This week the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors vectored over $53.13 million toward the provision of mental health related services throughout the county over the next several years.
That action was taken in keeping with recommendations made by Veronica Kelley, the director of San Bernardino County’s Behavioral Health Department.

Veronica Kelley

The board approved contracts with six entities for the provision of so-called family resource center services, in an amount not to exceed $16,750,000, for the period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2023, including a pact with the Ontario-Montclair School District, in the amount of $2.375 million; a deal with Pacific Clinics, in the amount of $2.125 million; a stipulation with Rim Family Services, in the amount of $1,875,000; a covenant with Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc., in the amount of $1.75 million; a compact with Valley Star Behavioral Health, Inc., in the amount of $2.375 million; and a commitment with Victor Community Support Services, Inc., in the amount of $6,250,000.
The board approved a $500,000 increase to an existing contract it already had with Riverside–San Bernardino County Indian Health, Incorporated for the provision of Native American resource center program services, an adjustment from the previously agreed-to $1,590,000 to $2,090,000, for the total contract period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2019.
The board of supervisors signed off on exercising the last option to extend the existing county contract with Star View Behavioral Health, Inc. that has been in place since July 1, 2014 for the provision of specialty mental health services for children and youth in residential placement who have complex diagnoses and require a high level of treatment, raising the total contract amount by $1.3 million from $3.5 million to $4.8 million, effective July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. In 2018-19, the Department of Behavioral Health anticipates that Star View’s two facilities will serve up to eight clients per year at an estimated cost of $162,500 per child/youth.
The board approved an amendment to its existing memorandum of understanding with the Superior Court by which it will extend an ongoing contract related to the function of “drug court” program it has by one year, from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019, at a cost of $181,168. That additional money, added to the $905,840 paid from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2018 will bring the total contract amount paid over the six-year period to $1,087,008. Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, the Department of Behavioral Health provides funding to the Superior Court for reimbursement of costs for one treatment court coordinator, a portion of one court account clerk and related court and treatment expenses. The treatment court coordinator provides oversight of the drug court program, coordinates and plans agendas and acts as the liaison between the drug court team and Department of Behavioral Health to collect and report financial, statistical, progress information and outcome data as required by funding sources. The intention of drug court is to substitute drug use/drug addiction treatment for incarceration in cases involving non-violent substance use offenders.
The board also approved a $293,253 amendment to an existing contract that has been in place since July 1, 2015 with the Superior Court, raising from $879,759 to $1,173,012 the total contract amount for the Superior Court’s mental health counselor to provide consultation, support, and behavioral health liaison services, during the period from July 1, 2018 until July 30, 2019, to clients who are involuntarily placed in acute psychiatric hospitals and have interactions with the courts.
The board of supervisors on Tuesday also approved $329,528 in amendments to three existing contracts that have been in place since July 1, 2015 for the provision of substance abuse disorder transitional housing supportive services, upping the total amount to be paid for those services during the four year period from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2019 from $988,584 to $1,318,112. Thus, Inland Valley Drug and Alcohol Recovery Services will have its contract amount increased by $136,875, from the $410,625 it has received so far to $547,500; New Hope Village, Inc.’s contract will be boosted by $38,370, from $115,110 to $153,480; and St. John of God Health Care Services, paid $462,849 so far, will receive another $154,283, for a total of $617,132.
The board of supervisors extended by one year the existing contract it had with Social Science Services, Inc., doing business as Cedar House Life Change Center, to provide residential recovery services for adults with co-occurring mental health and/or substance use disorders, agreeing to pay $953,130 during the next fiscal year, raising the total Cedar House is to get for delivering the services from the $3,485,775 it has already been remunerated to $4,438,905, for the total contract period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2019.
The board of supervisors increased by $100,000 the $265,000 Children’s Fund, Inc. has received since July 1, 2014 to support Department of Behavioral Health child and youth programs and supportive services, extending the contract from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019, bringing to $365,000 the amount to be paid to it over a five year period.
The board of supervisors approved increasing by $1,535,500 the total contract amounts the county has with two entities for the provision of one-stop transitional age youth center services. That contract change will apply to the upcoming July 1, 2018-to-June 30, 2019 fiscal year, increasing the $4,606,500 previously paid under those contracts to $6,142,000, for the contract period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2019. Valley Star Behavioral Health, Inc., which has already been paid $2.19 million will receive $730,000 in 2018-19, for a total of $2,920,000. Victor Community Support Services will see its contract amount escalated by $805,500, from $2,416,500 to $3,222,000.
The board of supervisors also extended the contract it had with Mental Health Systems, Inc. for one-stop transitional age youth center services since July 29, 2015 another year, effective July 1, 2018. Mental Health Systems, Inc. has taken in $5,193,498 on that contract so far. It will be paid $1,731,166 over the July 1, 2018-to-June 30, 2019 period, bringing to $6,924,664 it will realize for the total contract running from July 28, 2015 through June 30, 2019.
The county board of supervisors extended, effective May 22, 2018, the existing $3,627,883 contract with Lighthouse Social Service Centers to provide family stabilization rapid re-housing services, which first actuated on March 1, 2015, until June 30, 2019. This will up by $1,392,193 the amount Lighthouse has already received, bringing to a total of $5,020,076 the amount it will realize under the arrangement from March 1, 2015 through June 30, 2019.
The board of supervisors this week approved the purchase and distribution of prepaid bus passes to provide state mandated and court ordered support services to eligible Department of Behavioral Health clients, in an amount not to exceed $119,762, for the period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. Those passes are meant to assure that the patients will be able to attend scheduled appointments with physicians and clinicians.
The board of supervisors this week approved transferring from the Children and Families Commission for San Bernardino County $26,250,000 to the Department of Behavioral Health, for the period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2023, as reimbursement of services provided through the 0–5 Comprehensive Treatment Services program. The 0-5 Comprehensive Treatment Services program consists of two programs: the Screening, Assessment, Referral, and Treatment (SART) and the Early Identification and Intervention Services (EIIS) programs. The Screening, Assessment, Referral, and Treatment program provides services to children ages 0-5 who have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; experienced premature birth, poor maternal nutrition, or prenatal exposure to alcohol or other drugs; family violence; family substance abuse; maternal mental illness; or been involved in the foster care system. The Early Identification and Intervention Services program provides services to children/youth ages 0–9 who struggle with social-emotional disturbances or display developmental concerns that require less intensive, short-term interventions. The $26,250,000 is to be provided in $5,250,000 increments annually for the 0-5 Comprehensive Treatment Services program services, providing a minimum of 2,250 at-risk children with the Screening, Assessment, Referral, and Treatment program services at a cost of approximately $4,579 per child and a minimum of 2,250 at-risk children in the Early Identification and Intervention Services program at a cost of $2,950 per child. The remainder of the revenue will reimburse Department of Behavioral Health for administrative costs.
The board of supervisors approved a $1.7 million amendment to a contract with Telecare Corporation for the provision of assertive community treatment team case management services to seriously and persistently mentally ill adults, exercising the last option to extend the contract, effective July 1, 2018. The amendment increases the contract, in place since July 1, 2014, from $6,800,000 to $8,500,000.
–Mark Gutglueck