DATE: April 23, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Delfino E. Neira, Director, Department of Social Services
Margaret Mims, Sheriff-Coroner-Public Administrator
Elizabeth Diaz, Public Defender, Public Defender’s Office
Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer, Probation Department
Dawan Utecht, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
David Pomaville, Director, Department of Public Health
Raman Bath, Interim County Librarian, Library
SUBJECT: Agreement with California State University, Fresno for Student Clinical and Field Experience
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with California State University, Fresno to provide students with supervised clinical and field experience through County programs, effective July 1, 2019, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions ($0).
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action, which will provide student interns enrolled at California State University, Fresno with clinical and field experience opportunities with the Departments of Social Services, Behavioral Health, Public Health, Probation, Sheriff, Library and the Public Defender’s Office. The recommended agreement will be effective July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022 with two optional twelve-month renewal terms. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action. Should your Board not approve the recommended action; the County will not be able to accept student interns from California State University, Fresno.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action, as there is no exchange of funds. California State University, Fresno provides worker’s compensation and professional liability insurance coverage for all students who participate in the program.
DISCUSSION:
The County has maintained a long contractual relationship with California State University, Fresno (CSUF) to provide student interns enrolled at CSUF with clinical and field experience opportunities at various County departments. The County’s current agreement with CSUF will expire on June 30, 2019. The recommended agreement is necessary to continue such an arrangement.
The opportunity to provide clinical and field experience to students attending CSUF enhances services for Fresno County consumers, as well as provides the students with an awareness of the challenges and rewards of working with this population. The County has benefited from placement of CSUF interns, as it has provided training for students who may be potential future qualified County employees after graduation.
The recommended agreement satisfies all applicable vendor insurance requirements stipulated in County agreements, as determined by Risk Management. It further requires CSUF to provide each student with professional liability insurance which insures the students against liability stemming from negligence or other issues that may arise from providing or failing to provide professional services.
The recommended agreement includes mutual hold harmless clauses and stipulates that student interns are not employees of the County and will not replace the County workforce. In addition to other applicable program and security training, student interns will be required to complete applicable County training for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and to meet all HIPAA requirements to access and use Private Health Information (PHI).
Upon approval by your Board, the recommended agreement will be effective July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022, with two optional one-year renewal terms, with the same terms and conditions based on CSUF’s satisfactory performance. The recommended agreement allows CSUF, or County, and/or County’s Director of Social Services or designee(s) to terminate the agreement without cause, upon giving six months advance written notice. This deviates from the standard County contract language, which provides for thirty days’ written notice to terminate, in order to allow students more time to complete their placements, as well as to provide CSUF time to find new placements for students, should the agreement be terminated. Each County Department has the option to discontinue participation with sixty day written notice to CSUF and the Director of the Department of Social Services.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #48, June 17, 2014
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander