1. Delegate authority to the Yolo County Procurement Manager to execute agreements with Victor Community Support Services and CommuniCare Health Centers, for the period of March 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021, each in the amount of $100,000, to collaborate with the County of Yolo in developing and implementing a single, coordinated plan for a mobile response system to meet the Family Urgent Response System legislative requirements; and
    
2. Delegate authority to the Director of the Health and Human Services Agency to exercise the monthly optional extensions, in an amount not to exceed $25,000 per month per agreement, for the months of July and August 2021.

The California Department of Social Services (“CDSS”) has allocated funds to support the implementation of the Family Urgent Response System (“FURS”).  FURS is a coordinated statewide, regional, and county-level system designed to provide support to current and former foster youth, as well as their caregivers.  FURS requires county child welfare, probation, and behavioral/mental health agencies to establish a joint county-based mobile response system that includes a mobile response and stabilization team to provide in-person support as needed.  This support also includes a toll-free hotline available 24 hours per day, seven days a week, in order to effectively engage caregivers and children and youth currently or previously in the foster care system who are experiencing tension and conflict in their relationships, emotional distress, or behavioral or other difficulties that may threaten their relationships. Hotline operators will provide immediate assistance over the phone to help defuse conflict and to provide focused engagement and assessment to make a referral to the county mobile response system for further support. 

Yolo County (“County”) is receiving funding from CDSS to meet the FURS requirements and will establish a joint county-based system that includes a mobile response and stabilization team to provide immediate, in-person support 24 hours per day, seven days per week, including during normal business hours.  Counties are required to begin accepting and responding to referrals received from the state-established hotline as of the statewide hotline launch date of March 1, 2021.  Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency (“HHSA”) wishes to contract with CommuniCare and VCSS to collaborate on providing the FURS services with initial short-term agreements for the period of March 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021.  HHSA will subsequently issue RFPs for further longer-term agreements for Fiscal Year 2021-22. 
 
FURS is intended to have multiple positive effects on the lives of children and youth and
caregivers, including:

• Preventing placement disruptions and preserving the relationship between the child or youth and their caregiver.
• Preventing the need for a 911 call or law enforcement involvement and avoiding the criminalization of traumatized youth.
• Preventing psychiatric hospitalization and placement into congregate care; and
• Promoting healing as a family. 
• Preventing foster care reentry for former foster youth.
• Assist foster parents and foster youth to develop and practice skills and strategies that mitigate conflict.

Approval of this request will enable HHSA to expedite processing and approval of the agreements with CommuniCare and VCSS to help ensure that the County’s FURS services are available by the statewide hotline launch on March 1, 2021. 

Performance Measures included in this Agreement are as follows:
Performance measures will be included in the resulting agreements. They are attached hereto as Att. A. Performance Measures.