DATE: May 6, 2025
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sanja Bugay, Director, Department of Social Services
Susan Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer, Department of Probation
SUBJECT: Amendment I to Standard Agreement with California Department of Social Services for the Children’s Crisis Continuum Pilot Program
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute Amendment I to revenue Agreement No. 24-424 with California Department of Social Services for the Children’s Crisis Continuum Pilot Program, updating the terms provided by the State regarding advance payments, effective upon execution with no change to the term of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2028, or compensation maximum of $8,500,000; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services, or designee, to execute grant related documents.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with approval of the recommended actions. The first recommended action will amend the agreement to include more lenient terms provided by the State with regards to advance payments. The agreement includes the option to request an advance of up to 15% of the grant total. CDSS has offered to increase the advance amount to 25%. These additional advanced funds will provide the Department with an increase in funding on hand for the implementation and startup of services. The second recommended action will allow the Department to submit a request for the advance funds. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommend action, a request for advance funds for a lesser amount could still be submitted under the existing terms of the agreement. Should your Board choose not to approve the second recommended action, the Director of DSS, or designee, will be unable to execute any grant related documents for this pilot program, and approval and authorization will need to be requested from the Board.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The existing agreement provides a maximum of $8,500,000 for project implementation through June 30, 2028. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues have been included in the Department of Social Services Org 5610 FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget and will be included in subsequent budget requests. The recommended amendment will allow the Department to request up to $2,125,500 in advance to assist in program implementation and corresponding startup costs.
DISCUSSION:
In July 2021, Assembly Bill (AB) 153 (Chapter 86, Statutes of 2021) was signed into law, mandating the creation of the Children’s Crisis Continuum Pilot Program (CCCPP) to be jointly implemented by CDSS and DHCS. Fresno County Departments of Social Services (DSS), Behavioral Health (DBH), and Probation, in addition to other counties statewide, have been challenged with providing high-acuity needs foster youth with family-based placements and effective, intensive, trauma-informed services to stabilize and meet their needs. The pilot program is intended to provide a framework for a highly integrated Continuum of Care for foster youth across California. The purpose is to address perceived gaps in services and placements to ensure that the complex behavioral, developmental, and physical needs of these foster youth are better met.
On August 6, 2024, the Board approved Agreement no. 24-424 to fund the development and implementation of the pilot program. Fresno County was awarded $8.5 million to develop the continuum and provide these services. Included in the terms of the agreement is the option to request an advance of up to 15% of the grant total. As a result of the ongoing discussions between the County and CDSS regarding the implementation and progress of this pilot program, CDSS has offered to increase the advance amount to 25%. These additional advanced funds will provide the Department with an increase in funding on hand for the implementation and startup of services, therefore avoiding any potential delays that may result while waiting for disbursement of funds, or from having to reimburse other funding sources on hand that otherwise could been used for the provision of other services in the interim.
This agreement differs from the County’s model contract in that it includes one-way indemnification in favor of the State. The one-way indemnification clause was reviewed by Risk Management prior to the original agreement going before the Board on August 6, 2024, and deemed to be acceptable for this agreement between public entities.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #55, August 6, 2024
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Amendment I to Standard Agreement with CDSS
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander