To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: 38-108-1 (CSB) renewal with the Early Childhood Mental Health Program
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services Director, or designee, to execute a contract with the Early Childhood Mental Health Program, in an amount not to exceed $2,918,400 to provide mental health services for the County’s early childhood education programs for the term August 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
100% Measure X funds; of which 33.4% is budgeted for FY 25-26, 33.3% will be budgeted for FY 26-27, and 33.3% will be budgeted for FY 27-28.
BACKGROUND:
Employment and Human Services seeks to renew a contract agreement with the Early Childhood Mental Health Program (ECMHP) to provide critical mental health services for the County’s early childhood education programs. This initiative is funded through Measure X and aligns with the Head Start Performance Standards, which aims to promote ongoing mental health, as well as enhancing the social and emotional well-being of children, families and staff.
In February 2020, Contra Costa Behavioral Health issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) on behalf of EHSD to identify a mental health service provider for children enrolled in the County’s early childhood education programs. ECMHP was the sole respondent to the RFP and was selected to deliver mental health services to children enrolled in the County’s Head Start program.
In July 2024, the County entered into a contract with ECMHP in the amount of $116,900 for a term from August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025.
This contract expands access to mental health services through Measure X by offering trauma-informed and behavioral support services to the County’s early childhood partner agencies and families who qualify for the County’s early childhood education programs.
The Board of Supervisors has authorized this allocation to serve as an overmatch for the Head Start grant. The contract includes an advance payment allocation of $139,879.84 to support ECHMP’s business expansion costs for the initial contract year, to be issued within thirty (30) days following the Board of Supervisors’ approval. This vendor was selected per procurement requirements outlined in Administrative Bulletin 600.3.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Should the proposed action not be approved by the Board of Supervisors, the County will be limited in its ability to meet the obligations of Measure X funding
CHILDREN’S IMPACT STATEMENT:
This agreement supports all five of the community outcomes established in the Children's Report Card: (1) "Children Ready for and Succeeding in School"; (2) "Children and Youth Healthy and Preparing for Productive Adulthood";(3)"Families that are Economically Self-Sufficient"; (4) "Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing"; and (5) "Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families,” by supporting staff working directly with families and children.