Sponsor: Health and Wellness Administrative Division
Title
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Two-Year Extension of Selected Social Services and Financial Assistance Services Contracts
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Recommendation
recommendation
1. Approve a two-year extension of selected Social Services and Financial Assistance Services contracts as listed in the Background through December 31, 2022.
2. Authorize the County Manager to approve and execute amendments to renew the term of the selected contracts for an additional two-year period ending December 31, 2022, with all other terms and conditions remaining the same, in a form approved by the County Attorney’s office.
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Background
background
The Health & Wellness Administrative Division, Social Services Department, and Financial Assistance Departments are seeking approval for a one-time extension of selected contracts for an additional two-year period beyond the contract terms as set forth in the specified contracts or the five-year term limit as set forth in the County Administrative Code.
During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic there has been an unprecedented demand on County staff to procure contracts to provide financial assistance services and social services to residents. Many program, planning, evaluation, and contracting staff have been re-deployed to new positions as a result of COVID-19. The pandemic has also placed additional burden on the staff of our network of community providers and has impacted their ability to respond to routine Requests for Proposals for services from the Social Services and Financial Assistance Services departments.
The two-year contract term extension will allow the Social Services and Financial Assistance Services departments to ensure uninterrupted delivery of services for selected contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also allow departments to gain additional community input into the design of future service delivery models during the solicitation phase of the procurement process, more fully incorporate community into the evaluation of proposals, and provide an opportunity to engage with community in the delivery of contracted services. The two-year contract term extension will provide an additional opportunity to apply lessons learned from the provision of services delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following is a list of selected contracts that have been identified for a two-year extension:
Guardianship/Conservatorship Services (approximately $1.2 million annually)
Providers and Contract Numbers:
Thomas Allen, Inc (CHS16THOMAS ALL00224A 18)
Lutheran Social Services (CHS16LUTHERANS002 20A 18)
Original Contract Term: 01/01/16 - 12/31/20
Description of Services:
Guardianship/Conservatorship Services are provided to individuals who are indigent and are referred to the Contractor by the County. The primary purpose of the Contractor’s services is to provide for the client’s care, comfort, and maintenance needs, including food, clothing, shelter, health care, social and recreational requirements, and whenever appropriate, training, education, and habilitation or rehabilitation. The duty of a guardian/conservator is also to take reasonable care of the client’s clothing, furniture, vehicles, and other personal effects, and if other property requires protection, to seek appointment as conservator of the client’s estate. The guardian/conservator also has the power to give any necessary consent to enable the client to receive necessary medical or other professional care, counsel, treatment or service.
Attorney Guardianship Services (approximately $50,000 annually)
Providers and Contract Numbers:
Kufus Law, LLC (CHS16KUFUSLAWLLC 01 18)
Borer and Tomney, PLLC (CHS16BORERTOMNEY 01 18)
Original Contract Term: 01/01/16 - 12/31/20
Description of Services:
Attorney guardianship services are provided to indigent individuals who are in need of legal protection and representation. Referrals are made to the attorney by the coordinator of the County’s Guardianship Committee when the County has determined that guardianship/conservatorship is appropriate.
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) Services (approximately $600,000 annually)
Providers and Contract Numbers:
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation (CHS16AMHERST003 74A 18)
Guild, Inc. (CHS16GUILDINC 001 11A 18)
Mental Health Resources, Inc. (CHS16MENTAL HEA 002 15A 18)
South Metro Human Services (CHS16SOUTHMETRO 001 25A 18)
South Metro Human Services (CHS16SOUTHMETRO 001 18)
Original Contract Term: 01/01/16 - 12/31/20
Description of Services:
Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) services are intensive, evidenced-based, comprehensive, non-residential rehabilitative mental health services. The Forensic Community Treatment (FACT) service is an adaptation of the ACT model designed to transition adults with severe mental illness from correctional facilities into the community. The services strive to stabilize the person's community functioning (relationships, work, everyday living), to shorten the appropriate use of inpatient psychiatric care, and to prevent inappropriate inpatient care, homelessness, and other adverse consequences. The services are provided by multidisciplinary, qualified staff who have the capacity to provide most mental health services necessary to meet the person's needs using a total team approach; directed to persons with thought disorders who require intensive services; and offered on a time-unlimited basis and available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. The ACT programs are funded through a 50% Federal match, 25% State funding, and 25% County funding.
Day Treatment Services (approximately $200,000 annually)
Provider and Contract Number:
Amherst H. Wilder Foundation (CHS 16 AMHERST002-71C 20)
Original Contract Term: 01/01/16 - 12/31/20
Description of Services:
Day Treatment Services are Children’s Therapeutic Services and Supports certified children’s day treatment services for emotionally disturbed children. The services provide psychotherapy and skills training services as part of a site-based structured mental health treatment program. The services are provided by a multidisciplinary team under the clinical supervision of a licensed mental health professional.
All Children Excel (ACE) Program Services (approximately $225,000 annually)
Provider and Contract Number:
180 Degrees (CHS16180DEGREE 26 20)
Original Contract Term: 01/01/16 - 12/31/20
Description of Services:
All Children Excel Program Services provide long-term, intensive, comprehensive and coordinated in-home and community-based case management services for low-income children who have been involved in serious delinquent behavior before the age of 10. The goal is to provide the client and his/her family with the skills and resources needed to prevent further delinquency. Clients may receive services until age 18.
Homeless Outreach (RUSH) Services (approximately $200,000 annually)
Provider and Contract Number:
Catholic Charities (FASD 18-006 CATHOLIC RUSH)
South Metro Human Services (FASD 18-005 RADIUS RUSH)
Original Contract Term: 01/01/19 - 12/31/20
Description of Services:
Re-directing Users of Shelter to Housing (RUSH) Homeless Outreach Services utilize shelter outreach workers to identify effective and beneficial strategies to engage long term homeless shelter users in determining the most significant and consistent barriers they face when transitioning from shelter use to stable housing and identify ongoing supports to keep individuals housed.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
X Well-being X Prosperity X Opportunity ☐ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Contracted client services help support the County’s goal to strengthen individual, family and community health, safety and well-being through effective safety-net services, innovative programming, prevention and early intervention, and environmental stewardship. The contract extension will provide an additional opportunity to design community-centered contracts and allow the further development of a network of culturally responsive providers to meet the needs of residents disproportionately impacted by race.
Community Participation Level and Impact
These contracted client services provide essential services to address the needs of residents. The original solicitation and development of several of these contracts had limited involvement from the community when they were completed in 2015. This contract extension will allow for more community participation into the solicitation, evaluation, and contracting phases of future procurements for these client services.
X Inform X Consult X Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
The identified contracted services are included in the Social Services and Financial Assistance Service Department’s 2021 Operating Budget. The total approximate annual budget for these services is $2.5 million.
County Manager Comments
County Board approval to exceed five-year limits on contracts is required according to County procurement policies and practices.
This is a one-time exception request due to the impacts of COVID-19 on County operations and that of community-based partners.
Last Previous Action
None.
Attachments
None.