To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Jennifer Solito, 707-565-4774
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Public Health Service Agreements Indemnification Language
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with Sultana, Constance C. for birth educator training and related services for the period of March 11, 2025 through June 30, 2025 for a not to exceed amount of $6,000.
B) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with Cake4kids to provide baked goods to at risk youth at no cost to the County for a period of three years from the effective date.
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Executive Summary:
The Department of Health Services (DHS) is seeking Board of Supervisors approval for two agreements which would typically fall under Department Head execution authority, however, both vendors are requesting mutual indemnification language which requires Board approval.
The agreement with Sultana, Constance C. will provide a Lamaze Passion for Birth Workshop for 10 Public Health Nurses in DHS’ Home Visiting programs, equipping them with evidence-based birth education strategies. This training will help improve maternal and infant outcomes by empowering Home Visitors to provide critical support to pregnant and parenting families. The agreement is for the period of March 11, 2025 through June 30, 2025 for a not to exceed amount of $6,000.
Additionally, DHS seeks approval for an agreement with Cake4Kids, a non-profit providing free birthday cakes and other baked goods to at-risk youth. This no-cost service is available to clients of the Home Visiting program and aims to bring joy and celebration to children’s milestones, strengthening the client-home visitor relationship at no cost to the program or families. The agreement is a no-cost agreement for a period of three years.
Discussion:
Sultana, Constance C.
The Department of Health Services (DHS) seeks authorization to execute an agreement with Sultana, Constance C. for birth educator training and related services for the period of January 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025, for a not to exceed amount of $6,000. Sultana, Constance C. is seeking indemnification from the County, which requires approval from the Board. The agreement has been reviewed by Counsel and Counsel concurs with recommending the Board approve authorizing the DHS Director to enter and execute the agreement.
Under this agreement, Constance Sultana will deliver a birth educator training, the Lamaze Passion for Birth Workshop, over a three-day period in March 2025, to 10 Public Health Nurses from DHS’ Home Visiting programs. The workshop will equip home visitors with birth education strategies based on the most current evidence. The training is designed to increase confidence of educators to help increase the confidence of the families they serve. Topics covered include healthy pregnancy, coping in labor and post-partum adjustment as well as educational teaching theories and techniques. As part of the training, the instructor, Connie Sultana, will facilitate the three-day training, provide manuals and supplies for workshop participants, and be available beyond the workshop to answer questions. The trainer is a certified childbirth instructor with over 25 years’ experience. She has served at over 1,000 births in 2 countries, 5 states, over 50 hospitals and birth centers, and in over 100 homes.
This training will equip home visitors to deliver evidence-based, engaging, and compassionate birth education to expectant parents in DHS’ Home Visiting programs. Evidence has shown that birth education is associated with improved birth outcomes. DHS’ Home Visiting programs serve low-income pregnant and parenting families in Sonoma County who face higher risks of adverse maternal and infant outcomes. Home Visiting clients often do not have the resources (including financial resources, time, and/or transportation) to access childbirth classes. By building the skills and capacity of Home Visitors, who are effective educators, we will be able to provide knowledge and skills to families and help build their confidence, within their own homes and in the context of the existing client-home visitor relationship and contribute to improved birth outcomes for clients.
DHS’ Home Visiting programs serve approximately 350 low-income families in Sonoma County at any given point in time. Lower income families tend to experience poorer birth outcomes and experience barriers to accessing the traditional childbirth education classes that can improve maternal and infant outcomes. By equipping Home Visitors with skills to deliver birth education and help prepare families for childbirth within the context of home visiting services, we can improve the health and well-being of infants and birthing parents, among families that face higher risk for adverse outcomes. By training home visitors to deliver high quality birth education, we anticipate hundreds of clients and their families to benefit annually from education they may not otherwise receive elsewhere.
The proposed agreement is funded by California Public Health Workforce Career Ladder Education and Development Program - Round 1. On June 28, 2023, the Department was notified of awarded funding of $154,321,43 for up to four years as requested for PH- Career Ladder Program Projects, including Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators to help families cope with fears and empower them with evidence-based information about labor and birth.
Cake4kids
DHS seeks authorization to execute an agreement with Cake4kids to provide baked goods for at risk youth at no cost to the County or the clients, for a period of three years from the effective date. Cake4kids is seeking indemnification from the County, which requires approval from the Board. The agreement has been reviewed by Counsel and Counsel concurs with recommending the Board approve authorizing the DHS Director to enter and execute the agreement.
Founded in 2010, Cake4Kids’ mission is to help foster kids and at-risk youth feel special at least one day a year, to raise their self-esteem, and to increase their chance of success in life knowing that people care for them. Cake4Kids provides free birthday cakes or other baked goods to at-risk youth, age 1-24, who would not otherwise have a treat for their birthday or other major milestone. The Cake4Kids chapter in Sonoma County launched in 2020, partnering with non-profit and local government agencies. Under this agreement, birthday cakes and desserts will be provided at no-cost for Home Visiting clients for birthdays, graduations, and other special events. DHS Home Visiting case managers will identify clients who could benefit from this offering and put in a request through the Cake4Kids portal. The child will have options regarding flavor, theme, and color. Volunteer bakers create the baked goods and deliver to Public Health offices. With no limit to the number of requests that can be made, Cake4Kids also offers baked goods for group events, such as for client graduation ceremonies.
DHS’ Home Visiting program serves low-income families and teen parents in Sonoma County, and many clients lack financial resources to purchase items such as festive birthday cakes for their children to celebrate special occasions. Providing families baked goods through Cake4Kids can bring joy and celebration into the lives of families and make children feel special on their special day, while strengthening the client-home visitor relationship, at no added cost to the program or clients. We anticipate hundreds of children over the contract period could benefit from this special offering.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Healthy and Safe Communities
Goal: Goal 1: Expand integrated system of care to address gaps in services to the County’s most vulnerable.
Objective: Objective 2: Identify gaps in the Safety Net system of services and identify areas where departments can address those gaps directly, and seek guidance from the Board when additional resources and/or policy direction is needed.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
On July 23, 2024, the Board adopted a resolution delegating authority to the Director of Health Services, or designee, to accept funding allocations for the County of Sonoma and execute revenue agreements, amendments, and related documents received in fiscal year 2024-2025 as necessary to receive revenue from California state and Federal agencies directly or their third-party administrators for various terms with some being for multiple years, subject to review and approval as to form by Counsel.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY24-25 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY26-27 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$6,000 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$6,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
$6,000 |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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General Fund Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$6,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The proposed $6,000 for Sultana, Constance C training services is included in the budget approved by the Board on June 14, 2024. Funding for this contract comes from a California Public Health Workforce Career Ladder Education and Development Program - Round 1 grant award.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Sultana, Constance C. Draft Agreement
Attachment 2 - Cake4kids Draft Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None