Association for virtual behavioral health interpreter courses, effective July 1, 2022, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $237,900.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will add customized virtual behavioral health interpreter training (BHIT) courses for contracted interpreters and multi-lingual personnel through the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA). The recommended agreement will be funded with Mental Health Services Act - Workforce Education and Training (MHSA-WET) dollars with no increase in Net County Cost. The annual interpreter training in mental health settings is mandated for staff and contracted interpreters. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board does not approve the recommended action, the Department will be out of compliance with Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Cultural Competence Plan Criterion 5, requiring annual interpreter training in mental health settings; Department of Mental Health Information Notice 10-17, Enclosure 1. The 2010 Cultural Competence Plan Requirements.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION
The Department’s request to suspend the competitive bidding process is consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 as NLBHA is the only vendor capable of providing the specific training need. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing Division concurs with the Department’s request to suspend the competitive bidding process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Costs for the training ($130,400) will be funded by MHSA-WET. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues will be included in the Department’s FY 2022-23 Recommended Budget and in subsequent budget requests for the duration of the agreement.
DISCUSSION:
The NLBHA drafted and copyrighted their BHIT courses with the intention of training multi-lingual behavioral health staff who provide interpretation and/or translation to meet the language needs of communities served. The curriculum includes a seven-hour training for monolingual English-speaking providers, in-depth exploration of cultural considerations when providing language access, robust engagement to allow participants to practice the skills they are learning, and tailored activities to meet the specific needs of the County.
To comply with DHCS Cultural Competence Plan Criterion 5, NLBHA began providing their Behavioral Health interpreter trainings to Department staff in 2018. The trainings were arranged with NLBHA subcontracting with the Department through the Board’s approval of Agreement No. 16-172 with the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS). The subcontracted services expired June 30, 2021.
The Department conducted research on potential vendors for BHIT services in FY 2021-22. NLBHA was selected to provide the services via Purchase Order (PO) M04-0000021316; due to working against a short timeline, the Internal Services Department - Purchasing Division allowed the Department to use a PO for one year and bring a multi-year agreement for ongoing state-required services before your Board the following year with a completed Suspension of Competition to proceed. NLBHA has demonstrated their ability to provide effective trainings based on their performance, evaluations, and the Department would like to continue using them for consistent training services for staff.
Since 2018, NLBHA has provided seven BHIT courses for interpreters (contracted interpreters and multi-lingual staff) and nine BHIT courses for providers. Through the recommended agreement, NLBHA will provide up to six courses of BHIT for interpreters and fourteen courses for providers.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #34, April 26, 2016
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Acquisition Request
On file with Clerk - PO
On file with Clerk - Agreement with NLBHA
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa