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Agenda Item
ASR
Control 23-000848 |
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MEETING
DATE: |
11/07/23 |
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legal entity taking action: |
Board
of Supervisors |
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board of supervisors district(s): |
3,
5 |
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SUBMITTING Agency/Department: |
County
Executive Office (Approved) |
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Department contact person(s): |
Douglas
Becht (714) 834-5000 |
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Lilly
Simmering (714) 834-6234 |
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Subject: Approve
Regional Care Coordination Services Contract
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ceo CONCUR |
County Counsel Review |
Clerk of the
Board |
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Concur |
Approved Agreement to Form |
Discussion |
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3 Votes Board Majority |
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Budgeted: Yes |
Current
Year Cost: $544,056 |
Annual
Cost: FY 2024-25 $1,033,442 |
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Staffing
Impact:
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No |
#
of Positions: |
Sole
Source: N/A |
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Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A
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Prior Board Action: 9/13/2022 #15 |
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RECOMMENDED
ACTION(S):
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1. |
Approve the Contract with Friendship
Shelter, Inc. for Regional Care Coordination Services in the South Service
Planning Area, for the term of December 15, 2023, through June 30, 2025, for
an amount not to exceed $1,577,498. |
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2. |
Pursuant to Contract Policy Manual
Section 3.4-114, authorize the County Procurement Officer or Deputized
designee to exercise a contingency contract cost increase, not to exceed a
total of 10 percent of the contract amounts for the first year of the contracts,
for the entire term of the Contract, including renewals, and within the scope
of work set forth in the contracts. The use of this contingency cost increase
is subject to approval requirements established by the County Procurement
Officer. |
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3. |
Authorize the
County Procurement Officer or Deputized designee to execute the Contracts as
referenced in the Recommended Actions above. |
SUMMARY:
Approval of the
Contract with Friendship Shelter, Inc. for Regional Care Coordination Services
in the South Service Planning Area will provide targeted outreach and care
coordination services to individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION:
On February 22,
2022, the Health Care Agency issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to seek
qualified providers for the Regional Street Outreach and Care Coordination
Services for each of the three Service Planning Areas (SPA). There were eight
respondents to the RFP – three respondents for the North SPA, three respondents
for the Central SPA and two respondents for the South SPA. An evaluation panel
consisting of one HCA representative and four non-HCA representatives evaluated
the proposals and recommended awarding contracts to Volunteers of America of
Los Angeles (VOALA) for the North SPA and PATH (People Assisting the Homeless)
(PATH) for the Central and South SPA. One protest was received on this
solicitation. Upon careful review and consideration with County Counsel, the
protest was deemed invalid and subsequently denied.
On September 13,
2022, the Board of Supervisors approved Contracts with VOALA and PATH for
Regional Care Coordination Services.
The County
Executive Office (CEO) Office of Care Coordination has determined additional
need Regional Care Coordination Services for the South SPA and as such is
recommending the award of contract to the second respondent for the South SPA,
Friendship Shelter, Inc. (Friendship Shelter). The County Procurement Office
(CPO) confirmed that although the response to the RFP was past its validity,
Friendship Shelter was willing to offer their proposed pricing to the Office of
Care Coordination for the South SPA.
CPO staff have
conducted due diligence on Friendship Shelter. Reference checks for Friendship
Shelter were completed by contracting the City of Laguna Beach, City of Mission
Viejo, and OC United Way. The contract with Friendship Shelter does not include
any subcontractors. See Attachment B for Contract Summary Form.
Scope
of Services
Friendship Shelter
will provide regional care coordination services to help engage and serve
individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness and will work with the County
of Orange (County), the cities in the South SPA, and local stakeholders to
address unsheltered homeless conditions in their community. Friendship Shelter
will only receive referrals from HCA Mental Health and Recovery Services
Outreach and Engagement (O&E) for individuals experiencing homelessness
that need and qualify for comprehensive care coordination services based on
needing assistance to apply for disability benefits and being high utilizer of
the System of Care. Care coordination services will provide comprehensive
assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness by linking them to the
variety of resources designed to address the complex needs of this population
and adopt a “whatever it takes” approach to reduce and eliminate barriers to
service engagement and participation. This care coordination will be provided
to the participant as they navigate through the County’s Systems of Care –
Behavioral Health, Healthcare, Housing, Community Corrections, and Benefits and
Support Services – to access appropriate services and through successful
placement in permanent housing with the appropriate supportive services to
ensure sustainability.
The program will include the following
service elements:
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Coordinate with HCA Mental Health and
Recovery Services O&E to determine areas for street outreach and
engagement to build relationships that provide care coordination and support
in accessing services, mainstream services, homeless service programs and other
resources. |
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Intake and assessment to determine the
history of participation in other homeless service programs and collection of
needed or missing information. |
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Case management services to ensure
proper care coordination to address the needs of participants with a focus on
providing support and identifying permanent housing options. |
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Disability benefits advocacy to support
participants in filing complete and timely applications and appeals,
represent individuals at administrative hearings and establish good working
relationships with the Social Security Administration services providers as
needed to ensure adequate representation utilizing the SSI/SSDI Outreach,
Access and Recovery (SOAR) model. |
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Housing navigation services to support
the participant in identifying available housing units and resources,
completing needed forms and applications for housing. |
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Coordinate and collaborate with the
other components of the System of Care, Orange County Continuum of Care and
key stakeholders throughout the SPA to employ a multidisciplinary approach to
assist participants in accessing services and/or programs. |
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Participate in the Care Plus Program,
the System of Care Data Integration System (SOCDIS) and assist in the
engagement of high utilizes of County services by gathering consent and
expeditiously connecting participants to the correct service or resource
cohesively by facilitating transportation. |
Performance
Outcomes
Friendship Shelter will provide Regional
Care Coordination Services to a minimum of 100 participants in the South SPA
during the term of the Contract.
The following performance measures and
outcomes are expected to be achieved:
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90 percent of participants will have an
Individualized Housing and Service Plan within 30 calendar days of program
enrollment. |
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90 percent of participants will be
connected to the Coordinated Entry System within 30 calendar days of program
enrollment. Connected to the Coordinated Entry System at minimum includes a
program enrollment; however, the goal is to get program participants in the
community queue as quickly as possible. |
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Of the participants who have a
disability and are not receiving disability benefits, it is expected that 90
percent of participants will have submitted a disability benefit application
or appeal within 120 days of program enrollment. |
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Of the disability benefit applications
submitted, a minimum of 40 percent of disability benefit applications will
receive approval, inclusive of initial applications, reconsideration requests
and/or appeals and hearing processes. |
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30 percent of participants will enroll
in an emergency shelter or temporary housing destination while enrolled in
the program. |
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30 percent of participants will
transition to a permanent housing destination. |
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50 percent of participants who move into
permanent housing destinations will do so within 120 days of enrollment to
the program. |
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50 percent of participants will have a
higher income than at program entry due to employment and/or mainstream
benefits. |
Below is a summary
of the job descriptions that will be primarily responsible for the
implementation of the Regional Care Coordination Services.
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Housing
Coordinator provides direct care coordination to program participants,
including targeted outreach, assessment, housing planning, housing navigation
and referrals to community resources. |
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Housing Locator
provides housing location services to program participants, including unit
identification, property owner engagement, application assistance, and expending
funds related to housing (deposits, landlord incentives, furnishings, etc.). |
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SOAR Specialist
provides SOAR application assistance to program participants, including the
completion of applications and all levels of appeals. Serves as the primary
liaison between participants and the Social Security Administration. |
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SOAR Supervisor
provides direct supervision to SOAR Specialists. Ensures that SOAR services
are delivered in a manner consistent with SOAR training, agency policy and
contractual requirements. |
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Program
Manager - Provides management for the Regional Care Coordination program,
including direct supervision of Housing Coordinators and the SOAR
Supervisor. Ensures that the program is meeting its required
performance measures and that services are delivered in a manner consistent
with agency policy and contractual requirements. |
The Orange County Preference Policy does
not apply to this contract award.
CEO requests the
Board approve the Contract with Friendship Shelter as referenced in the
Recommended Actions above. The Contract will follow the best practices, guiding
principles, and commitments of the Homeless Service System Pillars Report which
was created by the Commission to End Homelessness and accepted by the County of
Orange Board of Supervisors on October 4, 2022.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Appropriations
for this Contract are included in Budget Control 017 FY 2023-24 Budget and will
be included in budgeting process for future years.
The
proposed Contract includes provisions allowing CEO to terminate the Contract,
reduce the level of services, and/or renegotiate the levels of services
provided, as necessary. This includes a notice that allows the CEO adequate
time to transition or terminate services to clients, if necessary.
This
Contract will be funded by:
State: 100% (25% Homeless Housing,
Assistance and Prevention (HHAP), 75% Housing and Disability Advocacy Program
(HDAP))
STAFFING IMPACT:
N/A
REVIEWING
AGENCIES:
Social Services Agency
Health Care Agency
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment A - Contract MA-017-24010367
with Friendship Shelter, Inc. for provision of Regional Care Coordination
Services for South Service Planning Area
Attachment B - Contract Summary Form