In 2017, the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) was implemented to reduce placing foster children and youth in congregate care and to increase home based placements. The unintended consequences of CCR have greatly impacted child welfare abilities to find suitable placements for youth with acute, complex needs. Many facilities have shifted program models to serve youth with less intensive needs, closed, or are now facing staffing shortages impacting their ability to meet California State Licensing regulations, as well as, experiencing financial crisis. This leaves the County with diminished options for placement of the most vulnerable youth with the most severe behavioral and emotional needs.
Paradise Adolescent Homes, Inc. (Paradise) provides Enhanced Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (ESTRTP) housing and supportive services for youth who cannot live safely in a family home, do not qualify to be placed in a Regional Center facility and/or are denied entry into lower level placements due to acute, complex, emotional and behavioral needs. Paradise offers alternatives to repeated placement disruptions and provides additional staffing, supports and services to house, stabilize, provide treatment, and to ultimately transition youth to less restrictive placements, including with family, resource family homes, or lower level care licensed facilities as part of each youth’s long-term permanency plan.
If approved, Paradise will provide 24 hour per day, 7 days per week residential treatment and supportive services to CFS referred foster youth. This program will provide intensive supportive services utilizing trained, licensed, qualified professionals. Services include, mental health services, trauma-informed intervention, clinical crisis support, psychiatric services, medication assessment/management, therapeutic services, substance abuse education/counseling, anger management, educational support and other enrichment groups (i.e., art, music, dance, cooking classes,). Paradise will collaborate with Contra Costa County Health Services to deliver Behavioral Health services as medically necessary and designated per individual youth treatment plans.
In August 2022, in alignment with County policy, EHSD Children and Family Services issued Request For Interest (RFI) #746 for High Acuity Needs Youth Residential Placement. Three providers responded to RFI #746, one of which has subsequently closed their facility and withdrew their proposal. EHSD sought and received CAO approval on November 10, 2022 to waive the competitive bidding process as identified in Administrative Bulletin 613.0 and pursue contract with the remaining two respondents. Paradise was one of the two remaining providers that responded to RFI #746 and selected for contract. The second of the remaining providers that responded to RFI #746 and selected for contract is still in negotiations.
Contra Costa County will not be able to meet the placement and treatment needs of our high acuity, complex care dependent foster youth, and reduce safety risk and additional trauma for this most vulnerable population with severe emotional and behavioral needs.
The services provided under this contract support all five of Contra Costa County’s community outcomes: (1) “Children Ready for and Succeeding in School”; (2) “Children and Youth Healthy and Preparing for Productive Adulthood”; (3) “Families that are Economically Self-Sufficient”; (4) "Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing"; and (5)"Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families" by providing residential placement services to youth who have been denied placement and/or cannot live safely in lower level care.