Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Colleen Chawla, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Jei Africa, Director, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services
Subject: Third Amendment to the Agreement with The John W. Gardner Center for Planning and Evaluation Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing a third amendment to the agreement with The John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities of the Stanford University Graduate School of Education to continue to plan and evaluate the Federal Justice Assistance Grant Community Wellness Crisis Response Team Program, linking police officers with mental health clinicians, increasing the amount by $89,857 for a new not-to-exceed amount of $1,066,997, and extending the term through September 30, 2027.
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BACKGROUND:
In order to address the ongoing need for immediate mental health services in the field within local communities, the Daly City, Redwood City, San Mateo, and South San Francisco Police Departments have collaborated with San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) to develop a co-response model that partners sworn law enforcement officers with a licensed mental health clinician within a first-responder framework. A key goal of these partnerships involves the combined expertise and resources of both disciplines to best serve the public in a timely manner.
The model, now referred to as the Community Wellness Crisis Response Team (CWCRT), calls for one mental health clinician to be embedded in each of the four city law enforcement agencies previously mentioned. This clinician serves as a supplement to law enforcement’s response to calls for service involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
In February 2021, this Board approved an agreement with The John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities of the Stanford University Graduate School of Education (The Gardner Center) to assist in planning and evaluating the CWCRT Pilot Program for the term of February 1, 2021, through March 31, 2023, in an amount not to exceed $259,869 (“Agreement”).
In March 2024, this Board approved an amendment to extend the term of the Agreement through December 31, 2026, and increase the not-to-exceed amount by $325,082 to an amount not-to-exceed $584,951.
In August 2025, this Board approved a second amendment to the Agreement to increase the not-to-exceed amount by $392,189 to an amount not to exceed $977,140, with no change to the Agreement term.
DISCUSSION:
The County expanded the CWCRT program to include additional cities under the Federal Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) for the period of June 2023 - December 2026. Under this third amendment to the Agreement, The Gardner Center will align research design to the current JAG CWCRT program’s strategy, planning, and refinement process. The Gardner Center will also assess implementation of the co-response model and conduct a quantitative outcomes study that documents program participation and associated changes resulting from the expansion program implementation.
In May 2026, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) offered the JAG Cohort grantees the opportunity to extend, at no cost, the deadline to expend their unspent JAG funds by an additional nine months. To maximize the projected remaining JAG funds, BHRS applied for the extension and was approved, thereby extending the evaluation timeline through September 30, 2027.
This third amendment extends the term of the Agreement through September 30, 2027 and increases the fiscal obligation by $89,857 to $1,066,997 and will provide the necessary resources to finalize our Local Evaluation Report of the JAG CWCRT Programs described above. The final evaluation by The Gardner Center will include assessing implementation, defining and designing key elements and strategies for program improvement and replication, and producing an outcomes analysis of all the JAG Programs as listed in the below phases:
August 2026 - December 2026: Release three qualitative briefs on JAG CWCRT program implementation.
January 2027 - March 2027: Compare records and data across participating municipalities and the control group’s records.
April 2027 - June 2027: Draft program outcomes results and share an interim briefing.
July 2027 - September 2027: Complete final Local Evaluation Report and present final report findings.
The resolution contains the County’s standard provisions allowing amendment of the County’s fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 (in aggregate).
The third amendment and resolution have been reviewed and approved by the County Attorney as to form.
It is anticipated that The Gardner Center will complete 100% of reporting/evaluation for the Pilot Program and presentation of the final report on JAG CWCRT.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2025-26 Actual |
FY 2026-27 Estimated |
|
Percentage of reporting/evaluation for the JAG CWCRT Program and presentation of the final report completed by The Gardner Center |
100% Pilot Program evaluation Completed |
100% Final Local Evaluation Report on JAG CWCRT completed |
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Services provided by this Agreement will positively impact the emotional well-being, psychological stability, and safety of our residents. The evaluations and report-outs detailing the linking of police officers with mental health clinicians will further reduce unnecessary psychiatric emergency admissions, inpatient hospitalizations, and incarcerations by bringing the crisis response to anyone experiencing a behavioral health crisis any time of the day, wherever they are within our county, in a compassionate, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and timely manner.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the amended Agreement is February 1, 2021, through September 30, 2027. This third amendment increases the not-to-exceed amount by $89,857 to an amount not to exceed $1,066,997. Funds in the amount of $89,857 are included in the BHRS FY 2026-27 Recommended Budget. Of the FY 2026-27 amount, it is anticipated that 100% will be funded with the JAG CWCRT Grant, with no Net County Cost associated with this amendment.