To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: (CFS/AAS) 20-067-14 Social Service Staffing & Recruiting, Inc. Amendment
☒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 amendment, effective November 1, 2025, with Social Service Staffing & Recruiting, Inc., to increase the payment limit by $1,200,000 to a new payment limit of $2,200,000, to provide additional qualified temporary social workers for clients of the Children and Family Services and Aging and Adult Services Bureaus with no change to the term July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
54% Federal, 38% State and 8% County; $800,000 which will be included in the FY 25/26 mid-year budget adjustment (50% CFS and 50% AAS), and $400,000 which will be budgeted in FY 26/27 (100% CFS).
BACKGROUND:
Employment and Human Services (EHSD), Aging and Adult Services (AAS): Contra Costa has a caseload of 17,477 In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) consumers, 9,474 of whom are categorized as Community First Choice Option (CFCO) cases. Effective July 1, 2025 the California Department of Social Services is penalizing counties three percent of provider salary for each overdue CFCO annual reassessment. Currently, EHSD AAS has approximately 3,000 overdue CFCO cases, due to an increasing caseload without equivalent increasing staffing and which has an estimated penalty of approximately $320,000 per month. EHSD will use these temporary social workers to resolve the backlog.
In addition, Children and Family Services (CFS) has experienced delays with implementing new positions and continued difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified social workers. Currently, there are approximately thirty (30) vacancies in addition to staff on Leave of Absence (LOA), Family Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA), and other absences, resulting in a higher than optimal caseload to ensure sufficient staffing to support child welfare mandates.
Social Service Staffing & Recruiting, Inc. ensures a ready source of temporary, fully qualified social workers to immediately address the needs of EHSD AAS and CFS. Additionally, social workers obtained through this Contractor may become interested in permanent County positions and apply for current vacancies, which would support the Department’s efforts to fill permanent positions with qualified and well-trained applicants.
The Board of Supervisors approved recent prior contracts and amendments for services with Social Services Staffing & Recruiting, Inc. on June 10, 2025 (25.2278) for FY 25/26; June 4, 2024 (C.37) for FY 24/25; April 4, 2023 (C.73) for FY23/24; May 24, 2022 (C.48) for FY22/23 (amendment); January 18, 2022 (C.56) for FY22/23 (amendment); and on June 8, 2021 (C.79) for FY21/22.
This vendor was selected per procurement requirements outlined in Administrative Bulletin 600.3
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
This contract 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 ensuring children, families and aging adults in CFS and AAS programs are working with qualified staff on a consistent basis.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
EHSD AAS will not be in compliance with State mandates resulting in monthly penalties of approximately $317,379. In addition, qualified social workers will not serve clients in AAS IHSS and CFS programs efficiently due to the higher than optimal caseload.