Agenda Item
ASR
Control 23-000567 |
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MEETING
DATE: |
09/12/23 |
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legal entity taking action: |
Board
of Supervisors |
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board of supervisors district(s): |
All
Districts |
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SUBMITTING Agency/Department: |
County
Executive Office (Approved) |
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Department contact person(s): |
Doug
Becht (714) 834-2323 |
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Lilly
Simmering (714) 834-6234 |
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Subject: Approve Contract for Housing and
Disability Advocacy Program Services
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: $942,630 |
Annual Cost: FY 2024-25 $1,130,676 |
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Staffing Impact: |
No |
# of Positions: |
Sole Source: No |
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Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A
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Prior Board Action: N/A |
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RECOMMENDED
ACTION(S):
1. |
Approve Contract
with Volunteers of America of Los Angeles for Housing and Disability Advocacy
Program Services for Families, for the term of October 15, 2023, through June
30, 2025, with the option to renew for three additional one-year terms, in an
amount not to exceed $2,073,306. |
2. |
Authorize the County Procurement Officer
or Deputized designee to execute the Contract with Volunteers of America of
Los Angeles as referenced in the above Recommended Action. |
3. |
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 amount for the first year of the Contract, for the
entire term of the Contract, including renewals, and within the scope of work
set forth in the Contract. The use of this contingency cost interest is
subject to approval requirement established by the County Procurement
Officer. |
SUMMARY:
Approval of the Contract for
Housing and Disability Advocacy Program Services for Families will support
eligible families experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in
Orange County by increasing their income through disability benefits and accessing
housing resources to be permanently and stably housed.
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION:
The Housing and Disability Advocacy
Program (HDAP) is a county-administered state program that provides housing and
disability benefits application assistance to people with a disability who are
experiencing homelessness. HDAP requires outreach, case management, disability
benefits advocacy, housing assistance, and prioritizes individuals experiencing
chronic homelessness or individuals experiencing homelessness who rely most
heavily on government-funded services. HDAP provides funding to the County of
Orange (County) System of Care to better serve those experiencing homelessness
in Orange County and increases care coordination between the Social Services
Agency (SSA), OC Community Resources (OCCR), Health Care Agency and County
Executive Office (CEO), Office of Care Coordination.
On April 6, 2023, the Office of
Care Coordination issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on the County’s online
bidding platform and advertised the RFP on LinkedIn, to seek qualified
providers for countywide HDAP Services for Families. The RFP was advertised for
a total of five weeks with the RFP closing on May 11, 2023. Additionally, the
Office of Care Coordination announced the issuance of the RFP multiple times
through email distribution lists and during Commission to End Homelessness and
the Orange County Continuum of Care (CoC) meetings, including CoC Board, and
Housing Opportunities Committee meetings. There was one proposal received in
response to the RFP and as such per the County Contract Policy Manual, Section
4.3-110, the Office of Care Coordination waived the standard evaluation process
and the proposal was reviewed by the selected designees. The Office of Care
Coordination has completed successful negotiations and recommends awarding the
contract to Volunteers of America of Los Angeles (VOALA).
VOALA is a non-profit organization
founded in 1896 with a mission to find solutions to social problems and pioneer
approaches that assist individuals in need by creating positive, lasting
changes. VOALA has an extensive history providing outreach, engagement, case
management and housing and supportive services for Southern California’s most
vulnerable, including individuals and families who are experiencing
homelessness, veterans, youth and other at-risk populations.
Scope of Services
VOALA will provide HDAP Services
for Families to assist families with a member of the household with a
disability, who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness apply
for disability benefit programs while also providing housing assistance. HDAP
requires that street outreach, case management, disability benefit advocacy and
housing assistance be offered to all program participants. An integral part of
HDAP Services for Families is Supplemental Security Income/Social Security
Disability Income (SSI/SSDI) Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR). SOAR is a
national program designed to increase access to the disability income benefit
programs administered by the Social Security Administration for eligible adults
and children who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a serious
mental illness, medical impairment and/or a co-occurring substance use
disorder.
The program will include the
following service elements:
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Outreach
activities geared at identifying need, targeting resources and/or connecting
likely eligible families to HDAP Services, including screening and assessment
activities. |
- |
Case Management
activities including the provision of care coordination intended to help
participants navigate and address barriers to housing and disability
benefits, including connections to Medi-Cal, CalFresh, healthcare, behavioral
health agencies, legal aid, etc. |
- |
Disability
Benefits Advocacy includes seeking any and all disability benefits the
participant may be eligible to receive as appropriate, including SSI/SSDI,
Social Security Retirement or Survivors Benefits, Veterans’ Disability
Compensation benefits and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants. This
includes filing complete and timely applications and appeals, obtaining and
submitting medical evidence, filing appeals and requests for hearings,
including appeals to the Social Security Appeals Counsel, representing
individuals at administrative hearings, establishing good working
relationships with the Social Security Administration and Disability
Determination Services, and contracting with legal services providers as
needed to ensure adequate representation. |
- |
Housing
assistance includes assisting participants in finding and securing interim
and permanent housing, maintaining current housing, and stabilizing new
housing. Housing assistance activities include, but are not limited to,
direct financial assistance such as rental subsidies, rental arrearages,
interim housing, landlord mediation, landlord incentives, landlord outreach
and housing identification and search activities. |
Performance
Outcomes
VOALA will provide HDAP Services to
a minimum of 150 families during the term of the Contract. The following
performance measures and outcomes will be achieved:
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Maintain a minimum of 20 unduplicated,
eligible participant families in a caseload per case manager. |
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100 percent of participants will have an
Individualized Housing and Service Plan within 30 days of program enrollment. |
- |
100 percent of participants will have
submitted a disability benefit application or appeal within 120 days of
program enrollment. |
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40 percent of the disability benefit
applications will receive approval, inclusive of initial applications,
reconsideration request, and/or appeals and hearing processes. |
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50 percent of participants will enroll
into a temporary housing or permanent housing destination while enrolled in
the program. This may include housing funded by HDAP Services for Families. |
- |
50 percent of participants will have a
higher income at program exit than at program entry due to disability and/or
mainstream benefits. |
CEO has confirmed there are no
concerns that must be addressed with the contractor’s ownership/name,
litigation status or conflicts of County interests. This Contract does not
include any subcontractors or pass through to other providers, please see Attachment
B for the Contract Summary Form. The Orange County Preference Policy is not
applicable to this contract award.
The Office of Care Coordination
requests the Board of Supervisors’ (Board) approval of the Contract with VOALA
as referenced in the Recommended Actions above. Additionally, CEO confirms that
the services to be provided through this Contract adhere to 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 Board on October 4, 2022.
FINANCIAL
IMPACT:
Appropriations for this Contract
were included in Budget Control 017 FY 2023-24 Adopted Budget and will be
included in the budgeting process for future years. Social Services Agency
applies for the HDAP grant, receives the funding and passes it through to the
Office of Care Coordination to administer the program.
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 CEO adequate time to transition or terminate services to
participants, if necessary.
STAFFING
IMPACT:
N/A
REVIEWING
AGENCIES:
Social
Services Agency
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment
A - Contract MA-017-23011281 with Volunteers of America of Los Angeles
Attachment B - Contract Summary Form