Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Rocio Kiryczun, Human Resources Director
Kim Pearson, Benefits Manager
Subject: Agreement with Claremont Behavioral Services, Inc. for Employee Assistance Program Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution:
A) Authorizing a three-year agreement with Claremont Behavioral Services, Inc. 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 January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2027, with the aggregate amount not to exceed $1.266 million; and
B) Authorizing the Director of Human Resources 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:
The County’s EAP program offers counseling services and work-life resources to help employees and their family members manage problems related to work, personal relationships, stress, finances, substance abuse, and other life concerns. Individuals may receive 8-10 short-term counseling sessions per incident, per year, as well as access to online and virtual resources. The EAP program also offers job performance referrals, management consultations, critical incident debriefings, financial counseling, legal consultation, home finder services and a breadth of training programs to enhance workplace health and employee effectiveness. The County offers the EAP program to both employees and their dependents as an essential service to help maintain physical and emotional well-being.
The EAP program also provides the County’s First Responder employees with dedicated culturally competent, trauma-trained specialists who treat First Responders who are dealing with challenges unique to the stresses of their jobs.
Claremont Behavioral Services, Inc. (“Claremont”) has been the County’s provider of EAP services since 2020. The County’s current agreement with Claremont expires on December 31, 2024.
DISCUSSION:
In 2024, the Benefits Labor Management Committee issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) and solicited and evaluated proposals from EAP providers to ensure that the County is receiving competitive benefits and services available in the marketplace. The Committee interviewed two RFP finalists and ranked each of their proposals on the following criteria: breadth of services, account management, provider network, intake/referral process, and fees. Based on these criteria, the Committee unanimously agreed that Claremont’s proposal most closely met the County’s needs and recommends that it remain the EAP provider for the County.
Claremont has earned a reputation for access to licensed clinical providers, specialized training, and comprehensive work/life resources and referrals. In 2020, Claremont was acquired by Uprise Health, which helped expand their provider network to include up to 1,950 unique providers and up to 98 specialized First Responder providers in Northern California. The Committee agreed that Claremont is and will remain an effective partner in the County’s efforts to promote the optimal health and well-being of its employees.
The new agreement with Claremont will continue existing EAP services and provide additional enhancements to the existing EAP program at no additional cost to the County. A summary of the benefit enhancements under a new Claremont agreement is included in the table below.
|
New Claremont agreement |
Existing EAP contract |
|
75 training hours per year for the County Wellness program |
50 training hours per year |
|
60 Critical Incident Response hours for workplaces that experience disruptive events |
40 Critical Incident Response hours |
|
A fee of $300 per hour for high trauma departments that purchase 1:1 onsite counseling |
A fee of $325 per hour for departments that purchase 1:1 onsite counseling |
|
Refined reporting tools to allow the County to better understand and manage program utilization |
Limited reporting that does not define utilization as effectively |
County Attorney has reviewed and approved the resolution and agreement as to form.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
2025 Estimate |
2026 Estimate |
2027 Estimate |
|
Timeliness of urgent appointments (within two (2) business days) |
100% |
100% |
100% |
|
Member Satisfaction |
90% |
90% |
90% |
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no net County cost associated with this agreement, as the cost is fully covered by the Benefits Trust Fund. The cost will be $3.10 per employee per month, or approximately $275K annually. The contract also includes a $1500.00 incident to provide specialized services for our First Responders for an estimated total cost of $90K annually. It also offers additional 1:1 in-person counseling for high trauma departments at a rate of $300 per hour, which, based on past utilization, equals an estimated cost of $57K annually.