Subject:
Title
Letter of cancellation for the Funding Agreement with Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Inc. d/b/a Eckerd Connects for the Opioid Affected Youth Initiative Grant Program.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval and execution by the County Administrator of the letter to formally cancel the Human Service Funding Agreement with Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Inc. d/b/a Eckerd Connects (Eckerd) for the Opioid Affected Youth Initiative Grant (OAYI) Program for cause.
• This letter serves to memorialize the cancellation of the Funding Agreement with Eckerd for the OAYI program. Effective December 31, 2021, Eckerd will no longer serve as the lead child welfare agency under the Florida Department of Children and Families, and thus will no longer be a provider of child welfare services under the OAYI grant.
• The Human Services Department is also in receipt of a Notice of Termination from Eckerd dated November 5, 2021, and effective December 31, 2021.
• There is no additional fiscal impact as a result of this cancellation. Any unexpended funds from the cancellation of this Agreement will be reallocated within the grant program to new or other current providers.
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Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.1 Provide planning, coordination, prevention, and protective services to ensure a safe and secure community
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener, and purchaser of services for those in need
Deliver First Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.1 Maximize partner relationships and public outreach
5.2 Be responsible stewards of the public’s resources
Summary:
This letter serves to memorialize the cancellation of the Funding Agreement with Eckerd for the OAYI program. Effective December 31, 2021, Eckerd will no longer serve as the lead child welfare agency under the Florida Department of Children and Families. As the Funding Agreement was originally established as a sole-source due to designation as the lead agency, the agency will be in breach of contract as of January 1, 2022. The Human Services Department is also in receipt of a Notice of Termination from Eckerd dated November 5, 2021, and effective December 31, 2021.
Background/Explanation:
Services under the OAYI grant focus on expanded counseling, child health services, prenatal and new parent services, child/parent psychotherapy, visitation services, case management, and mentoring. Eckerd provided Child Safety Parent Coordinators under this grant, and this function will be shifted to the new child welfare lead agency under a new agreement, or allocated to existing program partners.
The goal of the Sixth Judicial Circuit’s Family Treatment Courts is to reduce child maltreatment and support family stability by viewing the children, youth and parents who appear in court through a public health lens by understanding what has happened to them, identifying their needs, and promoting healing and recovery. These alternative justice programs offer substance-abusing parents support, behavioral health treatment, and access to community-based services.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no additional fiscal impact as a result of this cancellation. Any unexpended funds from the cancellation of this Agreement will be reallocated within the grant program to new or other current providers.
Delegated Authority:
Authority for the County Administrator to sign this letter is granted under Code Section 2-62 (a)(1).
Staff Member Responsible:
Karen Yatchum, Director, Human Services
Partners:
US Department of Justice
Pinellas County Sixth Judicial Circuit
Eckerd
Westcare Gulf Coast Florida, Inc.
University of South Florida, Board of Trustees
Adoption Related Services, Inc.
Attachments:
Letter of Cancellation