To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #74-577-6 with Seneca Family of Agencies
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Health Services Director, or designee, to execute on behalf of the County Contract #74-577-6 with Seneca Family of Agencies, a non-profit corporation, in an amount not to exceed $1,057,429 to provide mobile crisis response services for youth experiencing a mental health crisis, for the period January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this contract will result in budgeted expenditures of up to $1,057,429 funded 100% by Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funds. (No rate increase)
BACKGROUND:
This contract meets the social needs of the County’s population by providing mobile crisis response to youth in Contra Costa County who are in acute psychiatric distress and/or Seriously Emotionally Disturbed. Services are being provided through the Contra Costa County Behavioral Health Services Division’s Mental Health Services Act (“MHSA”) Community Services and Supports (CSS) Program. This contractor provides mobile crisis stabilization services to youth experiencing a mental health crisis through Contractor’s Mobile Response Teams (MRT). MRT will assist with crisis stabilization, placement stabilization, to decrease need for police involvement, reduce unnecessary hospitalizations, assist youth in accessing emergency psychiatric care when needed, and assess the youth’s current mental health needs. Services are based in East, West, and Central Contra Costa County, integrated with the County’s Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime (A3) initiative. The County has been contracting with Seneca Family of Agencies since October 2018.
This contract is entered into under and subject to the following legal authorities: Welfare and Institutions Code, § 5600 et seq. (The Bronzan McCorquodale Act); California Code of Regulations (“CCR”), Title 9, § 523 et seq. (Community Mental Health Services) and California Government Code §§ 26227 and 31000. This contract was approved by Health Services Personnel to ensure there is no conflict with labor relations. The Behavioral Health’s Quality Management, Utilization Management and Contract Monitor Staff meet on a regular basis to ensure monitoring and performance measures in the contract are upheld. This contractor was approved by the Public Works Department’s Purchasing Division on December 31, 2023.
On December 14, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved Novation Contract #74-577-5 with Seneca Family of Agencies, in an amount not to exceed $3,748,857 to provide mobile crisis response and children’s specialty mental health services for SED children, for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, which included a six-month automatic extension through December 31, 2023, in an amount not to exceed $1,874,428.
Approval of Contract #74-577-6 will allow Contractor to continue providing mobile crisis response services through June 30, 2024. This contract is late due to the CalAIM initiative and continued negotiations between the Division and Contractor.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this contract is not approved, Contra Costa youth will not have access to contractor’s mobile crisis response services, possibly resulting in the need for higher levels of care.
CHILDREN’S IMPACT STATEMENT:
This program supports the following Board of Supervisors’ community outcomes: “Children Ready for and Succeeding in School”; “Families that are Safe, Stable, and Nurturing”; and “Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families”. Expected program outcomes include an increase in positive social and emotional development as measured by the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS).