On April 4, 2017, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors approved the Yolo County’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Three-Year Program and Expenditure Plan for FY 2017-2020.
Included in the MHSA Three-Year Program and Expenditure Plan for FY2017-2020 is the provision for Urban School-Based Mental Health Access and Linkage; and Urban School-Based Mentorship and Strengths-Building Program services, as specified below:
Urban School-Based Mental Health Access and Linkage
As set forth in Yolo County’s MHSA Three-Year Program and Expenditure Plan for FY 2017-2020, most specifically for the Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) component of MHSA, the purpose of the Urban School-Based Access and Linkage Program is to place clinical staff at local schools in the urban districts to provide universal screening, assessment and referral to treatment for children and youth aged 6 to 18, with the goal of identifying children and youth who need mental health services, provide linkages, and supply a warm hand-off.
This program represents a shift in focus from prior urban MHSA PEI programs; whereas the prior program provided brief treatment in the schools, the current program will focus on identifying and understanding a child’s needs and linking the child and his/her family to the appropriate level of mental health service.
The Urban School-Based Access and Linkage Program will provide screening, identification, and referral services for children aged 6-18 in a school-based setting to: 1) provide prompt identification and intervention for potential issues; and 2) provide timely access and coordination for services to address existing issues at appropriate service intensity. Children and youth will be linked to the most suitable services, regardless of funding source or service setting (e.g., county-funded, EPSDT, or school). Contractor will maintain an up-to-date listing of available programs and services across a range of funding sources and maintain relationships with available programs and services in order to smoothly facilitate linkages. Contractor will perform outreach to the community to raise awareness of the program’s purpose and services.
The purpose of this program is to provide a simplified method of assessment and referral of children to the services they need, by placing a referral and access specialist in schools to provide linkage for children and youth aged 6 to 18. The Urban School-Based Access and Linkage Program will not provide clinical services, but will link children, youth and their families to services that help manage and address mental/emotional health concerns when necessary. Wellness Teams will also meet monthly to review current participants and refer new youth, including school administrators, counselors, teachers and staff.
Urban School-Based Mentorship and Strengths-Building Program
As set forth in Yolo County’s MHSA Three-Year Program and Expenditure Plan for FY 2017-2020, most specifically for the Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) component of MHSA, the purpose of the Urban School-Based Mentorship and Strengths-Building Program is to provide evidence-based, culturally responsive services and offer promising practices in outreach and engagement for at-risk children and youth in multiple settings, to build their resiliency and help to mitigate and/or support their mental health experiences. Services will be conducted in settings most familiar to the children and families served. The overall focus will be on teaching children ways to promote their own wellbeing and resiliency, and to provide youth-serving professionals to support resiliency among youth.
The Urban School-Based Mentorship and Strengths-Building Program is intended to serve these functions:
- To provide school- and/or community-based education programs about children’s mental health programs about children’s mental health and relevant children’s mental health issues to children, youth and child-serving agencies;
- To provide school- and/or community-based prevention groups for school-age children;
- To provide after-school mentorship to children and youth.
Those programs operating in local schools are intended to aid teachers and school administrators in developing their skills to recognize when children and youth may need to be assessed for mental health treatment needs. The Mentorship and Strengths-Building Program does not provide clinical services, but will engage the Access and Linkage Program to provide linkages/referrals when necessary.
On April 19, 2017, Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) from qualified community based organizations to provide Urban School-Based Mental Health Access and Linkage; and Urban School-Based Mentorship and Strengths-Building Program services.
HHSA received one proposal from this solicitation. The proposal submitted by Victor Community Support Services, Inc. was evaluated and determined to meet all the required qualifications necessary to successfully provide these services. The following chart provides a summary of the RFP evaluation criteria:
Request for Proposals Service Requested:
Urban School-Based Mental Health Access and Linkage; and Urban School-Based Mentorship and Strengths-Building Program services
Evaluation criteria included in Request for Proposals:
· Company Overview (20 points)
· Experience and Past Performance (30 points)
· Responsiveness/Responsibility (10 points)
· Proposer’s Approach to Project (200 points)
· Pricing Requirements (30 points)
· Quality Assurance and Oversight (20 points)
· Output and Outcome Measures (40 points)
· Financial Information (Pass/Fail)
Bids received: |
| Victor Community Support Services, Inc. |
$1,350,000 ($450,000 per fiscal year) |
The performance measures included in this agreement are as follows:
| Urban School-Based Mental Health Access and Linkage Program |
| Program Purpose |
To provide universal screening, assessment and referral to treatment for children and youth aged 6 to 18, with the goal of identifying children and youth who need mental health services, (and their family members, where appropriate) provide linkages, and supply a warm hand-off.
|
| PM 1: How much did we do? |
| Children/Youth/ Family Served |
|
| PM 1.1 |
- Number of children, youth and family members receiving Universal Outreach/Engagement services specifically for Access and Linkage Program.
|
| PM 1.2 |
- Number of services provided to children, youth and family members, including direct mental health triage and referral; risk assessment; brief intervention and linkage services.
|
| PM 1.3 |
- Number and rate of children, youth, and family members referred to a mental health service provider.
|
| PM 2: How well did we do it? |
| PM 2.1 |
- Number and rate of routine mental health triage services provided within seven (7) calendar days of request for service .
|
PM 2.2
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- Number and rate of urgent mental health triage services provided within forty-eight (48) hours of request for service.
|
PM 2.3
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- Number of Access and Linkage Services provided in the child, youth or family member’s preferred language.
|
| PM 3: Is anyone better off? (Requires follow-up inquiry 30 and 90 days post-referral.) |
PM 3.1
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- Number and rate of referred children, youth and family members who received at least one mental health service from the referred provider.
|
PM 3.2
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- Of the children/youth who participated in recommended services, how many reported improvement in overall mental health symptoms.
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PM 3.3
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- Of the family members who participated in recommended services, how many reported improvement in child/youth’s family circumstance.
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| Urban School-Based Mentorship and Strengths-Building Program |
| Program Purpose |
To provide evidence-based, culturally responsive services and offer promising practices in outreach and engagement for at-risk children and youth in multiple settings, to provide mentorship opportunities, build their resiliency and help to mitigate and/or support their mental health experiences. |
Answer each question (under PM 1, 2, 3) for:
A. Outreach and Engagement Services (Universal)
B. Mentorship Program (Selective)
C. Most widely used EBP program for children under 12
D. Most widely used EBP program for children aged 12 to 18. |
| PM 1: How much did we do? |
| Children/Youth/ Family Served |
|
| PM 1.1 |
- How many Children, Youth or Family Members received any service from the Urban School-Based Mentorship and Strengths-Building Program?
- How many Children, Youth or Family Members received this particular service?
|
| PM 2: How well did we do it? |
| PM 2.1 |
- What percentage of Children, Youth or Family Members receiving Outreach/Engagement services engaged services provided by this program?
|
| PM 2.2 |
- What percentage of engaged Children, Youth or Family Members requested additional services (beyond initial participation)?
|
| PM 2.3 |
- How did those Children, Youth or Family Members engaged in this program or service rate the efficacy of the program? (e.g., using a 1-to-5 scale, where 1 is poor; 5 is excellent).
|
| PM 3: Is anyone better off? |
| PM 3.1 |
- Of those Children, Youth or Family Members engaged this service, how many reported improved personal skills, improved school or family circumstances, or feeling better overall?
|
The following is the breakdown of funding for this Agreement:
| Scope of Service |
FY17-18 |
FY18-19 |
FY19-20 |
Total |
| Urban School-Based Mental Health Access and Linkage |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$750,000 |
| Urban School-Based Mentorship and Strengths-Building Program |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$250,000 |
$750,000 |
| Total |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
$500,000 |
$1,500,000 |
|