COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Health Services Agency

DATE:

September 9, 2004

BOARD MEETING DATE:

September 28, 2004

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Charlene A. Silva, Director of Health Services

Gale Bataille, Director of Mental Health Services

SUBJECT:

Agreement with the Mental Health Association of Alameda County

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution authorizing the President of the Board to execute an Agreement with the Mental Health Association of Alameda County.

Background

By statute the County is obligated to provide patient’s rights advocacy services for all recipients of mental health services in San Mateo County. These services include patient representation at certification and capacity hearings in psychiatric inpatient facilities, as well as complaint investigation and resolution, monitoring of mental health facilities, outreach and training on advocacy topics for clients and providers. There are four inpatient facilities in our county where capacity and certification hearings take place: Mills-Peninsula Hospital, San Mateo Medical Center (SMMC), Sequoia Hospital, and the Veteran’s Administration in Menlo Park.

Prior to FY 2002-03 Mental Health Services staff provided advocacy services, including hearing representation services at the Veteran’s Administration and Sequoia Hospital. Hearing representation services at Mills-Peninsula and SMMC have been provided through the County’s agreement with the San Mateo County Bar Association for the Private Defender Program through FY 2003-04. In May of 2003 Mental Health conducted a Request for Proposals process to select a provider of patient’s rights advocacy services. There were two respondents to the RFP and the Mental Health Association of Alameda County was awarded the contract to provide those services.

Discussion

The agreement with Mental Health Association of Alameda County is renewed, with the scope of services being expanded to include hearing representation at the Mills-Peninsula Hospital and SMMC. The consolidation of advocacy services will improve efficiencies and facilitate our obligation to provide comprehensive advocacy services countywide.

Contractor will provide patient’s rights advocacy services for all recipients of mental health services in San Mateo County. Per statutory requirements, services will be provided to clients whether or not they are receiving services from County Mental Health Services. Patient’s rights advocacy services include: complaint investigation and resolution; compliance monitoring of facilities providing mental health services; training of staff in mental health facilities regarding patient’s rights, laws, regulations and policies; and, patient representation at Certification Hearings and Capacity Hearings at Sequoia Hospital, the Veteran’s Administration in Menlo Park, Mills-Peninsula Hospital and SMMC. The contractor will provide these services through an office in San Mateo County.

The Agreement has been reviewed by Risk Management and County Counsel.

Performance Measure

FY 2004-05 Objective

Number of trainings provided to inpatient facilities regarding patients rights

4

Vision Alignment

This Agreement with the Mental Health Association of Alameda County keeps the commitment to Ensure 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. The Agreement contributes to this commitment and goal by providing patient’s rights advocacy services for recipients of mental health services in San Mateo County.

Fiscal Impact

The term of this agreement is July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. The agreement maximum is $149,248, an increase of $77,663. The consolidation of these services into a single agreement resulted in contract savings of $76,940. Funding for these services is included in the proposed Mental Health Services budget for FY 2004-05. Services will be funded 100% by realignment funds. There is no net county cost.