To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Ori Tzvieli, Interim Health Services Director
Report Title: Agreement #28-956-4 with the Contra Costa County Office of Education
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Interim Health Services Director, or designee, to execute on behalf of the County Agreement #28-956-4 with the Contra Costa County Office of Education, an educational institution, to pay County an amount not to exceed $145,133 to employ a substance abuse counselor to screen incarcerated persons at West County Detention Facility for Substance Use (SU) treatment, for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this Agreement will result in payments to the County of up to $145,133 from the Contra Costa County Office of Education. No County match is required.
BACKGROUND:
Over the last few years, Game Plan for Success (GPS) has collected a significant amount of data resulting from the Risk Needs Responsivity scores highlighting the prevalence of behavioral health needs for both mental health and SU disorders. Unfortunately, besides the Deuce program which includes light SU education, there is no SU treatment in any of the detention facilities. Furthermore, the National Institute on Health and Drug Abuse indicate that providing substance abuse treatment for those incarcerated in the detention facilities improves outcomes and increases public safety. The counselor will become part of the GPS team at West County Detention Facility and will screen individuals for SU severity following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria, coordinate transition to SU treatment upon discharge, gather data to demonstrate GPS program effectiveness, and arrange or provide transportation to SU programs through the reentry success center.
On September 24, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved Agreement #28-956-3 with the Contra Costa County Office of Education, in an amount not to exceed $129,156, for a substance abuse counselor to screen incarcerated persons at West County Detention Facility for substance use treatment, for the period from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
Approval of Agreement #28-956-4 will allow the County’s Alcohol and Other Drugs (AODS) Division to employ a substance abuse counselor to screen and support incarcerated persons through June 30, 2026. This Agreement obligates County to defend, indemnify, save and hold harmless the County Superintendent and his/her officers and employees from all claims and liabilities arising from County’s services under the contract, except claims arising from the sole negligence or willful misconduct of the County Superintendent or his/her officers or employees.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this Agreement is not approved, inmates at West County jail will not receive SU treatment to improve outcome and increase public safety.