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Approve a contract with Northstar-IS for $79,286.03 to provide enhanced services for the TACOMA project in the Department of Health & Social Services, Older & Disabled Adult Services from August 13, 2019 through June 30, 2020; and Authorize the County Administrator to execute the contract
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Published Notice Required? Yes ___ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ___ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Health & Social Services recommends the Board Approve a contract with Northstar-IS for $79,286.03 to provide enhanced services for the TACOMA project in the Department of Health & Social Services, Older & Disabled Adult Services from August 13, 2019 through June 30, 2020; and Authorize the County Administrator to execute the contract.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION
In 2014, Older & Disabled Adult Services (ODAS) began a transition for the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. The name TACOMA is a neologism describing the purpose of the project - to Transform Content Management. For IHSS, the TACOMA project provides technological efficiency by transitioning from a paper-based storage system to an electronic storage system. Past work on TACOMA included: a process transformation to complete IHSS intakes and reassessments via a paperless process; an update to the procedures for intakes and reassessments, including inter-county transfers and case assignment tasks; continued expansion of TACOMA processes including the automation of quality assurance tasks with the development of an automated review and results sheet and the automation of the state quarterly report; development of automation of Mental Health assessment tools and verified user privileges to ensure confidentiality of case notes; and refinement of supervision tools for case closure and case assignments.
This contract is for Phase V, which continues to expand the activities of the TACOMA project including the creation of several new State required forms and reports, addition/modification of case narrative pages, modification of existing forms to include specific state required case documentation language, and creation of an electronic workflow for supervisor review.
The TACOMA project has taken a system of paper case files to a paperless process using electronic management and operations. The electronic process provides uniformity in case management and an improved delivery system for IHSS intakes and reassessments. TACOMA has enabled ODAS social workers to achieve increased efficiency and consistency for IHSS intakes and reassessments and has allowed ODAS social workers to become a mobile workforce.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The contract is funded with federal/State revenues and County General Fund included in the Department’s FY2019/20 Approved Budget. The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board can choose not to approve this contract with Northstar-IS, however, Phase V activities are vital to the continued efficiency and consistency in ODAS and to build on the success of the TACOMA project.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Department works with the Solano County Department of Information Technology to coordinate the TACOMA project.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION