To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Angela Struckmann, 565-5800 and Cristin Tuider, 565-8504
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Human Services Department Contracts for Fiscal Year 2023-24
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of the Human Services Department, or designee, to execute 28 contracts to deliver Adult and Aging, Economic Assistance, Employment and Training, and Family, Youth and Children’s Services to the community, as listed on Attachment A, for a total amount of $21,653,818. Contract terms vary from one to three fiscal years as listed below.
B) Authorize the Director of the Human Services Department, or designee, to amend and execute the following contracts funded by the State of California Department of Aging in order to accept anticipated revenues that do not increase the amount of the contract by more than $100,000 from the original amount and does not significantly change the scopes of service: Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging contracts with Council on Aging, Disability Services and Legal Center, North Coast Opportunities, Petaluma People Services, and Senior Advocacy Services.
C) Authorize the Director of the Human Services Department, or designee, to amend and execute the remainder of the contracts included in this item in order to accept unanticipated revenues that do not increase the amount of the contract by more than $50,000 from the original amount and do not significantly change the scopes of service.
D) Authorize the Director of the Human Services Department to designate her signature authority in executing agreements under specific circumstances in order to get services in place in a manner that is timely and in the best interest of Department clients.
end
Executive Summary:
The Human Services Department (HSD) requests authority to execute contracts for services with community-based organizations as listed on Attachment A. Depending on the funding amount, HSD procures client services every three to four years, either through a competitive Request for Proposal process or under the authority of the Department Head or Purchasing Agent to provide a broad range of services to clients for programs such as job search services, housing support, services to young adults and foster youth, child welfare programs, adult and child abuse prevention, and programs for seniors.
All funding for contracted services is in support of state and federal mandates and is consistent with the objectives of HSD to protect vulnerable children and adults and promote maximum independence and well-being for county residents. Contracts are executed in the standard Counsel-approved template, include language that obligates the County only to the extent funding is available, and allow for amendments to reduce or terminate the contract in the event that any anticipated funding is reduced or eliminated.
Each contract was procured using County and funder requirements and in support of Safety Net Contracting Principles <https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/contracting-principles-letter-from-the-safety-net-departments> by providing essential services in every community across the County and serving some of the County’s most vulnerable residents. Additionally, each scope of work describes the services to be delivered, data collection, and funder-required outcome measures. HSD has implemented the Results-Based Accountability (RBA) framework for planning, reporting, and monitoring of performance measures in each service that was procured for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 and will include the Anti-Racist RBA framework for all upcoming procurements conducted by the Department. HSD will also support shifting contracts implementing RBA to an Anti-Racist RBA framework.
To ensure the ability to provide services quickly to meet the needs of vulnerable clients, HSD is requesting that the Director be authorized to delegate signature authority in specific situations. This is particularly important as it relates to the welfare of children in HSD’s care, among other circumstances.
HSD is committed to providing services that lead to healthy and safe communities, racial equity, and social justice in support of Sonoma County’s Strategic Plan.
Discussion:
Human Services Department Contracts
The Human Services Department (HSD) will execute a total of 28 contracts for community-based services totaling $21,653,818 that require Board approval.
Due to the federal and state funding cycles, the State of California Department of Aging (CDA) amends funding multiple times during each fiscal year for existing and expanded senior services. When additional funds are allocated to the Sonoma County Area Agency on Aging (AAA), it is imperative that there be flexibility to modify contract funding to service providers expediently in order to ensure continuity of services. The AAA requests authorization for the Director of HSD, or her designee, to amend and execute the following contracts to accept both anticipated and any unanticipated revenues that do not significantly change the scope of services or increase the amount of the contract by more than $100,000 from the original contract amount: Council on Aging Services for Seniors; Disability Services & Legal Center Aging & Disability Resource Connection (ADRC); North Coast Opportunities Family Caregiver Support Program; Petaluma People Services Center Services to Seniors; and Senior Advocacy Services for Seniors.
More funds may be allocated at any time from the state or federal governments. In addition, throughout the fiscal year HSD may re-allocate funding due to over/under spending by contractors. It is imperative that there be flexibility to modify contract funding expediently in order to assure continuity of services. HSD requests authorization for the Director of HSD, or her designee, to amend and execute the balance of the contracts listed in this item that does not significantly change the scope of services or increase the amount of the contracts by more than $50,000 from the original contract amount.
A summary of the contracts requiring Board approval is listed below by division and in Attachment A; this list also indicates which contracts incorporate RBA plans. A subset of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-2024 contract awards was competitively procured prior to HSD’s full implementation of RBA requirements and therefore do not include RBA plans; however, these contracts will be updated to incorporate the RBA framework when they are competitively procured in future years as part of their respective 3-4-year cycles. The procurement method for each is listed in Attachment B. Attachment C organizes contract totals by provider, since a provider may have multiple contracts with HSD, and Attachment D includes a breakdown by specific funding source. Attachment E is the HSD Delegated Authority Letter and outlines the specific circumstances for which delegation will be allowed.
Administrative Division ($300,000)
HSD administers the County’s agreement with Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) for Domestic Violence Shelter Based Services pursuant to SB 1246. In 1980, California enacted SB 1246 in order to generate additional funds to support domestic violence shelter-based programs for victims of domestic violence and their children by implementing a fee on issued marriage licenses. In order to be eligible to receive funds, the program must meet specific criteria, including the provision of a 24-hours per day, 7-days per week shelter and telephone hotline; temporary housing and food facilities; psychological support and peer counseling; a drop-in center; arrangements for school age children to continue their education while at the shelter; and referrals to existing services within the community. The YWCA provides these important services to our community.
The following contract is for three fiscal years - July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026:
- Young Women's Christian Association ($100,000 per year for a total of $300,000) - the YWCA will provide domestic violence services as required to comply with SB 1246.
Adult & Aging Division ($3,170,077)
The Adult & Aging Division works with individuals and the community to ensure the safety and well-being of vulnerable adults by providing protective and supportive social services to older adults, veterans, and persons with disabilities. The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) contracts with community partners to provide senior services, such as adult day care, case management, legal services, transportation, ombudsman, congregate and home-delivered meals, caregiver support and respite, medication management, and the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). The Board has approved an ongoing General Fund allocation of $250,000 to support local nutrition programs for seniors which is included in the agreements with Council on Aging and Petaluma People Services Center.
Each of the following contracts are for FY 2023-24:
- Council on Aging Services for Seniors ($1,543,500) for adult day care, Alzheimer’s day care, congregate and home delivered meals, and nutrition education.
- Disability Services & Legal Center ($130,196) for the Aging & Disability Resource Connection connecting older adults and people with disabilities to the full array of available long-term services and supports.
- North Coast Opportunities ($195,000) for the Family Caregiver Support Program to provide support and respite services for family caregivers.
- Petaluma People Services Center ($539,478) for adult day care, congregate and home delivered meals, nutrition education, disease prevention and health promotion, transportation, mobility management and education, and case management services.
- Senior Advocacy Services ($761,903) for the Ombudsman program, the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program, Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act services, and Elder Abuse prevention services.
Economic Assistance Division ($216,808)
The Economic Assistance Division of the Human Services Department helps low income individuals obtain medical coverage through the Medi-Cal program and food benefits through the CalFresh program.
The following contract is for FY 2023-24:
- United Way of the Wine County ($216,808) for CalFresh outreach and assistance with applications, and 2-1-1 referrals.
Employment and Training Division ($3,480,944)
The Employment and Training Division oversees SonomaWORKS, funded by the California Department of Social Services with Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funding, General Assistance (GA) to disabled or low income and unemployed individuals, and Job Link and youth programs funded by the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA). The SonomaWORKS program is designed to help those receiving cash assistance get training, job readiness and retention support, and help in overcoming barriers that prevent them from obtaining a job in order to get off of cash assistance and progress to self-sufficiency. WIOA provides funding for job search, job training, Job Link, and youth services.
The following contract is for one fiscal year - June 10, 2023, to June 9, 2024:
- Conservation Corps North Bay ($791,139) for the provision of summer and year-round crew work for youth and young adults enrolled in the Sonoma County Youth Ecology Corps (SCYEC) program. The SCYEC solicits funding from investing project hosts to support the program and provide for crew work to public agencies as needed. Program revenue is generated throughout the fiscal year.
Each of the following contracts are for FY 2023-24:
- Goodwill Industries of the Redwood Empire ($1,263,500) for job readiness and employment services to participants enrolled in the SonomaWORKS program.
- Interfaith Shelter Network ($450,000) for the provision of transitional housing and case management services for Housing and Disability Advocacy Program and SonomaWORKS Housing Support Program clients.
- Social Advocates for Youth ($676,305) for the My Pathway Program providing youth and young adults education and employment services.
- Women’s Recovery Services ($0) for GA payments for clients residing in Residential Rehabilitation facilities. This contract has no monetary value as GA payments are issued directly to the facility on behalf of the client, but requires Board approval to formalize the relationship.
The following contract is for three fiscal years - July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026:
- YWCA ($100,000 per year for a total of $300,000) - for Domestic Abuse Services for SonomaWORKS clients, including those receiving housing assistance.
Family, Youth & Children’s Division ($14,485,989)
The Family, Youth and Children’s Division ensures the safety and well-being of children and youth by providing families with the resources they need to prevent the removal of their children or assist in the return of children to the home, provides support and care of children in foster care, and supports the safety of children in the community. The increase in the total amount of funding in the contracts listed is due to a substantial increase in the number of multi-year agreements.
Each of the following contracts are for FY 2023-24:
- Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County ($143,914) for child care support for foster children through State Senate Bill 89 that establishes the Emergency Child Care Bridge program for foster children.
- Seneca Family of Agencies ($150,000) to assist youth in identifying relatives and other caring adults that can provide support to them on an ongoing basis.
- Seneca Family of Agencies ($703,609) for the Sonoma Marin Family Urgent Response System providing support to caregiver families, foster youth, and former foster youth through a toll-free statewide telephone hotline available 24/7 and a corresponding local in-person mobile response during crisis.
- Social Advocates for Youth ($150,000) for temporary housing and support for youth who are coming back into or remaining in the foster care system after age 18.
- TLC Child & Family Services ($860,000) for transitional housing and assistance for youth transitioning out of foster care.
Each of the following contracts are for two fiscal years - July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025:
- California Parenting Institute (CPI) ($265,000 per year for a total of $530,000) for the Parent Mentor program.
- CPI ($763,800 per year for a total of $1,527,600) providing client support services including parent education, supported visitation, and resource assistance.
- CPI ($400,308 per year for a total of $800,616) for child abuse prevention services including in-home parent education and coaching, resource assistance and case management, and in-home therapy and behavior support.
- CPI ($158,000 per year for a total of $316,000) for Resource Family Training services.
- Interfaith Shelter Network ($1,530,000 per year for a total of $3,060,000) to provide temporary housing for foster youth and families, and assistance with securing permanent housing.
- Seneca Family of Agencies ($2,134,000 per year for a total of $4,268,000) to provide wraparound services, including parenting support and skill development, coaching, school support, and respite in and out of the home, for families with children at risk of going to a high-level group home placement or stepping down from a high-level group home placement.
- Seneca Family of Agencies ($155,000 per year for a total of $310,000) to provide child abuse prevention wraparound services.
- TLC Child & Family Services ($200,000 per year for a total of $400,000) for functional family therapy services.
- V.O.I.C.E.S. Sonoma ($287,000 per year for a total of $574,000) to deliver the Independent Living Skills Program that provides independent living skills to foster and emancipated youth ages 16 to 24.
- Wayfinder Family Services ($346,215 per year for a total of $692,250) for the Kinship Program to provide resource assistance for foster and non-foster families raising both foster youth and relative children.
Delegated Authority
To ensure the ability to provide services quickly to meet the needs of vulnerable clients and in some cases, to meet administrative needs, HSD is requesting that the Director be authorized to delegate signature authority in specific situations as listed in Attachment E. This would allow agreements to be signed by the Assistant Director when the Department Director is absent or when she is otherwise unavailable. In the case of the Family, Youth & Children’s Division (FYC), delegating authority for the Division Director to execute agreements $50,000 or less in emergency situations, which may occur at any time day or night, ensures that the needs of the children legally in our care are met immediately to ensure their safety, health, and well-being. In addition, allowing the FYC Division Director to execute therapeutic services agreements $30,000 or less allows us to meet a basic business need as the sheer number of these agreements (between 50 and 75) creates an administrative burden for the Contracts and Procurement Unit as well as the Department Director. For one-time facility rental agreements for off-site trainings, meetings, and conferences totaling $5,000 or less, allowing HSD Division Directors to execute these would also alleviate an administrative burden as well as allow for cost savings by the Department. These agreements are not on the County Professional Services template, requiring they be reviewed by County Counsel, time for which is billed back to HSD.
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.
Prior Board Actions:
The Board of Supervisors has annually approved funding and service contracts for the programs included in this item.
June 13, 2022 - Approved $13,950,080 in funding for Human Services Department contracts.
June 8, 2021 - Approved $15,574,626 in funding for Human Services Department contracts.
June 3, 2020 - Approved $12,662,263 in funding for Human Services Department contracts.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 22-23 Adopted |
FY23-24 Projected |
FY 24-25 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
$15,014,585 |
$6,439,233 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$0 |
$15,014,585 |
$6,439,233 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
$247,500 |
|
|
State/Federal |
|
$14,156,964 |
$6,339,233 |
|
Fees/Other |
|
$610,121 |
$100,000 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$0 |
$15,014,085 |
$6,439,233 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The Human Services Department’s proposed FY 2023-24 budget includes funding for the requested contracts ($15,014,085). While $250,000 was earmarked by the Board to be paid for from General Fund for senior nutrition, $247,500 is included in the Council on Aging and Petaluma People Services Agreements. The balance has been allocated to two additional senior nutrition agreements with Ceres Community Project and Coastal Seniors, the totals of which did not meet the threshold to be included in this Board Item.
See Attachment A for full details including a breakdown of funding by fiscal year. The different funding sources used to finance these contracts are summarized in Attachment D.
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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):
None
Attachments:
Attachment A - Human Services Department Contracts
Attachment B - Human Services Department Procurement Method by Contract
Attachment C - Human Services Department Contracts by Contractor
Attachment D - Human Services Department Contracts by Funding Source
Attachment E - Human Services Department Delegated Authority Letter
Attachments 1 through 28 - Service Provider Contracts
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A