COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Human Services Agency

 

DATE:

May 31, 2006

BOARD MEETING DATE:

June 20, 2006

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Glen H. Brooks Jr., Director, Human Services Agency

Mark Lane, Director, Children and Family Services

   

SUBJECT:

Amendment to the Agreement with SPHERE Institute

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution authorizing execution of an Amendment to the Agreement with SPHERE Institute to extend the term of the Agreement from February 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006 to February 1, 2005 to December 31, 2006.

 

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Ensure basic health and safety for all.

Goal (6 ) Children grow up healthy in safe and supportive homes and neighborhoods.

 

This Agreement contributes to this commitment and goal since the new evidence-based assessment tool will help social workers in making safety and risk assessment decisions.

 

Performance Measure(s):

Measure

FY 2004-05
Actual

FY 2005-06

Projected

Social workers will have full knowledge and understanding of how to use the comprehensive assessment tool (CAT).

Not Applicable

100% of Social Workers

Children will be assessed using CAT from initial referral through the life of the case to determine the level of intervention and services needed.

Not Applicable

100% of children

BACKGROUND:

In close collaboration with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), a group of eleven counties is leading efforts to model and pilot innovative program and practice changes in connection with the implementation of the Child Welfare Services system improvement activities set forth in the California’s Federal Program Improvement Plan. Included in the FY 2004-05 Improvement Plan is the development of a statewide system to assess safety, risk and parental protective capacity throughout the life of a child welfare case.

On December 6, 2005, the Board of Supervisors approved an Agreement with SPHERE to work directly with Contra Costa, Glenn, San Mateo and Stanislaus Counties in developing an enhanced safety and risk assessment and management system. The Human Services Agency (HSA) serves as the fiscal agent to this risk assessment project as part of the State’s Child Welfare System improvement.

The project consists of construction and refinement of the assessment tool and the development of the software application for data collection so data can be analyzed for purposes of validating the tools. SPHERE will then analyze the data to fully assess the impact of the new safety and risk assessment system. The tool’s ability to generate data that can be used to support risk management practice outcomes could significantly enhance the Counties’ capacity to prepare critical practice and policy analyses.

 

DISCUSSION:

This Amendment is to extend the term of the Agreement to December 31, 2006. No additional funds are being added to the Agreement as a result of this Amendment. The California Department of Social Services has yet to provide SPHERE with County CWS/CMS data, which is essential for SPHERE to conduct analyses and produce the deliverables specified in the Agreement. This extension will allow SPHERE to carry out all the activities described in the Agreement and complete the deliverables.

The Amendment includes all provisions that are required by county ordinance and administrative memoranda, including but not limited to insurance, hold harmless, non-discrimination, equal benefits and jury service policy.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

The new term of the Amendment to the Agreement is February 1, 2005 through December 31, 2006. The total obligation will continue to be $349,495 and is fully funded through the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Allocation Augmentation. There is no Net County Cost. Appropriations have been budgeted in the FY 2005-06 Children and Family Services budget. All expenditures associated with this Agreement will be fully claimed in FY 2005-06.