Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Louise F. Rogers, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Jei Africa, Director, Behavioral Health, and Recovery Services
Subject: Authorizing the Chief of San Mateo County Health or Designee to Execute Agreements with Four Local Community-Based Organizations for Four Mental Health Services Act Innovation Programs
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing the Chief of San Mateo County Health, or designee(s) to execute agreements and amendments with four local community-based organizations to pilot four Mental Health Services Act programs, for the terms specified in Attachment A, where three programs are for the term of August 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, and one for the term of August 1, 2023, through June 30, 2027, for a combined amount not to exceed $5,492,440.
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BACKGROUND:
In January 2023, San Mateo County Health, Behavioral Health, and Recovery Services (BHRS) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking proposals from qualified providers to pilot the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Innovation (INN) projects. These projects will pilot best practices in behavioral health care services that have been vetted by local MHSA stakeholders and the Behavioral Health Commission and approved by the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission.
On February 14, 2023, this Board approved an amendment to the San Mateo County MHSA Annual Update for FY 2022-23 to include the INN project plans and expenditures.
The four MHSA INN projects are:
1) Adult Residential In-home Support Element (ARISE): the ARISE program creates a model for residential in-home services to support clients with a serious mental illness (SMI) and/or substance use disorder (SUD) who are at risk of losing their housing. Residential in-home support workers-approved in-home support services (IHSS) providers-will be provided with specialized training for working with SMI and/or SUD clients in collaboration with a peer support staff and occupational therapist.
2) Mobile Behavioral Health Services for Farmworkers: the program will provide direct behavioral health mobile services and wraparound resources in Spanish to farmworkers and their families. It integrates cultural arts practices as a pathway for engaging farmworkers and their families with formal clinical behavioral health services spanning prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery.
3) Music Therapy for Asians/Asian Americans: this project will provide music therapy as a culturally responsive approach for Asian/Asian Americans to reducing stigma, increasing behavioral health literacy, and promoting linkages to behavioral health services and building protective factors to prevent behavioral health challenges and crises.
4) Recovery Connection Drop-In Center: the center will provide drop-in services for individuals with substance use challenges or co-occurring substance use and mental health challenges at all stages of their recovery, from pre-contemplative to maintenance and enhancement. The Recovery Connection will center around Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) programming, use a peer support model, provide linkages as needed and serve as a training center to expand capacity countywide.
INN projects are three to five-year pilot programs to develop new best practices in behavioral health care services. The four approved INN projects will make changes to existing behavioral health practices to improve the quality of the services or engage a hard-to-reach population. The projects align with BHRS’s MHSA Three-Year Plan and were proposed by community stakeholders and designed in collaboration with BHRS.
DISCUSSION:
In March 2023, a selection committee evaluated the RFP proposals submitted and have selected for recommendation the following agencies for the provision of these MHSA INN project services:
1) Mental Health Association of San Mateo County (MHASMC) has been selected to implement the ARISE program for the period of August 1, 2023 through June 30, 2026, in an amount not-to-exceed $990,000. MHASMC has a long and extensive history of providing quality services to BHRS in the same project area of work and has been instrumental in identifying new or emerging needs in the community and in developing programs that meet these needs. MHASMC annually serves more than 800 unduplicated individuals across all programs, and as result, staff are extremely knowledgeable and have extensive experience on working with BHRS’ most complex programs and clients.
2) Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS) has been selected to provide the Mobile Behavioral Health Services for Farmworkers program for the period of August 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $1,455,000. ALAS has a strong existing partnership with farm owners and the Latinx community. ALAS has an established history with the project target population serving this vulnerable community in a culturally responsive manner, addressing social determinants and direct care needs. In 2022, ALAS launched three new initiatives that include Mobile health and wellness, in partnership with Life Science Care, to provide social services and education to our hardest to reach farm worker families.
3) North East Medical Services (NEMS) has been selected to provide the Music Therapy program for the period of August 1, 2023 through June 30, 2026, in an amount not to exceed $775,000. NEMS is one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Centers targeting the medically underserved, low-income, and uninsured/underinsured Asian population in the San Francisco Bay Area and is very well established and known to the Chinese community. NEMS has the specialty in providing care for Asians/Asian Americans that can make a positive impact on the 235,000 residents (31.8%) in San Mateo County who identify as Asian.
4) Voices of Recovery (VORSMC) San Mateo County has been selected to provide services for the Recovery Connection Drop-In Center program, for the period of August 1, 2023, through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $2,272,440. VORSMC’s Recovery Connection is in strong alignment with all MHSA Core Values. VORSMC collaborates closely with participants and family members, nonprofit organizations, and BHRS to share information and resources on recovery services and supports, and to create a seamless experience for participants as they navigate through a complex network of recovery services. VORSMC has strong relationships with and deep knowledge of the communities BHRS supports throughout San Mateo County.
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 agreements and resolution have been reviewed and approved by the County Attorney as to form.
It is anticipated that 90% of the unduplicated clients will receive MHSA INN support services.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
FY 2023-24 Estimated |
FY 2024-25 Projected |
|
Percentage of unduplicated clients that receive MHSA INN support services served |
90% 387 of 430 unduplicated clients* |
90% 715 of 795 unduplicated clients |
*Year 1 includes 3-6-month startup activities; full project scope and clients served to begin FY 2024-25.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of the MHASMC, ALAS and NEMS agreements is August 1, 2023, through June 30, 2026, and the term of the VORSMC agreement is August 1, 2023, through June 30, 2027. The total amount of the agreements is not to exceed $5,492,440 in aggregate. $1,551,157 is included in the BHRS FY 2023-24 Recommended Budget. Of that amount, 100% will be funded by the MHSA Innovation component, with no associated Net County Cost. Similar arrangements will be in place for subsequent years.