DATE: April 9, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sanja Bugay, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Agreement with Neurosequential Model Network, LLC for Therapeutic
Training and Certification
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Under Administrative Policy No. 34 for competitive bids or requests for proposals (AP 34), determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement under AP 34 is satisfied and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an Agreement with Neurosequential Network as this vendor is uniquely qualified to provide specialized training in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics and is able to assist the Department immediately; and,
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with Neurosequential Network for specialized training services, effective upon execution, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions, total not to exceed $500,000.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended actions will allow the Department of Social Services (DSS) to partner with Neurosequential Model Network (NMN) to provide specialized training that will support and enhance existing service modality practices and infuse a foundational clinical treatment model approach to services. Service modalities supported include the work completed by our County collaborative partners such as Behavioral Health, Public Health, and Juvenile Justice as we support the same population DSS Child Welfare Services (CWS) and partners will use the elements of this approach (the Neurosequential Model: NM) to support the development of appropriate treatment, stabilization plans, as well as placement matching including evaluating appropriate placement supports. Additionally, NMN will help the Department build a long term infrastructure, which includes working with the State partners to assure NMT continues as an imbedded practice support, well beyond the contract term. The recommended agreement will be financed with State General Funds (GF) and 2011 Realignment, with no increase in Net County Cost. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board choose not to approve the recommended actions, additional training and coaching to improve cross-system practice to serve youth in our child welfare, behavioral health, and juvenile justice system would be impacted.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
It is requested that the County find under AP No. 34 that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied, and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, as Dr. Perry is fully qualified through his extensive research and years of clinical, educational, and practical experience on trauma-informed care and neuroscience, specifically through the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT). Dr. Perry and the NMN team will be committing on working with the Department and the State to build a learning collaborative as part of the piloting efforts to implement NMT statewide. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing Division concurs with the Department’s assessment that this satisfies the exception to the competitive bidding process required by AP 34.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The maximum compensation amount of the recommended agreement ($500,000) will be offset with the State General Fund - Family Finding, Engagement Support funds ($125,000) and Federal Title IVE Revenues ($375,000). Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5610 FY 2023-2024 Adopted Budget and will be included in subsequent budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
Since 1993, community and governmental agencies have consulted with Dr. Perry following high-profile incidents involving traumatized children, youth, and families. Dr. Perry and the NMN team have provided training internationally on the NMT, which integrate core principles from neurodevelopment, developmental psychology, traumatology, sociology, and a range of other disciplines to create a comprehensive understanding of the child, youth, family, and their broader community. DSS would like to incorporate NMT in the Child Welfare System to enhance current practice and ongoing efforts to improve outcomes for children and families involved.
NMN will provide general and in-depth training to CWS staff, as well as partner agencies that support foster youth, such as clinicians in the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) and nurses with the Department of Public Health (DPH). The general training will be a guided didactic process that provides an overview of NMT’s core concepts and its benefits to systems that serve youth in CWS. The in-depth training will consist of small cohorts of masters-level social workers, mental health clinicians, and clinical nursing staff who will become experts of NMT through approximately 120 hours of live meetings, multi-media recordings, and case studies over the course of 10-12 months. Some participants will move on to a second phase in which they work towards a Training for Trainers Certification that will assist in sustainability of NMT practice. This sustainability will be supplemented by training and coaching for supervisors and management, enhancing CWS efforts to develop and implement NMT.
Alongside this partnership, DSS would participate in a Learning Collaborative facilitated by the State with four other counties: San Diego, San Mateo, Shasta, and Ventura. This collaborative will support DSS in effectively implementation locally while also developing the building blocks to implement NM statewide.
If approved, the recommended agreement will be effective upon execution through June 30, 2027, with two optional one-year extensions based upon satisfactory performance with written notice by the DSS Director or designee and NMN. Termination without cause requires a 30-day written notice from County, Department Director, or designee, or Contractor.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Acquisition Request
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Neurosequential Model Network, LLC
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander