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Approve a contract with Willow Glen Care Center for $1,780,435 to provide psychiatric medical services in residential and locked settings from November 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022; 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 (H&SS) recommends that the Board approve a contract with Willow Glen Care Center for $1,780,435 to provide psychiatric medical services in residential and locked settings from November 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022; and authorize the County Administrator to execute the contract.
SUMMARY:
Willow Glen Care Center (WGCC) is a non-profit agency that provides intensive mental health services in both unlocked and locked residential settings. Solano County entered a Master Agreement on October 1, 2019 for adult client placement in their locked subacute setting and in their unlocked augmented board and care. This contract will sunset that master agreement and adds an agreement to use a new facility site that Willow Glen opened effective September 2020. This contract provides assurance of five beds dedicated to Solano County clients through guaranteed payment for those bed days. This payment arrangement will assist Solano County in obtaining placement at the subacute locked level of care. Clients who do not require a locked setting may be placed at the contractor’s board and care facilities. This contract will apply to any programs operated by Willow Glen should additional sites become available.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding for this agreement will be 1991 Realignment and County General Fund. When applicable, Federal Short Doyle revenues will offset the 1991 Realignment or County General Fund. Appropriations are available in the Department’s FY2020/21 Adopted Budget and there is no additional impact to the County General Fund.
DISCUSSION:
On June 25, 2019, the Board of Supervisors delegated signing authority to the Director of Health and Social Services to execute Admission Agreements and Master Agreements for clients in need of a residential facility placement. On December 18, 2019, the Director of Health & Social Services executed WGCC’s Master Agreement from October 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021.
The availability of mental health residential care beds is very limited throughout the State and often up to 30 counties compete for the same placement opportunity. This contract provides Solano County with a five-bed guarantee which ensures 1,825 sub-acute bed days/year for treatment of Solano County clients. This will allow Solano County to step down clients who are currently in costlier and more restrictive levels of care such as the State Hospital or an acute inpatient hospital. Willow Glen also offers a competency restoration program, included in the day rate, for the County’s misdemeanant and incompetent to stand trial population. The County is responsible for either the restoration or treatment of these individuals who often wait in jail for weeks to months pending an appropriate placement.
WGCC provides a comprehensive system of care to support clients with severe and persistent mental illness. WGCC has designed a multilevel system of care ranging from a MHRC offering intensive treatment in a locked setting for the most high-risk clients to a board and care to support the step down of clients to a less restrictive, therapeutic milieu to maintain treatment stability and increase independence. WGCC offers three quality residential Board and Care facilities: Willow Glen/Rosewood, Trinity Pines, and Redwood Creek. Clients are supported in a less restrictive and less costly environment for maintaining their continued behavioral health stability.
WGCC offers two Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers (MHRCs): Cedar Grove, a locked 44-bed program and Sequoia, a locked 16-bed facility. These MHRCs specialize in structured supervision and care for persistently mentally ill adults who are unable to maintain placement at lower levels of care that are unlocked. Cedar Grove and Sequoia provide a client driven, clinician supervised rehabilitation program model that will assist clients in identifying, practicing and implementing the skills necessary to reduce utilization of inpatient hospital days and provides a stable placement in a secure environment. The goal of the Cedar Grove and Sequoia programs is to assist identified mental health clients to stabilize and maintain their mental health condition, optimize their functioning, and return to a less restrictive level of care. The Sequoia facility is eligible for Medi-Cal reimbursement which offsets the local costs to any placements at that facility. For reference, locked facilities with more than 16 beds are not reimbursable by Medi-Cal.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve the WGCC, Inc. contract. This is not recommended as the County is mandated to provide appropriate psychiatric services for clients served in the County mental health system. This contract will provide Solano County Behavioral Health with highly needed residential placements at locked and unlocked levels of care.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the contract for legal sufficiency.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
ACCEPT DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION