Contra Costa County Header
File #: 24-4272    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Discussion Item Status: Agenda Ready
File created: 12/12/2024 In control: Equity Committee
On agenda: 12/16/2024 Final action:
Title: RECEIVE updates and APPROVE RFP recommendations for the $1M Measure X allocation for existing African American Wellness Services
Attachments: 1. Summary of Applicants and Recommended Awards
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EQUITY COMMITTEE

Meeting Date: December 16, 2024 

Subject: $1M Measure X Allocation for African American Wellness

Submitted For: Equity Committee 

Department: Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice 

Referral No: 

Referral Name: $1M Measure X Allocation for African American Wellness

Presenter: Peter Kim 

Contact: Peter Kim, peter.kim@oresj.cccounty.us

 

 

Referral History:

On December 12, 2023, the Board of Supervisors allocated $1,000,000 of Measure X funds for existing African American Wellness Services. The ORESJ was tasked with developing a plan to administer the funds. Over several months (February to October 2024), ORESJ presented progress reports at Equity Committee meetings regarding the plan to administer and distribute the funds. The overall plan includes: 

 

#1) Contract with a local community foundation with extensive experience supporting Black-led and Black-serving organizations to administer contracting, program monitoring, and fund distribution with County-approved community-based service organizations to deliver services to increase holistic wellness in African American communities in Contra Costa County.

 

A Request For Qualifications (RFQ) was first released in June 2024, which produced zero applications. A second, abbreviated RFQ was released on September 11, 2024 and closed on October 4, 2024; five applications were submitted. On October 21, 2024, a five-member review committee recommended East Bay Community Foundation as the most qualified applicant. The final decision of award is pending the full Board of Supervisors approval which will take place at their December 3, 2024 meeting.

 

#2) Implement a competitive solicitation process to select qualified community-based service organizations to deliver services and programs to increase holistic wellness in African American communities in the following five (5) priority service/program categories: Behavioral health supports; Food and/or housing insecurity services; Maternal and infant health services; Youth development support services, and; Community healing supports, particularly from trauma due to police violence.

 

These awards are expected to augment and/or expand existing services or programs by increasing capacity (e.g. serve more participants, host additional events, extend program periods). While applications for funds will be accepted for all of Contra Costa County, programs and initiatives serving East County’s most impacted communities will be prioritized. 

 

A Request For Proposals (RFP) was first released on September 26, 2024 and closed on October 31, 2024; ORESJ was tasked to coordinate and lead a participatory review process and present to Equity Committee a recommendation of awardees for Board of Supervisors approval.

 

Referral Update:

The following is a summary of the participatory review and recommendation process that began November 1, 2024 to select the best qualified applicants to provide services to increase and expand African American holistic wellness: 

 

A total of fifty-three (53) proposals were submitted on time by the October 31, 2024 due date. The number of applicants per priority funding category are as follows:

                     Behavioral health supports - 9

                     Food and/or housing insecurity services - 8

                     Maternal and infant health services - 5

                     Youth development support services - 23

                     Community healing supports - 8

 

ORESJ recruited and convened seven review panels composed of 20 participatory review panel members. All reviewers are Black community members who live and/or work throughout Contra Costa County, and possess subject-matter expertise and both professional and personal experience as educators, social service providers, mental health practitioners, maternal/infant health practitioners, violence prevention specialists, administrators, trainers, and consultants. Six (6) are County staff, six (6) work for local school districts, three (3) are formerly incarcerated, at least one (10 is formerly in foster care, and an even 50% split between men and women.

 

Between November 1 - November 12, 2024, participatory review panel members independently reviewed the proposals using the scoring rubric provided in the original RFP and submitted their respective scores for each proposal.

 

Between November 13 - November 15, 2024, the seven participatory review panels each met, respectively, and shared their scores, deliberated collectively on their assessments of the proposals, and ranked applicants.

 

Due to the large number of applications in the Youth Development category, the review process was extended an additional week in order to allow for a second review of the top ranked applications to ensure a fair and robust review process that honors the large and competitive field of applicants.

 

Staff will present Equity Committee with a final set of award recommendations from the participatory grant review panel.

 

Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):

RECEIVE updates and PROVIDE direction on the $1M Measure X allocation for existing African American Wellness Services

 

 

Fiscal Impact (if any):

Upon Board of Supervisors’ approval, East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) will receive and administer the $1 million in Measure X funding for African American wellness services; once grantees are approved by the BOS, EBCF will administer funds to service providers.