Subject:
Title
Agreement with Suncoast Center, Inc. for administration of the Human Services Behavioral Health High Utilizer Pilot Program.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approve the agreement with Suncoast Center, Inc. (Suncoast) to administer the Behavioral Health High Utilizer Pilot Program through the Human Services Department.
Contract No. 156-0045-L(JA), in the amount of $964,442.00 from date of full execution by all parties for a one (1) year term, with two (2) optional one (1) year renewals. Renewals will only be executed should the pilot program prove to be successful.
Chairman to sign and Clerk of Court to attest.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener, and purchaser of services for those in need
2.3 Provide comprehensive services to connect our veterans and dependents to the benefits they have earned
2.4 Support programs that seek to prevent and remedy the causes of homelessness and move individuals and families from homelessness to permanent housing
Summary:
The goal of the behavioral health high utilizer pilot program is to better serve individuals with serious behavioral health disorders who are identified as “high utilizers.” It is anticipated the pilot program will greatly reduce the costly cycle of recidivism in jails, hospitals and public Baker Act facilities.
Initially, the target population for the program is a pre-identified subset of thirty-three (33) individuals who are frequent users of County facilities and other public facilities, frequently homeless, have co-occurring behavioral health and medical conditions, and are involved with the criminal justice system. These individuals were the most chronic users of these systems in 2014 and have not had success with being stabilized by providers. Collectively, these individuals spent an estimated 891 days in the hospital, a total of 925 bed-days in the public Baker Act facility, and 3,851 days in jail. Seventy-three percent (73%) of these individuals are homeless. The estimated hospital, behavioral health, and jail costs for these individuals exceeded $2.4 million in 2014. This list will be updated at the beginning of the pilot.
Suncoast will coordinate, and in cooperation with other community provider agencies, will provide all required services in accordance with the pilot model, as developed by the Pinellas County Health and Human Services Leadership Board work group. Services include, but are not limited to, establishing a behavioral health pilot team to engage and serve identified clients, develop service collaborations to meet the needs of clients, ensure clients are housed, receiving treatment, and have access to the supportive services necessary to help stabilize within the community.
Background Information:
The pilot program was initially released as a request for proposal which netted one (1) responsive proposal. Subsequently the sole proposal was rejected by the County Administrator on October 12, 2015. Staff determined that due to the “pilot” nature of the program, it may be more prudent to release a Letter of Interest (LOI) without the standard terms and conditions to entice other providers into the process.
Five (5) LOIs were received, and upon department review, with assistance from agencies within the homeless service community, Suncoast was determined to be the most effective choice for leadership of the program. Subsequent negotiation with Suncoast has provided the agreement presented for consideration.
Fiscal Impact:
The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners appropriated $964,442.00 for FY2016 to initiate the Behavioral Health High Utilizer Pilot Program. Funding for the initial pilot is allocated as follows:
Annual estimated personnel costs $474,005.00
Annual estimated incidental costs $355,823.00
Annual estimated operating costs $ 46,937.00
Annual estimated administrative costs $ 87,677.00
Annual estimated total costs $964,442.00
Funding derived from the Human Services’ budget (general fund).
Staff Member Responsible:
Lourdes Benedict, Director of Human Services
Joe Lauro, Purchasing Director
Partners:
Boley Centers will co-administer the program with Suncoast as the lead agency. It is anticipated that numerous homeless service agencies, including those who also submitted letters of interest, will partner in the development and process of the program.
Attachments:
Final Agreement
Doing Things Model for Behavioral Health Pilot