Memorandum
Date: September 12, 2023
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Crystal Markytan, Director, Social Services
Subject: Consideration of Lake County Department of Social Services (LCDSS) Department Head Authority to Authorize Contracts Between $25,000 to $100,000 for Out-Of-County Wraparound Services Without Board Approval if Contracts are Eligible Under the Master Contract for Wraparound Services
Executive Summary:
Children and youth in foster care can have complex needs due to trauma, current mental health diagnoses, and/or developmental challenges. Relatives and other caregivers often require a high level of support to meet these youth's needs, and to stabilize the youth's placement in the home. Without this support, youth are at risk of placement in a more restrictive setting (congregate care), and placement disruption can happen quickly. Lake County CWS has a contract with RCS for Wraparound services for youth placed in Lake or Mendocino County. However, youth with high level needs may be placed out-of-county and CWS needs the ability to quickly contract with wraparound service providers in the community in which the youth resides to ensure that the youth and the family receive the needed support without delay.
On February 9, 2018, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 - Public Law (P.L.) 115-123 which includes the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) was signed into law. It requires access to family-based aftercare services to children for at least six months post-discharge from a Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) to support youth and help stabilize the new placement. These required aftercare services have been equated to wraparound services.
The contract initiation and bidding process can take several months to complete, but in these cases, expediency of services is imperative, LCDSS is respectfully requesting that the Lake County Board of Supervisors approve a Master Contract for out-of-county Wr...
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