COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Human Services Agency

 

DATE:

May 22, 2003

BOARD MEETING DATE:

June 10, 2003

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Maureen D. Borland, Director, Human Services Agency

Mark Lane, Director, Southern Region

SUBJECT:

First Amendment to the Agreement with Moss Beach Homes, Inc.

 

Recommendation

Adopt a Resolution authorizing the execution of a First Amendment to the Agreement with Moss Beach Homes, Inc., (MBH) increasing the amount by $198,242 to operate a change of placement program for dependent children at the Tower House Receiving Home. The total Agreement obligation is $369,839 for the first year and second year of the three-year term. The term of this Agreement is from August 20, 2002 through June 30, 2005.

 

Background

This Agreement with MBH provides a change of placement program for dependent children and authorizes the Contractor to occupy the Tower House Receiving Home to administer the program.

 

In response to events that occurred in 2001 at the existing County Children's Receiving Home, the Human Services Agency, in consultation with the County Manager's office and the Board of Supervisors decided to create a second receiving home. This second receiving home known as the Tower House Receiving Home provides a program for those residents who might benefit from being in a small facility with a higher degree of adult supervision.

 

The program developed by MBH and the County has been successful in providing a stable environment for transitioning adolescents.

 

The program operated by MBH provides residential services to all youth referred by the San Mateo County Human Services Agency, who are 12-18 years of age, and who have been discharged from previous out-of-home placements including foster homes, group homes, and hospital settings. The average stay in the program is from one to three months.

 

MBH accepts all youth referred by HSA. The Children and Family Services' staff (Social Workers) is responsible for searching for the next placement, arranging and taking the youth to all pre-placement visits and placing the youth.

 

Discussion

This First Amendment increases the funding of the Agreement for year two funding of the three year Agreement. Funding for year three will be negotiated by the County and the Contractor and will be in the form of an Amendment to this Agreement. County Counsel has reviewed and approved this Amendment as to form.

 

Vision Alignment

The contract with Moss Beach Homes, Inc., honors the commitment of: Ensuring basic health and safety for all and goals number 6 and 8: Children grow up healthy in safe and supportive homes and neighborhoods and help vulnerable people - the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at-risk youth and others - achieve a better quality of life. This Agreement contributes to these commitments and goals in that children who are in need of out-of-home placement will have a safe transitional place to stay between placements and the opportunity to learn life skills to assist them in achieving placement stability.

 

Performance Measures

Below are the Recommended Performance Measures included in the County's Outcome Based Management Plan. This activity supports the performance target to enhance services to individuals, families and children that promote their well being and keep them safe, specifically by developing a second emergency shelter for adolescents and children. Additionally, this strategy is critically linked to Family To Family.

 

Performance Measures

Data Source

Actual

FY 2001-02

Projected

FY 2002-03

Projected

FY 2003-04

Projected

FY 2004-05

The number of AWOLS by children in the Receiving Home Program and Tower House

Receiving Home Records

242

218

196

175

The number of AWOLS by children in the Receiving Home Program

Receiving Home Records

75

68

61

55

 

The Tower House Receiving Home accepted its first placement on December 17, 2002. Initially, placements at both Receiving Homes were very low. In February 2003, they spiked very suddenly and both facilities reached full capacity. As of the date of this writing, we have only a three-month period to evaluate the impact of this second program. However, in the period from February through April 2002, 27 children "AWOLED" from the Receiving Home for a total of 344 days. During the same period for 2003, 14 children "AWOLED" for a total of 30 days. It should be noted that there were approximately ½ the number of children placed in the Receiving Home during the 2002 period than during the comparable 2003 period.

 

Fiscal Impact

The term of the Agreement with Moss Beach Homes is from August 20, 2002 through June 30, 2005. The payment amount for FY 2003-04 is $198,242. This amount is expected to be fully reimbursed from state and federal funds. This Agreement will not generate additional Net County Cost for FY 2003-04 and is in the FY 2003-04 Recommended Level Budget.

Payment amounts for the third year of this Agreement will be negotiated and submitted as an Amendment to this Agreement.