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Approve 14 Probation Department contracts and contract amendments totaling $8,492,149, effective July 1, 2019; Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the contracts and amendments and any future amendments that remain within budgeted appropriations up to 20% of the total contract amount not to exceed $75,000; Authorize the Chief of Probation to execute any amendments which are technical or administrative in nature; and Delegate authority to the County Administrator to authorize grant submissions in excess of $75,000 in order to secure funding to maintain and/or restore service levels for existing programs and projects
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Published Notice Required? Yes _____ No __X___
Public Hearing Required? Yes _____ No __X___
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Chief of Probation recommends the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve 14 Probation Department contracts and contract amendments totaling $8,492,149, effective July 1, 2019 (Attachment A);
2. Delegate authority to the County Administrator to execute the contracts and amendments and any future amendments that remain within budgeted appropriations up to 20% of the total contract amount not to exceed $75,000;
3. Authorize the Chief of Probation to execute any future contract amendments that are administrative or technical in nature; and
4. Delegate authority to the County Administrator to authorize grant submissions in excess of $75,000 to secure funding to maintain and/or restore service levels for existing programs and projects.
SUMMARY:
The Probation Department’s contracts and amendments, which are delineated in Attachment A and in the discussion section herein, represent routine departmental services that exceed $75,000 in compensation requiring Board approval to continue in accordance with the County Purchasing and Contracting Policy Manual. The total combined contract amount is $8,492,149.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The contracts and amendments totaling $8,492,149 are funded with a combination of $3,639,279 in State/Federal funds and $4,852,870 in County General Funds. The FY2019/20 Recommended Budget for the Probation Department includes sufficient appropriations to cover the anticipated contract costs. The County’s Standard Contract allows for the County to terminate or amend a contract if funding becomes unavailable during the term of the contract.
DISCUSSION:
Due to the nature of these services, a brief description of each contract or amendment is provided below.
A Better Way
A Better Way provides mental health services at multiple locations throughout the County to include the youths’ homes, the Youth Achievement Centers (YACs) and/or the Juvenile Detention Facility (JDF). Youth and families receiving mental health services are best served when their assigned clinician can follow them as they transition back to the community or move to different locations. Youth who are at risk of removal from the home are the target population for this effort. As part of the array of evidence-based practices and programs offered through Probation’s multi-service sites, A Better Way utilizes interventions such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) to ensure youth are engaged in programming and family support services that are proven to meet their unique needs. The current contract will expire on June 30, 2019. The recommended twelve-month extension provides for continued services that are vital to the Department’s operations.
Alternative Restorative Communities, LLC. - Restorative Justice Program/Juvenile Community Accountability Program (JCAP)
Alternative Restorative Communities provides and administers the Restorative Justice Program. In collaboration with the Solano County Probation Department, the contractor will provide a weekly Offender Education Group to detained youth at the JDF. The contractor will offer a structured curriculum designed to facilitate understanding of the circumstances that brought them into detention, and the effects that their behavior had on their victims, families, community and themselves. Victim Offender Education Groups are based on the principles of restorative justice and trauma healing. One of the highlights of the program is a visit from survivor(s) of crime who tell their story to the youth. This increases empathy and introspection. In addition, Alternative Restorative Communities will facilitate JCAP, which is a diversion program designed to provide targeted interventions for youth who are issued citations for delinquent activity. JCAP is a response to crime that allows for active participation by the victim, the community, and the youth in the justice process. It is a value based framework that recognizes justice is best achieved by building, or rebuilding relationships between crime victims, the community and juvenile offenders.
Alternative Restorative Communities, LLC. - XL Mentoring Services
Mentoring is an evidence-based intervention with positive outcomes in behavior change, recidivism reduction and school/community engagement. XL Mentoring is a formalized program with specific training and support that is a best practice for ensuring program fidelity and appropriate mentor/mentee matching. Youth eligible for diversion services as well as youth released from the JDF will be matched with an adult mentor to support positive youth development and reduce the likelihood of further immersion in the juvenile justice system.
Alternative Restorative Communities, LLC. - Barrier Removal Case Manager
The Department plans to extend its services provided to adult clients who are referred to and attending the Centers for Positive Change (CPCs). This community-based case manager will provide pre-treatment programming and services to enhance motivation and encourage program participation by helping to remove internal and external barriers. Clients referred to the CPCs, but failing to engage, will also be assigned to this case manager who will work in the community and ensure responsivity issues, such as housing, basic needs, healthcare and other barriers to treatment are addressed so that the client's path to rehabilitation is not impeded by lack of basic needs.
Aramark Correctional Services
The Department is responsible for providing meals for youth detained at the JDF. As the result of a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the Department in January 2017, Aramark Correctional Services was selected as the best-evaluated proposer to provide food service management and oversight to the JDF from October 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019. Aramark prepares meals using on-site cook-serve food management services, they provide one on-site manager to coordinate and manage all aspects of food service operations, and provide on-site food service staff. This mandated service is necessary to provide nutritious, basic meals to youth in detention. The current contract extension will expire on June 30, 2019. The recommended twelve-month extension provides for continued mandated services in this area. There are no significant changes to the Contract.
California Forensic Medical Group
As the result of an RFP awarded by the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Department entered into a contractual agreement with California Forensic Medical Group (CFMG) on July 1, 2014 in order to provide on-site medical services to youth placed at the JDF and the Challenge Academy. CFMG is responsible to provide youth with primary medical care, address acute symptoms and/or conditions, and avoid preventable deterioration of health while in confinement under the applicable provisions of the California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Article 8 Health Services and adheres to all policies and regulations. The current contract will expire on June 30, 2019. On, November 13, 2018 the Board of Supervisors approved a two-year extension beyond the five-year current contract term due to negotiating a reduction in basic costs, therefore, the recommended two-year extension provides for continued mandated services through June 30, 2021.
Cordant
The Department is responsible for drug testing clients to detect illegal substances and monitor compliance with Court orders. On October 18, 2018, the Probation Department issued a competitive RFP to solicit bids for drug screening services. It was determined that Cordant was the most responsive bidder to provide these services. Since 1995 Cordant, dba as Norchem, has provided forensic legally defensible laboratory testing, specimen collection services, and evidence based substance abuse management/compliance monitoring and reporting. Norchem provides urine testing, oral fluid testing and drug testing, and has focused on serving government agencies. For over 19 years, Norchem has served a wide variety of criminal justice agencies nationwide, including and especially, probation services. Their proprietary evidence based substance abuse management, compliance monitoring, and reporting web platform, SENTRY, was developed specifically for criminal justice agencies, and it is currently used by many drug courts, probation departments, social services agencies, and other government clients to assist in improving outcomes and saving costs. The new contract will provide for mandated services through June 30, 2021.
Healthright 360 (HR 360) - Adult Services
The Probation Department has continued to partner with Healthright 360 to address substance abuse issues with adult clients. Evidence based practices are used by certified therapist/clinicians to assess clients’ needs, determine the appropriate level of treatment, and develop a Case Plan. Their curriculum includes crisis intervention, addiction education, relapse prevention, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Teen Matrix, and individual counseling. This collaboration has continued to be very beneficial to address our client’s needs while increasing the partnership between the supervision officer and treatment provider. The current contract will expire on June 30, 2019. The Department is in the process of issuing an RFP for services for adult clients, to include substance abuse treatment. The recommended six-month extension provides for continued mandated services while the RFP process concludes.
Justice Benefits, Inc.
Justice Benefits, Inc. (JBI) specializes in federal revenue maximization for state and local political entities. By partnering with JBI, the Department’s federal revenue maximization will be accomplished through documenting the Probation Officer’s activities utilizing JBI’s web-based system to identify and record claimable activities. In addition, JBI will provide staff training and assist the County in preparing for federal and state audits. JBI fees are paid after the claims have been reimbursed to the County by the federal government; therefore, the Department will not incur any costs if revenues are not collected. The current contract expires on June 30, 2019. Due to the specialized services that JBI provides, the services are exempt from the competitive bid process. The proposed three-year contract will provide for continued services through June 30, 2022.
Journal Technologies Inc.
Due to the proprietary nature of the Department’s CASE Management System, continued maintenance services are provided exclusively by Journal Technologies Inc. (formerly ISD Corporation), and therefore the services are exempt from the competitive bid process. The CASE Management System is used by Probation to monitor and track services that are provided to adults and juveniles. A maintenance agreement is necessary to allow for continued consulting, technical and programming services related to software application fixes and modifications to ensure system reliability. Although the software would continue to function without a new maintenance agreement, software applications often require patches to resolve programming issues which may slow down or corrupt the system. Case management services will be ensured and in place until the Department goes live with eProbation in the Fall of 2019. There are no significant changes to the contract.
Leaders in Community Alternatives, Inc. - GPS
LCA currently operates the Department’s Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP) for both adult and juvenile clients. EMP allows for an alternative confinement program utilizing electronic monitoring tools to County-referred clients. This includes 24-hour monitoring of the equipment, installations and removal of equipment, in addition to monitoring any pretrial or sentenced referred clients whether they are misdemeanors or felonies. LCA has extensive experience in operating electronic monitoring programs. They are currently performing similar services in the counties of Marin, Alameda, San Francisco, and other California jurisdictions. They are based in Oakland and are the only Electronic Monitoring Company with significant presence in Northern California. The current contract will expire on June 30, 2019. The recommended twelve-month extension provides for continued services. There are no significant changes to the contract.
Leaders in Community Alternatives, Inc. - Juvenile Services
On December 6, 2018, the Probation Department issued a competitive RFP to solicit bids for Juvenile Intervention, Family Engagement and Support services for the period of July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022. It was determined that Leaders in Community Alternatives, Inc. (LCA) was the most responsive bidder to provide these services. The contract will be funded 40% by the County’s General fund, 30% by the Youthful Offender Block Grant (YOBG), and 30% by the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act Grant (JJCPA). This contract aims to provide evidence-based programs that support Juvenile Delinquency Prevention, Intervention and Crime Reduction that will collectively impact the well-being of justice involved youth and contribute towards a reduction in recidivism and positive youth development. LCA will provide the following services at the YACs in Fairfield and Vallejo, and at the JDF:
• Substance abuse group program facilitation delivering Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)
• Community Service/Employment and Skill Development training
• Tutoring and Educational Support
• Family Transition and Reunification counseling
• Child Family Team (CFM) Wraparound Parent Support meeting facilitation, and Transportation Services.
Leaders in Community Alternatives, Inc. - Job Readiness
As recommended by the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP), the Board of Supervisors approved funding to provide In-Custody and Community-Based Employment/Vocational Training Services to approximately 240 individuals in the Solano County jail and 300 individuals under the jurisdiction of the Probation Department. LCA’s long-established history of model program implementation for medium to high risk criminal justice populations uniquely qualifies them to fully implement the In-Custody and Community-Based Employment/Vocational Training services. LCA has a 24-year history of providing services to criminal justice agencies, designing, developing and delivering culturally competent case management and treatment services for the juveniles and adults. LCA partnered with Michael’s Transportation for vocational training focusing on obtaining the needed licensure to work in the transportation industry. Michael’s Transportation has been providing quality training since 1996 and has extensive experience working with clients who lack employable skills and have other barriers to employment. The current contract will expire on June 30, 2019. The Department is in the process of issuing an RFP for services for adult clients, including employment/vocational services. The recommended six-month extension provides for continued mandated services while the RFP process concludes.
Solano County Office of Education (SCOE)
This contract is a partnership between the Probation Department and the Solano County Office of Education (SCOE) related to the transitional educational services and vocational services provided to youth detained at the JDF, or otherwise under the jurisdiction of the Solano County Probation Department. The Transitional Educational Program is designed to assist youth and parents with services that will expedite re-enrollment in their local school district following detention. Services will follow the minor while under community supervision through the Probation Department.
The vocational training and/or job readiness component is provided to youth placed in the Challenge Academy. Services include resume writing, interviewing, job search techniques and a certification in food service/food preparation. The goal of these services is to assist youth in building their pro-social behaviors, and building their skills and attitudes that can ultimately improve their ability to function productively in the workplace and community. The current contract expires on June 30, 2019 and the recommended twelve-month extension provides for continued services. There are no significant changes to the Contract.
Finally, the Probation Department seeks State, Federal, and private grants to support and maintain or restore existing programs and services. In general, grant announcements are issued with short timelines for submission. Delegating authority to the County Administrator to authorize grant submissions over $75,000 will allow for maximum flexibility in applying for additional funding to help maintain client services. If the grant is awarded, Probation will return to the Board for appropriation of any additional grant funding received.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board of Supervisors could choose from the following alternatives:
1. Not to approve some or all of the contracts or amendments; however, this alternative is not recommended since non-approval by the Board will result in an interruption of vital and/or mandated services provided by the Department; and/or
2. To address some or all of these contracts individually; however, this alternative is not warranted as these services are ongoing and routine in nature and are essentially unchanged from year to year. This alternative would require the Department to present individual board agenda items; and/or
3. Not to authorize the Director of Probation to approve and execute any future contract amendments; however, this alternative is not practical as it would require the Department to request Board approval for routine matters such as minor technical changes. Furthermore, over the last nine years, the Board has granted the Director of Probation authority over these responsibilities.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel has reviewed and approved all contracts and amendments included on this list for legal sufficiency.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION