To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #74-698 with International Rescue Committee, Inc.
☒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 #74-698 with International Rescue Committee, Inc., a non-profit corporation, in an amount not to exceed $250,000, to provide culturally appropriate mental health services focusing on overcoming trauma and alienation for Central American and West Asian newcomers in Contra Costa County, for the period January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this contract will result in budgeted expenditures of up to $250,000 and will be funded 100% by Mental Health Services Act (MHSA).
BACKGROUND:
This contract meets the social needs of County’s population by implementing the MHSA Innovation Program for Community Defined Practices by implementing the Healing Crossroads Program (HCP). HCP will establish community socialization, support and awareness around mental health strategies for newcomers facing trauma and alienation and increase access and availability to culturally appropriate, personally relevant and community-considerate mental health services for Central American and West Asian newcomers in Contra Costa County. This contract is entered into under and subject to the following legal authorities: California Government Code §§ 26227 and 31000. This contract was approved by Health Services Personnel to ensure there is no conflict with labor relations.
This provider was selected in collaboration with community stakeholder advisory bodies and was approved as part of the comprehensive Mental Health Services Act Three-Year Plan as required by State regulation. Providers interested in providing specialized services were invited proactively to participate in program development and offered the opportunity to submit interest at dozens of publicly noticed meetings. The services and vendors were identified in the formal Three-Year plan was approved on the following schedule that was noticed to the public and approved by the Board on August 1, 2023. The Three-Year Plan was posted for public comment from June 5, 2023 through July 5, 2023, there was a Public Hearing at the Mental Health Commission meeting on July 5, 2023, and it was approved by the Board of Supervisors on August 1, 2023.
Under new Contract #74-698, the contractor will provide culturally appropriate mental health services focusing on overcoming trauma and alienation for Central American and West Asian newcomers in Contra Costa County, for the period January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This contract is late due to the lengthy selection process which took longer than the Division anticipated.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this contract is not approved, MHSA services will not have access to contractor’s mental health services, leading to reduced levels of service to the community and potential placement in higher levels of care.