DATE: September 10, 2019
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Delfino E. Neira, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Agreement with The Fresno Center for Mental Health Services for
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Welfare-to-Work
Participants
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with The Fresno Center for mental health services related to employment, effective upon execution through June 30, 2021, which includes a ten-month base contract and an optional twelve (12) month extension, total not to exceed $6,297,164.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow The Fresno Center (TFC) to provide California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Welfare to Work (WTW) participants services for overcoming mental health barriers to employment, with no increase in Net County Cost. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action. If your Board does not approve the recommended action, the Department will be out of compliance with the Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 1120, which mandates the provision of mental health services related to employability for WTW participants.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The maximum cost of the Agreement ($6,297,164) will be offset using the CalWORKs Mental Health Allocation. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues will be included in the FY 2019-20 Recommended Budget for the Department of Social Services Organization 5610, and will be included in subsequent budgets for the duration of the Agreement.
The County has a required Maintenance of Effort (MOE) of $4,022,882 for FY 2019-20 for the CalWORKs program. Once the MOE has been met, all expenses over that amount will be 100% funded with State and Federal dollars up to the amount of the annual CalWORKs Mental Health Allocation. Social Services Realignment funds will be used to meet the CalWORKs MOE.
DISCUSSION:
Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 19-070 for Mental Health Services - Welfare To Work Employment was issued on April 16, 2019 to forty-six (46) potential bidders and closed with the receipt of one bid from TFC. The proposal was deemed responsive by the County of Fresno’s Purchasing Division, and was evaluated by a review panel comprised of two Departmental Program Managers, one Program Supervisor, one Clinical Supervisor from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), and one community partner. TFC’s proposal was unanimously recommended for funding.
The services requested are in accordance with the WIC Division 9, Part 3, Chapter 2, Article 3.2, section 11325.7, which provides the County a funding stream to provide barrier removal services for WTW participants experiencing mild-to-moderate mental health symptoms. In recognition of DBH’s mandate to provide services to those with severe presentation of mental health illness and the DSS mental health allocation’s required focus on employment barriers, the Departments agreed the best way to serve the public was for DSS to solicit services from community providers.
The recommended Agreement will serve WTW clients with mild-to-moderate mental health symptoms that are barriers to employment. The program will have as its goal the removal of barriers to employment by providing mental health services, resulting in clients engaging in school, employment, or other approved WTW activities; resulting in clients transitioning from welfare to work.
TFC is projected to serve 800 WTW clients annually in both metropolitan and rural Fresno County. TFC will have a central location in the City of Fresno as well as operate throughout rural Fresno County. Program services will include, but not be limited to therapy, group, case management, peer support, and linkages to other mental health services including medication support and more intensive mental health services when required. Services will target CalWORKs WTW participants and their families, including children. The recommended Agreement includes measureable outcomes to ensure the solicited services meet performance standards set by the Department.
If approved, the recommended Agreement may be terminated through written notice of non-renewal by the vendor, the Department’s Director, or designee no later than thirty (30) days prior to the close of the Agreement term.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Agreement
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander