COVID-19 is having continued negative impact on contracted providers’ ability to deliver necessary behavioral health services to Contra Costa County youth who are Medi-Cal beneficiaries eligible for entitlement services. Shelter-in-place orders have required a transition from in-person services, to remote delivery of care through use of tele-health. Since many behavioral health services to youth are school-based, the current suspension of in-person classes continues to require more outreach and engagement of children and their families in the community. While the transition to tele-health occurred fairly rapidly there are continued challenges to operations of these non-profit organizations that provide critical services to vulnerable residents of Contra Costa County. The on-going social distancing requirements to prevent disease transmission are essential but do make delivery of critical services extremely challenging and at times not possible.
On March 31, 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved Contract #74–575-3 with Lincoln in an amount not to exceed $2,139,128, to provide mental health services and multi-dimensional family therapy for Seriously Emotionally Disturbed (SED) adolescents and their families for the period from March 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. This Agreement includes a six-month automatic extension through December 31, 2021, in an amount not to exceed $800,864.
On April 28, 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved Amendment Agreement #74-575-4, to modify the rate schedule for the period April 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020, due to COVID-19.
On July 28, 2020, the Board of Supervisors approved Amendment Agreement #74-575-5, to modify the rate schedule for the period July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, due to COVID-19.
On June 8, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved Amendment Agreement #74-575-7, to decrease the payment limit from $2,139,128 to a new payment limit of $1,886,585, with no change in the term of March 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, and to decrease the automatic extension payment limit from $800,864 to a new payment limit of $754,634 through December 31, 2021.
Approval of Amendment #74-575-8 will allow the rate adjustments, applicable to the contract and automatic extension, to provide cash flow and budget predictability and allow the services to continue through December 31, 2021.
If this amendment agreement is not approved, SED adolescents and their families may experience reduced or discontinued behavioral health services.
The recommendation supports the following children's outcome(s):1,2,4 & 5