DATE: June 21, 2022
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Susan Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Agreement with Adele James Consulting Inc.
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Make a finding that it is in the best interest to waive the competitive bidding process consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual and extraordinary circumstances as Adele James Consulting Inc. 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 Adele James Consulting Inc. for diversity, equity, and inclusion foundational 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 $278,800.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will add customized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) foundational training for Department of Behavioral Health personnel and contracted providers by Adele James Consulting Inc. (AJC). The recommended agreement will be funded with Mental Health Services Act - Workforce Education and Training (MHSA-WET), with no increase in Net County Cost. The annual cultural competence training is mandated for staff and stakeholders. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board does not approve the recommended action, the Department will be out of compliance with DHCS Cultural Competence Plan Criterion 5.I.A, mandating that the county system shall require all staff and invite stakeholders to receive annual cultural competence training; Department of Mental Health Information Notice 10-17, Enclosure 1. The 2010 Cultural Competence Plan Requirements.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION
The Department’s request to waive the competitive bidding process is consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 as AJC is the only vendor capable of providing the specific training need. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing Division concurs with the Department’s request to waive the competitive bidding process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Costs for the annual training ($166,000) 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:
To comply with DHCS Cultural Competence Plan Criterion 5, through your Board’s approval of Agreement No. 16-172, the California Institute of Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) provides Health Equity & Multicultural Diversity Training, a monthly mandatory cultural competency training. AJC was one of several trainers that CIBHS provided to deliver this training.
With the shift to virtual learning in 2020, AJC served as CIBHS’ sole training facilitator, developing, and providing her copyrighted Introduction & Implementation of Cultural Responsiveness (IICR) Training beginning in July 2020. After Agreement No. 16-172 expired on June 30, 2021, the Department conducted research on potential vendors to continue providing DEI foundational trainings in FY 2021-22. AJC was selected to provide these services via Purchase Order (PO) M04-0000021465; 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.
As an equity trainer for over ten years, AJC has demonstrated extensive knowledge in implementation of training, assessment, and organizational DEI practices. AJC will provide copyrighted IICR, a curriculum originally developed around and continually updated based on current events. Training sessions will be highly interactive, built around adult learning theory, and focus on participant driven learning and problem solving. Outside of providing IICR Training, AJC has also supported the Department by providing training on the use of the Racial Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit and Applied Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services to select supervisory staff.
Since 2020, AJC has provided IICR Trainings for Department personnel and contracted providers. Through the recommended agreement, AJC will provide up to 24 sessions per fiscal year for a maximum of 98 trainings for the term.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #34, April 26, 2016
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Request
On file with Clerk - PO
On file with Clerk - Agreement with AJC
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa