DATE: December 17, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Susan L. Holt, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT: Grant Agreement with the Mental Health Services Oversight &
Accountability Commission for Mental Health Student Services
expansion and Other Priorities
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Retroactively approve and authorize the Department of Behavioral Health’s previous submittal of grant applications to the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, for supplemental grant funds to the school-based mental health and prevention and early intervention services program, in the amount of $1,250,000;
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute Agreement No. 24MHSOAC049 with the California State Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission for receipt of awarded competitive grant funds to Fresno County that will allow expansion of school-based mental health and prevention and early intervention services to include mobile mental health units, effective upon execution through December 31, 2027, not to exceed $300,000; and
3. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute Agreement No. 24MHSOAC009 with the California State Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission for receipt of awarded competitive grant funds to Fresno County that will allow hiring a Quality Improvement and Sustainability Coordinator to lead the development and implementation of quality improvement and sustainability plans for school-based mental health and prevention and early intervention services, effective upon execution through December 31, 2027, not to exceed $450,000.
REPORT
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended actions will allow the County to receive additional awarded grant funds from California State Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) to purchase mobile mental health units to serve rural areas of Fresno County and hire a Quality Improvement and Sustainability (QIS) Coordinator to lead quality improvement and sustainability plans for the All 4 Youth program operated by Fresno County Superintendent of Schools (FCSS).
It should be noted that MHSOAC published the application on May 16, 2024. To meet the grant application deadline of June 28, 2024, the Department submitted the application on June 26, 2024 contingent upon your Board’s approval. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There are no viable alternative actions. Should your Board not approve the recommended actions, the awarded grant funds would not be accepted, and school-based mental health and prevention and early intervention services would not be expanded.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Approval of the recommended actions will increase funding to Fresno County by $750,000 over a three-year period made available by Senate Bill (SB) 75 and the Mental Health Student Services Act (MHSSA). DBH will work collaboratively to develop a work plan for the MHSSA funds and will return to your Board with an amendment to include expanded services. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues related to the funding are included in the Department’s Org 5630 FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget and will be included in subsequent budget recommendations for the duration of the grant agreements.
DISCUSSION:
On June 5, 2018, your Board approved Agreement No. 18-308 with FCSS to provide Mental Health Services Act specialty mental health services and prevention and early intervention services to individuals aged 0-22 and their families, at school sites throughout the County. The goal of this integrated expanded treatment program (collectively referred to as the “All 4 Youth” Program) is to provide one school-based integrated system of care for the behavioral health needs of youth and their families. Services include individual and group therapy, intensive case management, rehabilitation, medication support, and other related mental health services.
On August 4, 2020, your Board approved Agreement No. 20-283 (State Agreement 19MHSOAC052) with the MHSOAC to receive competitive grant funds to be passed through to the local education agency and partner, FCSS, to implement the submitted proposal.
On April 18, 2022, the MHSOAC released a Request for Application with a submission deadline of June 24, 2022 for additional grant funding. Fresno County and FCSS worked collaboratively to develop and submit a proposal for two additional Wellness Centers and associated costs totaling $3,101,751.
On July 6, 2022, the MHSOAC announced the selection of the County as one of the counties awarded the additional MHSSA funding in the amount of $1,619,403.
On May 16, 2024, the MHSOAC released a Request for Application with a submission deadline of June 28, 2024 for additional grant funding. Fresno County and FCSS worked collaboratively to develop and submit a proposal for marginalized and vulnerable youth, sustainability, other priorities, and associated costs totaling $1,250,000.
On August 12, 2024, the MHSOAC announced the selection of Fresno County as one of the counties awarded the additional MHSSA funding totaling $750,000. County was awarded for Other Priorities in the amount of $300,000 and Quality Improvement and Sustainability in the amount of $450,000 totaling $750,000.
Approval of the recommended action will allow the County to accept the awarded MHSOAC grant funds which will be passed through to the local education agency and partner, FCSS, to implement the submitted proposal via an amendment that will be brought to your Board for approval at a later date. The first recommended action will expand school-based mental health and prevention and early intervention services in the current All 4 Youth Program. The funds would be used to purchase a mobile mental health unit and passenger van. The mobile unit would serve Fresno County’s most high-need rural areas located in the North, which include the underserved students and families in Sierra Unified School District. The passenger van will serve all areas of Fresno County to address the county’s significant transportation needs by transporting families to medical appointments, basic services, and other activities that support mental health. The second recommended action will fund a QIS Coordinator for the All 4 Youth Program. The coordinator will conduct research to identify potential sources of funding that can be used to sustain All 4 Youth’s work and help develop a long-term sustainability strategy for Fresno County to access these identified sources of funding. Once the detailed scope of work has been negotiated, DBH will return to your Board with an amendment for consideration. The Agreements contain one-way indemnification language in favor of the State. The County agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the State against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, or expenses arising out of or related to this Agreement. The County further agrees that any disputes arising under this Agreement shall be resolved exclusively through arbitration as specified in Section 16 on page 18. Additionally, the parties agree that the venue for any claims or disputes shall be exclusively in Sacramento County, California.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #32, August 4, 2020
BAI #9, June 5, 2018
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Previously Submitted RFA MHSSA 004 Grant Applications
On file with Clerk - Agreement with MHSOAC 24MHSOAC049
On file with Clerk - Agreement with MHSOAC 24MHSOAC009
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander