To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Grant Colfax, Health Services Director
Report Title: Health Care for the Homeless Staff Training and Ocean Riders Release of Liability, Acknowledgment & Assumption of Risks and Indemnification Agreement
Recommendation: Recommendation of the County Administrator
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE Contra Costa Health's Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Program to participate in a County-Sponsored staff retreat and training at Equinicity Marin (Ocean Riders of Marin), located at the Golden Gate Dairy Stables, 1760 Shoreline Highway, Muir Beach, CA, on September 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $4,560, and AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director, or designee, to execute the Ocean Riders Release of Liability, Acknowledgment & Assumption of Risks and Indemnification Agreement on behalf of the County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This $4,560 in budgeted expenditures is funded by the California Clearing House Mini Grant. There is no impact to the County General Fund.
BACKGROUND:
The purpose of this training is to provide the HCH team with a restorative break from the routine intensity of caregiving, creating intentional space for reflection, self-awareness, and professional growth. The training supports staff wellness by helping prevent burnout, offering a structured way to relieve stress, and helping reset the nervous system for calm, grounded interactions - benefits that directly strengthen the quality of direct service care and teamwork within the program. Additionally, the training enhances staff capacity to recognize, set, and uphold healthy professional boundaries, leading to clearer communication, more consistent expectations, and healthier interactions among staff and with clients. As a result, the experience contributes to workforce resilience, improves service delivery, and supports the County's ability to provide high-quality, sustainable care to vulnerable residents.
Ocean Riders of Marin requires all participants to execute an Ocean Riders Release of Liability, Acknowledgment & Assumption of Risks and Indemnification Agreement prior to participation. The Release acknowledges that there are inherent risks involved in handling, interacting with, and being in the presence of horses, and that serious permanent bodily injury, disability, or death may result. The Release also includes an indemnification agreement in favor of Ocean Riders and all landowners on whose property activities may occur, including the National Park Service (Golden Gate National Recreation Area), the California State Department of Parks and Recreation, and the San Francisco Zen Center/Green Gulch Farm.
The Release further provides that any disputes must be brought in Marin County, California, and that Ocean Riders or any Released Party may elect to submit claims to binding arbitration before a single arbitrator chosen in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association.
Approval of this action will allow the Health Services Director, or designee, to execute this Release on behalf of the County and to authorize participating staff to sign the Release in their individual capacities.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this action is not approved, HCH staff will be unable to attend the training during County time.