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Approve a contract with Health Management Associates for $760,000 to provide ongoing project management, consulting, and technical assistance related to CalAIM Providing Access and Transforming Health Justice-Involved (PATH-JI) for the period of March 15, 2025 through November 1, 2026; Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the contract and any subsequent amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, including changes to terms and conditions and/or scope of services not to exceed an annual aggregate of $74,999; and Authorize the Chief of Probation or his designees to execute any amendments which are technical or administrative in nature
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Probation Department recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve a contract with Health Management Associates for $760,000 to provide ongoing project management, consulting, and technical assistance related to CalAIM Providing Access and Transforming Health Justice-Involved (PATH-JI) for the period of March 15, 2025 through November 1, 2026;
2. Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the contract and any subsequent amendments, with County Counsel concurrence, including changes to terms and conditions and/or scope of services not to exceed an annual aggregate of $74,999; and
3. Authorize the Chief of Probation or his designees to execute any amendments which are technical or administrative in nature.
SUMMARY:
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) launched the Medi-Cal Transformation Initiative, formally known as California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM), in January 2022. As part of this initiative, California became the first state approved for a Section 1115 Justice-Involved (JI) Reentry Waiver on January 26, 2023. This waiver allows Medi-Cal to provide a defined set of services to eligible individuals in state prisons, county jails, and youth correctional facilities to support their transition back into the community.
Under the Justice-Involved Initiative, eligible incarcerated individuals, including those in juvenile hall, can enroll in Medi-Cal prior to release, receive behavioral health linkages and services up to 90 days before release, and access enhanced care management to ensure continuity of health care and social services post-release.
As part of this effort, the Solano County Probation Department applied for the Providing Access and Transforming Health - Justice-Involved (PATH-JI) Round 3 grant on October 9, 2024. On December 5, 2024, the Department was awarded $1,500,000 to support the implementation of the JI Initiative.
A key requirement of the PATH-JI Round 3 grant is for Solano County to conduct an assessment and develop a 90-day pre-release and reentry implementation plan for those incarcerated youth at the Solano County Juvenile Detention Facility (JDF). However, the Probation Department lacks the staffing and expertise necessary to evaluate Solano County’s current pre-release readiness and develop a comprehensive implementation strategy.
To meet the state’s submission deadline, the County must engage a qualified contractor to assess the current state of Solano County’s 90-day pre-release process, identify gaps and opportunities for service coordination, and develop a detailed implementation plan that ensures compliance with the PATH-JI requirements.
The proposed contract with Health Management Associates (HMA) is essential to conduct this assessment and develop the required plan within the grant’s timeline. HMA’s expertise in Medi-Cal transformation, justice-involved populations, and health system integration makes them well-positioned to support the County in meeting this critical requirement.
While this contract is for services related the youth at JDF, HMA is the same contractor the Solano County Sheriff’s Office is using related to CalAIM PATH-JI funding in the Solano County jail.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The contract with Health Management Associates, Inc. (HMA) is for $760,000, which is funded by the PATH JI Round 3 grant. Budget appropriations to fund the contract are currently available within in the Probation Department’s FY2024/25 Working Budget and included in the midyear financial report. There is no additional impact to the County General Fund.
DISCUSSION:
California statute AB 133 (Chapter 143, Statutes of 2021) mandates that all counties implement pre-release Medi-Cal enrollment processes by January 1, 2023. As part of this requirement, the Justice-Involved (JI) Initiative under Medi-Cal Transformation provides eligible incarcerated youth and adults in state prisons, county jails, and youth correctional facilities with access to Medi-Cal enrollment prior to release, behavioral health linkages, a defined set of services 90 days pre-release, and enhanced care management to ensure continuity of care and access to health and social services upon reentry into the community.
The Solano County Probation Department has received $1,500,000 in PATH-JI Round 3 funding to support the planning and implementation of the required operational processes necessary for go-live readiness. As a mandated youth correctional facility, the Solano County Juvenile Detention Facility (JDF) must submit an implementation plan outlining how it will meet the PATH-JI Reentry Initiative requirements.
To comply with the Pre-Release Medi-Cal application mandate, the Probation Department is seeking approval to contract with Health Management Associates (HMA) for project management and consultation services. Under this contract, HMA will provide comprehensive consulting and technical assistance to support the planning and implementation of pre-release services, coordinate stakeholder engagement for reentry planning, and oversee project management to ensure efficient and timely completion of all required tasks. This is the same contractor the Solano County Sheriff’s Office is utilizing for similar services.
Key contract deliverables include a detailed project plan that outlines tasks related to assessing 90-day pre-release readiness, conducting a gap analysis, and preparing recommendation reports to address identified gaps. Additionally, HMA will assist in developing a final implementation plan and budget to support compliance with state requirements.
HMA is a highly qualified consulting provider with extensive experience in healthcare systems, correctional healthcare services, reentry program design, practice management, billing, data interoperability, and the integration of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in carceral settings. Their team has expertise in change management, policy development, training, and operational implementation. HMA also has a proven track record of collaborating with government agencies, including the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, healthcare providers, and community organizations to drive effective system improvements.
Through this partnership with HMA, the Probation Department aims to enhance healthcare outcomes for youth transitioning from JDF back into the community while ensuring full compliance with state-mandated reentry requirements.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve the contract; however, this alternative is not recommended as the Probation Department does not have the staffing or expertise to assess the current state of Solano County’s 90-day pre-release readiness and develop an implementation plan.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the contract as to form.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION