COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Services Agency

DATE:

February 9, 2004

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 24, 2004

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Margaret Taylor, Director of Health Services

Brian Zamora, Director, Public Health and Environmental Protection

SUBJECT:

Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement with Mental Health Association of San Mateo County

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution authorizing the President of the Board to execute Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement with Mental Health Association of San Mateo County.

Background

The San Mateo County AIDS Program (SMCAP) receives funding from the Ryan White CARE Act, Title I (CARE), and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Act for the purpose of providing health and social services to people with HIV/AIDS. A specific portion of both grants is intended to help people with HIV/AIDS optimize their health by acquiring and maintaining stable housing.

In December 2000, the AIDS Program conducted a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the provision of housing services and management of the fiscal distribution of the Wrap Around Fund for client emergencies. The Service League of San Mateo County and Mental Health Association of San Mateo County (MHA) were the only two organizations to respond and SMCAP awarded contracts to both agencies. This is the last year of services under the RFP.

MHA has been successfully providing housing services for people with HIV/AIDS in San Mateo County since 1994. Over the years, they have helped numerous clients maintain stable housing, enabling them to keep their medical appointments and adhere to increasingly complex medication regimens.

SMCAP recently released a RFP for a new three-year contract to provide housing services and management of the fiscal distribution of the Wrap Around Fund. MHA responded to the RFP and will be awarded a three-year contract in July.

Discussion

SMCAP has incurred unanticipated savings on staff positions funded by CARE, resulting in a surplus in federal funds of $200,000. If these funds are not utilized by February 29, 2004, they will have to be returned to the Health Resources and Services Administration.

MHA has committed to use this CARE funding surplus in order to increase services to SMCAP clients. This amendment enables MHA to use the funding surplus to immediately purchase additional housing items such as motel, transportation and food vouchers, which it will offer to eligible clients over the next year. These additional services will align with the goals of the CARE act, ensuring that clients have stable housing and will enable the contractor to achieve its outcome measures beyond 2003-2004. The vouchers will also complement the contract services which MHA will undertake as part of its new contract in July 2004.

Outcome Measures

Measure

Actual

2002-03

Objective

2003-04

Percentage of homeless clients housed by Contractor or referred for appropriate housing within twenty-four (24) hours of intake

95%

97%

Percentage of homeless clients housed by Contractor who maintain their housing for at least six (6) months

90%

92%

Percentage of all clients who respond to an in-house client satisfaction survey who indicate satisfaction with housing services received from Contractor

93%

95%

County Counsel has reviewed and approved this agreement.

Vision Alignment

The contract with Mental Health Association of San Mateo County keeps the commitment of ensuring basic health and safety for all and goal number 8: Help vulnerable people - the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at-risk youth and others - achieve a better quality of life. It also keeps the commitment of offering a full range of housing choices and goal number 9: Housing exists for people at all income levels and for all generations of families. The contract contributes to these commitments and goals by providing an HIV Housing Assistance Program and improving the quality of life for those living with, or at risk for this disease.

Fiscal Impact

The term of the agreement remains the same: July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004. The total amount of funding for the agreement was $682,555. Amendment No.1 adds $200,000 in CARE funds, bringing the total contract amount to $882,555. Funds for the agreement are included in the FY 2003-04 budget for the AIDS Program. A maintenance of County effort is required for all CARE funding which amounts to the net County cost for the AIDS Program for FY 2002-03 of $373,000. There is no net county cost as a result of this Amendment.