To: Board of Supervisors
From: Anna Roth, Health Services Director
Report Title: Contract #74-684 with Richmond Community Foundation
☒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 #74-684 with Richmond Community Foundation, a non-profit corporation, in an amount not to exceed $245,717, to provide culturally-based healing circles to promote mental health and wellness to populations that are known to hold stigma against psychotherapeutic interventions, for the period January 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this contract will result in budgeted expenditures of up to $245,717 and will be funded 100% by Mental Health Services Act (MHSA).
BACKGROUND:
This contract meets the social needs of County’s population by providing culturally-based healing circles which promote individual and collective healing, build trust among marginalized groups, and connect across differences within communities, using storytelling to build belonging, and utilizing culturally affirming somatic practices to foster healing and wellbeing. Healing circles will be hosted virtually as well as at several venues across Contra Costa County. Through the MHSA Community Defined Practices Project grant, this contractor will host a series of at least six (6) Healing Circles within each of the following communities: Black young adults in West Contra Costa, Black women and girls in East Contra Costa; Spanish speaking; and Pacific Islander. 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 #74-684, Richmond Community Foundation will provide culturally-based healing circles to promote mental health and wellness 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 wellness health services will not be available to populations that are known to hold stigma against psychotherapeutic interventions services, leading to reduced levels of service to the community and potential placement in higher levels of care.