Title
a. Approve and authorize the Director of Health Services or designee to execute a retroactive non-standard Participation Agreement No. 14715-MONT-CRED-28_29 between the County of Monterey and California Mental Health Services Authority, for the provision of County Mental Health Plan credentialing services, for a total Agreement amount not to exceed $55,099 for the term March 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028; and
b. Approve and authorize the Director of Health Services or designee to approve up to three future amendments that do not exceed 10% ($5,509) of the original Agreement amount, do not significantly change the scope of work, and the total agreement amount does not exceed $60,609.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the County of Monterey Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve and authorize the Director of Health Services or designee to execute a retroactive non-standard Participation Agreement No. 14715-MONT-CRED-28_29 between the County of Monterey and California Mental Health Services Authority, for the provision of County Mental Health Plan credentialing services, for a total Agreement amount not to exceed $55,099 for the term March 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028; and
b. Approve and authorize the Director of Health Services or designee to approve up to three future amendments that do not exceed 10% ($5,509) of the original Agreement amount, do not significantly change the scope of work, and the total agreement amount does not exceed $60,609.
SUMMARY:
This Participation Agreement No. 14715-MONT-CRED-28_29 is seeking Board approval due to its non-standard template. This Participation Agreement shall enable the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) to provide California County Mental Health Plan (MHP) credentialing and recredentialing services for the County of Monterey Behavioral Health Bureau through June 30, 2028.
DISCUSSION:
The County of Monterey Behavioral Health Bureau is required to comply with California County Mental Health Plan (MHP) credentialing and recredentialing requirements as per the Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS) Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services (MHSUDS) Information Notice (IN) Number 18-019: Provider Credentialing and Recredentialing for MHP and Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS), and the DHCS Behavioral Health (BH) IN Number 22-070: Parity Requirements for DMC State Plan Counties.
Board action on February 10, 2009, approved and authorized County of Monterey Department of Health to participate as a member of the CalMHSA Joint Power Authority to jointly develop and fund mental health services and education programs. Any services performed by CalMHSA on behalf of its members are entered into upon execution of a specific Participation Agreement. CalMHSA has entered into agreement with National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) certified Credentials Verification Organization (CVO), to support member county MHP credentialing and recredentialing needs. Participation Agreement No. 14715-MONT-CRED-28_29 will enable the CalMHSA to provide California County MHP credentialing and recredentialing services for the County of Monterey Behavioral Health Bureau through June 30, 2028.
This agreement is retroactive due to contractor negotiations between CalMHSA and their NCQA CVO vendor impacting the timeliness of Participation Agreement No. 14715-MONT-CRED-28_29 being drafted for review by Behavioral Health. A March 1, 2026 effective date will ensure continuity of services with the prior CalMHSA Participation Agreement for credentialing and recredentialing services that termed out February 28, 2026.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT/COMMITTEE ACTIONS:
The Offices of the County Counsel and Auditor-Controller have reviewed and approved as to legal form and fiscal provisions, respectively.
FINANCING:
This Agreement is funded by Realignment. The funds for this Agreement are included in the Health Department Behavioral Health Bureau (HEA012, Unit 8410) Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-26 Adopted Budget, and shall be included in the Health Department Behavioral Health Bureau (HEA012, Unit 8410) Budgets for Fiscal Years (FY) 2026-27 and 2027-28.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS:
The recommended action supports the Board of Supervisors' Strategic Plan Goals of Well-Being and Quality of Life by ensuring the County MHP and DMC-ODS plans comply with state and federal requirements for uniform provider credentialing. Participation in this CalMHSA credentialing program accelerates the speed and accuracy of provider credentialing, to result in more timely and cost-effective delivery of mental health and substance use disorder services.
Mark a check next to the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Plan Goals:
X Well-Being and Quality of Life
____ Sustainable Infrastructure for the Present and Future
____ Safe and Resilient Communities
____ Diverse and Thriving Economy
Prepared by: Wesley Schweikhard, Management Analyst II, 755-4865
Approved by: Elsa Mendoza Jimenez, Director of Health Services, 755-4526
Attachments:
Board Report
Participation Agreement No.14715-MONT-CRED-28_29