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Approve 4 Health and Social Services, Behavioral Health Division contracts including three contracts for the period of August 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026: $1,038,002 with A Better Way, Inc. for school-based prevention and mental health early intervention treatment services; $1,556,268 with Yolo Community Care Continuum for licensed supportive services at the Mental Health Diversion and Adult Board and Care facilities located at the Beck Campus in Fairfield; $91,667 with Medic Ambulance Service, Inc. for transportation services of residents experiencing an acute mental health crisis; and one contract for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 for $4,097,421 with Pacific Clinics for community-based mobile crisis services; and Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the four contracts and any subsequent amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, up to an aggregate of $74,999
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Health and Social Services (H&SS) recommends that the Board of Supervisors approve 4 Behavioral Health Division contracts including three contracts for the period of August 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026: $1,038,002 with A Better Way, Inc. for school-based prevention and mental health early intervention treatment services; $1,556,268 with Yolo Community Care Continuum for licensed supportive services at the Mental Health Diversion and Adult Board and Care facilities located at the Beck Campus in Fairfield; $91,667 with Medic Ambulance Service, Inc. for transportation services of residents experiencing an acute mental health crisis; and one contract for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 for $4,097,421 with Pacific Clinics for community-based mobile crisis services; and Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the four contracts and any subsequent amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, up to an aggregate of $74,999.
SUMMARY:
To allow timely delivery of services for the benefit of H&SS consumers and to ensure compliance with county, state, and federal regulations, H&SS is requesting approval of four FY2025/26 contracts for the Behavioral Health Division. All four vendors provided mental health services in FY2024/25, which included school-based prevention and mental health early intervention treatment services and services for individuals experiencing severe mental illness or psychiatric disabilities. Individuals served by these programs are identified as being at risk of hospitalization, homelessness, involvement in the criminal justice system, incarceration, or are part of an unserved/underserved population.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The H&SS, Behavioral Health Division FY2025/26 Working Budget includes sufficient appropriations for the four contracts. The Pacific Clinics contract is funded by 2011 Realignment and federal Short Doyle Medi-Cal revenue. Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) revenue, and federal Short Doyle Medi-Cal revenue will fund the agreement with A Better Way. The Yolo Community Care Continuum contract will be funded with Proposition 47 Cohort 3, 1991 Realignment, and County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) revenues. The Medic Ambulance Service, Inc. contract is funded by 2011 Realignment. There is no additional impact to the County General Fund.
DISCUSSION:
A Better Way provides school-based mental health services to children between the ages of 6 and 21 years of age in partnership with local school districts. The school-based prevention and mental health early intervention brief treatment services are outlined in the Solano County Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) Three-Year Plan.
Medic Ambulance provides transportation services for consumers experiencing an acute crisis which requires transport to a designated crisis stabilization receiving facility, an inpatient treatment facility, or other appropriate facility.
Pacific Clinics provides mobile crisis services, responding to community members experiencing a mental health crisis where the crisis is occurring, thus reducing the use of hospital emergency departments, the crisis stabilization unit, inpatient facilities, law enforcement resources, and adherence to a statewide mandate.
Yolo Community Care Continuum (Y3C), a non-profit community-based organization, currently operates and provides mental health services within the County-owned Adult Residential Facility located at the Beck Campus in Fairfield. Y3C provides a coordinated, evidence-based, community re-entry planning for people with justice involvement and behavioral health needs, including supportive housing and competency restoration training for misdemeanor participants, to reduce the length of time individuals with mental health conditions stay incarcerated and reduce criminal recidivism once in the community. Of the 32-bed capacity, 16 beds are designated for intensive residential mental health treatment and 16 beds for the supportive housing of individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Provision of supportive housing, connection to community-resources, intensive mental health services, and multi-agency collaboration aligns with Proposition 47 which implemented broad changes to sentencing laws in 2014. These services also align with the Board of State Community Corrections (BSCC) responsibilities in grant administration, and AB 1056 related to community-based solutions for reducing recidivism.
In FY2023/24, Pacific Clinics served 462 unduplicated individuals with community-based mobile crisis services and A Better Way provided 149 unduplicated individuals with school-based mental health services. Yolo County Care Continuum served 20 unduplicated individuals since implementation of services in September 2022. Medic Ambulance Service, Inc. transported 115 individuals in FY2023/24.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve one or more of the contracts. However, the services provided by Pacific Clinics, A Better Way, and Medic Ambulance Service, Inc. are included in the approved MHSA Three Year Plan and provide critical services to populations served by the H&SS, Behavioral Health Division.
Additionally, Yolo Community Care Continuum operates the residential programs within the County-owned adult residential facility which cannot occur without proper and sufficient staff and the County has current grant obligations associated with this service.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Solano County MHSA Three-Year Plan and Annual Updates are developed in collaboration with community members which includes, consumers, family members, county and community-based providers, law enforcement, local educational agencies, veterans, faith-based organizations, and the local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the contracts for legal sufficiency.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION