COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Human Services Agency

 

DATE:

June 29, 2005

BOARD MEETING DATE:

July 26, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Maureen D. Borland, Director, Human Services Agency

Mark Lane, Director, Children and Family Services

   

SUBJECT:

Agreement with Moss Beach Homes, Inc. for the administration of a "Change of Placement Program" for dependent children at the Tower House Receiving Home

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution:

 

1.

Waving the Request for Proposal (RFP) process; and

2.

Authorizing the execution of an Agreement with Moss Beach Homes, Inc. (MBH) for the administration of a “Change of Placement Program” for dependent children at the County's Tower House Receiving Home located in San Mateo. The amount of this Agreement is $250,000 for the first year of the three-year term. The term of this Agreement is from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2008.

 

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: : Ensure basic health and safety for all.

Goals 6 and 9: 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.

 

The Agreement contributes to this commitment and goals by providing children who are in need of out-of-home placement with a safe transitional place to stay and the opportunity to learn life skills to assist them in achieving placement stability.

 

Performance Measure(s):

Measure

Actual

FY 2004-05

Projected

FY 2005-06

Projected

FY 2006-07

Projected

FY 2007-08

Number of children entering Tower House Receiving Home

53

53

53

53

Number of Children in Tower House released to Psychiatric Hospital

3

3

3

3

Number of Children in Tower House released to Juvenile Hall

9

8

8

8

 

MBH has a no eject, no reject policy which makes it difficult to predict the number of children who will be admitted. The projection for FYs 2005-08 will be the same as the FY 2004-05 actual. The number of children released to a psychiatric hospital and juvenile hall has already decreased in the past three years. Due to the very challenging population MBH serves, the program does not foresee additional decline in the numbers.

 

BACKGROUND:

In 2001, the Board of Supervisors decided to create a second receiving home known as the Tower House Receiving Home. MBH administers the “Change of Placement Program” for dependent children at Tower House. This program provides services to those youth 12-18 years of age who need a higher degree of adult supervision and residential services and who have been discharged from previous out-of-home placements including foster homes, group homes, and hospital settings.

 

A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued in 2002 to create a no-reject/no-eject, co-ed, “Change of Placement Program”. MBH was the only respondent to the RFP and was awarded the contract. The program was collaboratively developed by MBH and the County has been very successful in providing a stable environment for transitioning adolescents. To date, it is the only program of its kind in the State and other counties have approached Moss Beach Homes regarding replicating the program.

 

Over the past several years, MBH staff have worked hard to develop sound working relationships with the schools as well as with law enforcement. Further, they have become involved in the placement review process for the Children and Youth System of Care and have become a strong link between the Juvenile Probation Department and Children and Family Services.

 

DISCUSSION:

This new three year Agreement continues to provide specialized receiving home services. MBH was the only contractor who responded to the previous RFP and is the only provider to conduct this type of program in the State. Therefore, they should be considered a sole source provider and it is in the best interest of the County to waive the RFP process. County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution and Agreement as to form and Risk Management has approved Contractor’s insurance.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

The term of this Agreement is from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2008. The total obligation under this Agreement is $250,000 for FY 2005-06 and is funded 100% through state and federal funds that have been included in the FY 2005-06 Recommended Budget. Payment amounts for the second and third year of this Agreement will be negotiated and submitted as an Amendment to this Agreement and are expressly conditioned upon the County’s continued receipt of state and federal funds. There is no Net County Cost associated with this Agreement.