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: Agreement with Telecare Corporation for Crisis Hotline and Mobile Crisis Response Team Dispatch Services
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with Telecare Corporation for crisis hotline and mobile crisis response team dispatch services, for the term of August 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $3,785,551.
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BACKGROUND:
California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) issued a Behavioral Health Information Notice (BHIN) 23-025 in June 2023, mandating all California counties to implement a Medi-Cal Mobile Crisis Services Benefit providing 24/7/365 community-based mobile crisis intervention services for all ages experiencing a crisis. Furthermore, BHIN 23-025 has issued a required standard Triage Assessment Tool for a county crisis call line to determine deployment of the mobile crisis response team (MCRT), among other standard tools. The above BHIN also provided guidance that the call line can be the designated county crisis line or the county ACCESS line for their behavioral health services.
San Mateo County launched its MCRT in May 2024 with StarVista Crisis Call Center providing 24/7 crisis hotline services and MCRT screening/deployment services. Telecare Corporation (Telecare) has been the MCRT response team. Since the unexpected closure of StarVista at the end of July, the call line services have been temporarily provided by Felton Institute on a short-term transitional basis. It is paramount for efficiency, consistency, and accountability that the call line deployment service is provided by the same provider who responds to these crisis calls.
DISCUSSION:
StarVista, the former provider of the 24/7 county crisis call line and dispatch of MCRT, ceased operations effective August 1, 2025. Due to this unforeseen closure, and as we explore potential solutions, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) requests to waive the solicitation process to transfer StarVista’s services for crisis hotline and mobile crisis response team dispatch services to Telecare Corporation due to (1) Telecare being the current provider for MCRT responses and having demonstrated excellent quality of care, meeting all requirements of the State mandates; and (2) Telecare having experience providing the 24/7 phone line assessment and MCRT triage services in several other counties, including San Diego and Stanislaus.
This agreement will enable BHRS to contract with Telecare for the necessary required services for crisis hotline and mobile crisis response team dispatch services to support our clients and communities in San Mateo County. This agreement will also include dispatch of 24/7 MCRT services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries of all ages in accordance with current State requirements.
BHRS is requesting that this Board waive the requirement for the Request for Proposals process due to the emergency nature and contract with Telecare Corporation for the continuous service delivery of crisis hotline and mobile crisis response team dispatch services. The plan for services going forward from October 2027 would be to issue a competitive Request for Proposals no later than March 2027 and make an award in October 2027.
A waiver request was reviewed by County Procurement, which recommended submission to this Board for approval.
The resolution contains the County’s standard provision allowing amendment of the County’s fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 (in aggregate).
The agreement and resolution have been reviewed and approved by the County Attorney as to form.
This agreement is late due to the unexpected closure of StarVista and extended negotiations with Telecare.
It is anticipated that 100% of crisis calls for which a completed suicide is deterred for 48 hours of the call will be supported by the crisis hotline, 100% of crisis callers determined to be eligible for 100% in-person MCRT support will have an immediately dispatched MCRT response team using required communication, and 100% of Family Urgent Response Services (FURS) calls will be offered and triaged to the MCRT for an in-person response.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2025-26 Estimated |
FY 2026-27 Projected |
|
Percentage of crisis calls for which a completed suicide is deterred for 48 hours of the call supported by the crisis hotline. |
100% |
100% |
|
Percent of crisis callers determined to be eligible for 100% in-person MCRT support and immediately dispatching MCRT response team using required communication. |
100% |
100% |
|
Percent of FURS calls offered and triaged to the MCRT for an in-person response. |
100% |
100% |
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Services provided by this contract will positively impact the emotional well-being, psychological stability, and safety of our residents. These services 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 the County, in a compassionate, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and timely manner. Services provided will include crisis de-escalation, individualized support to achieve safety, and follow-ups to continue stabilization and connection to longer-term services.
In addition to fulfilling the State’s mandate, the need for these services is substantiated by significant data:
• 200 individuals per 100,000 will experience a crisis on a monthly basis that requires a service level more acute than can be accommodated by outpatient services or a phone intervention (National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention).
“Suicide is an urgent and growing public health crisis. More than 49,000 people in the United States died by suicide in 2022. That’s one death every 11 minutes!” (US Department of Health and Human Services’ 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention).
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the agreement is August 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027. The amount of the agreement is not to exceed $3,785,551 for the two-year term. Funds in the amount of $2,008,604 are included in the BHRS FY 2025-26 Recommended Budget. The Mental Health Service Act will fund $1,229,254 and Net County Cost will fund $474,750. Similar arrangements will be made for FY 2026-27.