DATE: June 21, 2022
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Susan Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
Sanja Bugay, Director, Department of Social Services
Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer, Department of Probation
SUBJECT: Retroactive Agreement with Kings View for Mobile Response Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive Agreement with Kings View for mobile response services for current and former foster youth, including foster youth with prior or current Probation involvement, and their caregivers, effective June 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 $2,254,812.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow for the provision of urgent and non-urgent mobile response services to current and former foster youth and their caregivers involved with the Departments of Behavioral Health (DBH), Social Services (DSS), and Probation, with no increase in Net County Cost. The agreement will be funded with a combination of Mental Health Realignment Funds the State Family Urgent Response System (FURS) allocation. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended action is not approved, the County will be out of compliance with Section 107 of Senate Bill 80 (Chapter 27, Statutes of 2019) and Assembly Bill 79 (Chapter 11, Statutes of 2020), which impact the provision of mobile/urgent services to high needs current and former foster youth.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
This recommended agreement is retroactive to June 1, 2022, to allow the program time to ramp up services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The maximum compensation ($2,254,812) will be offset with Mental Health Realignment funds, reimbursed by the State’s FURS allocation. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are available in DBH’s Org 5630 FY 2021-22 Adopted budget and will be included in future budget requests for the duration of the contract.
DISCUSSION:
The Family Urgent Response System (FURS) for Caregivers and Children or Youth, originally enacted through Section 107 of SB 80 and amended by AB 79, is a coordinated statewide, regional, and county-level system designed to provide a collaborative and timely state-level phone-based response, as well as a county-level in-home/community, in-person mobile response during situations of instability for the purpose of preserving the relationship of the caregiver and the child/youth. FURS is intended to provide support to current and former foster youth, including foster youth involved (or formerly involved) in the probation system, as well as their caregivers.
On March 1, 2021, California DSS (CDSS) established the statewide, toll-free 24/7 hotline, in order to effectively engage caregivers and children/youth currently or previously in the foster care system who are experiencing tension or conflict in their relationships, emotional distress, behavioral difficulties, or other difficulties that may threaten their placements. Operators of the statewide hotline provide immediate assistance over the phone to help defuse conflict and provide focused engagement and assessment to make a referral to the applicable county’s mobile response system for further support.
On February 1, 2022, Request for Proposals (RFP) 22-038 was released with assistance from the Internal Service Department - Purchasing Division, through Fresno County Public Purchase requesting proposals from qualified vendors to operate a FURS program to provide a mobile response- system 24/7 for current and former foster youth, including foster youth with prior or current probation involvement. The RFP closed on March 1, 2022, and the evaluation panel, consisting of staff from DBH Fiscal, DBH Managed Care, DBH Contracts, DSS Contracts, and Probation Contracts, found the proposal submitted by Kings View best satisfied the County’s intent of this project. In coordination with DSS and Probation, Kings View will provide the behavioral health services for in-person mobile response within prescribed timeframes.
Upon approval by your Board, the recommended agreement will become effective retroactive to June 1, 2022, and may be terminated by the County, DBH Director, or designees, or Kings View, upon providing a 60-day advanced written notice. Additionally, the recommended agreement allows the DBH Director to approve Kings View’s term extension for each additional 12-month period, based on satisfactory performance.
The recommended agreement allows changes to services, staffing, and responsibilities of Kings View, as needed, to accommodate changes in the laws relating to FURS requirements and specialty mental health treatment and may be made with the signed written approval of County’s DBH Director, or designee, and Kings View through an amendment approved by County Counsel and the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office. Additionally, changes to expense category (i.e., Salary & Benefits, Facilities/Equipment, Operating, Financial Services, Special Expenses, Fixed Assets, etc.) subtotals as set forth in the recommended agreement, that do not exceed 10% of the total annual maximum compensation, changes to the volume of units of services/types of service units to be provided, and changes to service rates as set forth in the recommended agreement, may be made with the written approval of County’s DBH Director or designee. Modifications approved by the DBH Director shall not result in any change to the maximum compensation payable under the recommended agreement, without returning to your Board for approval.
OTHER REVIEWING AGENCIES:
The Behavioral Health Board was informed of the recommended Agreement on June 15, 2022.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #29, June 8, 2021
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Kings View
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa