Title
a. Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services to sign an agreement with Solutions West, Inc. for $647,960 to provide temporary eligibility case workers for the period of September 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018; and
b. Authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services to sign up to three (3) amendments to the agreement where the total amendments do not exceed 10% ($64,796) of the original contract amount, and do not significantly change the scope of work.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services to sign an agreement with Solutions West, Inc. for $647,960 to provide temporary eligibility case workers for the period of September 1, 2017 through June, 30, 2018; and
b. Authorize the Director of the Department of Social Services to sign up to three (3) amendments to the agreement where the total amendments do not exceed 10% ($64,796) of the original contract amount, and do not significantly change the scope of work.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
As a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)/Health Care Reform (HCR), the Monterey County Department of Social Services (DSS) has experienced a 104% increase in Medi-Cal caseload. The pre-ACA caseload in September 2013 was 35,491 and has grown to 72,669 as of June 2017. DSS is facing a backlog of Medi-Cal actions with current permanent staffing unable to meet the workload demand. Through this agreement, Solutions West, Inc. will provide temporary specialized staff to assist DSS in addressing this caseload.
While DSS is continuing to hire and train eligibility workers to manage the workload, the process to recruit and train staff cannot keep pace with the large number of residents requiring assistance. Through prior work with DSS and other California counties, Solutions West has demonstrated their ability to provide skilled temporary local eligibility case workers. Solutions West has staff who understand eligibility rules for the ACA and have developed and provided training on the functionality of the California Healthcare Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System (CalHEERS) automated system.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Department has discussed this agreement with its Labor Management Committee and there is consensus that the additional short-term support it offers will be beneficial to the workforce and the community. The Auditor-Controller and Contract/Purchasing have reviewed and approved this agreement. County Counsel has approved the agreement.
FINANCING:
This agreement is funded by the Medi-Cal and CalFresh allocation. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues in SOC005 are included in the FY 2017-18 Adopted Budget. Approval of this action has no impact on the County General Fund.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
This agreement correlates to the Administration and Health & Human Services Strategic Initiative adopted by the Board of Supervisors by allowing DSS to improve the health and quality of life of Medi-Cal recipients by increasing the Department’s ability to meet the demands of the increased Medi-Cal caseload by utilizing a skilled temporary workforce.
Check the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiatives:
__ Economic Development
X Administration
X Health & Human Services
__ Infrastructure
__Public Safety
Prepared by: Gloria Rivera-Perez, Management Analyst II x4777
Approved by: Elliott Robinson, Director of Social Services, x4430
Attachments: Solutions West Agreement
Proposed agreement is on file with the Clerk of the Board as an attachment to this Board Report