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COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
Inter-Departmental Correspondence
Human Resources Department
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DATE:
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January 25, 2010
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BOARD MEETING DATE:
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February 9, 2010
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SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:
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None
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VOTE REQUIRED:
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Majority
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TO:
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Honorable Board of Supervisors
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FROM:
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Donna Vaillancourt, Human Resources Director
Peter Bassett, Benefits Manager
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SUBJECT:
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Agreement with Concern EAP for Employee Assistance Program Services
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RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution:
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1) Authorizing the President of the Board to execute an Agreement with Concern EAP as the County’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) vendor to provide work-life benefits and resources to County employees and their dependents for the period from March 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012 with the aggregate amount not to exceed $405,000;
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2) Authorizing the Human Resources Director or the Director's designee to execute contract amendments which modify the County's maximum fiscal obligation by no more than $25,000 (in aggregate), and/or modify the contract term and/or services so long as the modified term or services is/are within the current or revised fiscal provisions.
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BACKGROUND:
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The County’s EAP program offers counseling services and resources to help employees and their family members manage problems related to work, personal relationships, stress, finances, substance abuse, and other life concerns. The EAP program also offers job performance referrals, management consultations, critical incident debriefings, and training programs to enhance workplace health and employee effectiveness. The EAP benefit is fully paid for by the County.
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Managed Health Network (MHN) is the current provider of EAP services and the County’s agreement with MHN expires on February 28, 2010.
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DISCUSSION:
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In 2009, a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) was issued and a labor-management committee evaluated proposals from EAP providers to ensure that the County is receiving the best plan benefits currently available in the marketplace. The committee interviewed three RFP finalists and ranked each of their proposals on the following criteria: breadth of services, account management, public sector experience, provider network, intake/referral process, and fees. Based on these criteria, the committee agreed that Concern EAP’s proposal most closely met the County’s needs and is recommending that it be selected as the EAP provider for the County.
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Concern EAP is a stand-alone full service EAP provider based locally in Mountain View and has earned a reputation for quick and easy access to licensed clinical providers, specialized training, and comprehensive work/life resources and referrals. Concern EAP provides a flexible and “hands on” approach to meeting the personal needs of employees and will be an effective partner in the County’s efforts to promote the optimal health and well-being of its employees.
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The new agreement with Concern EAP will provide significant enhancements to the existing EAP program at no additional cost to the County. A summary of the benefit enhancements under a new Concern EAP agreement is included in the table below.
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Concern EAP program
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Existing EAP program
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5 counseling visits per issue per year; including 10 visits for substance abuse cases
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4 counseling visits per year
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10 supervisor referral visits per year
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2 supervisor referral visits per year
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The contractors have assured compliance with the County’s Contractor Employee Jury Service Ordinance, as well as all other contract provisions that are required by County ordinance and administrative memoranda, including but not limited to insurance, hold harmless, non-discrimination and equal benefits.
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County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution and Agreement as to form. The insurance has been reviewed and approved by Risk Management.
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Acceptance of this recommendation contributes to Shared Vision 2025 of a Healthy Community by providing cost-effective work-life benefits to County employees and their families.
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Performance Measure(s):
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Measure
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2008
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2009
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2010 Projected
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Timeliness of urgent appointments (within 48 hours)
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100%
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100%
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100%
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Member satisfaction
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91%
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90%
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92%
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Number of EAP cases*
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274
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305
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320
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*Includes employee clinical cases, critical incident debriefings, job performance referrals, management consultations and workshops/trainings.
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FISCAL IMPACT:
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There is no net County cost associated with this Agreement. The cost remains at $2.09 per employee per month (approximately $405,000 for the 34-month contract period) and is guaranteed for the duration of the contract. The cost is fully covered by the Benefits Trust Fund.
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