Memorandum
Date: July 26, 2022
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Crystal Markytan, Director Lake County Social Services
Subject: a) Approve Purchase of mandated client services described as after care services with Evolve Youth Services and authorize Director of Social Services or her designee to issue a purchase order in an amount not to exceed $34,000.
Executive Summary:
LCDSS, Child Welfare Services (CWS) is mandated to place dependents of the Juvenile Court in the least restrictive environment available and to provide the supportive services that are needed to maintain that placement.
An LCDSS foster youth was transitioned from a Short Term Residential Placement (STRTP) to a resource home in Humboldt County where he is living with a half sibling. All previous placements of this youth had been unsuccessful with the exception of the high-level (STRTP) at the cost of $15,281 per month. This permanent placement will allow the siblings to remain together and requires the support of extensive outside services, which are available through Evolve, a non-profit organization already working with the sibling in the home. This placement was determined to be in the best interest of the aforementioned foster youth.
At the time of this initial placement in August 2021, the state had not set rates for aftercare services so CWS worked with the facility to develop a cost for the package of services to be delivered on a monthly basis. Once the State’s expectation and rate system was set, Evolve sent an invoice for the months of August 2021 to February 2022. The Board approved the purchase order for these services on June 28th 2022.
Typically, the non-discretionary nature of these services are billed on a monthly basis and would fall far below the amount requiring BOS approval. However, due to the extenuating circumstances described above, LCDSS must pay for services rendered for the months of March 2022 through June 2022 at the monthly rate of $8,500 for a total of $34,000. The back payment owed exceeds Department purchasing authority limits and does require BOS approval. These services are consistent with dependency court mandates requiring placement in the least restrictive environment possible and prevents an STRTP placement at a cost of $15,281 per month.
LCDSS anticipates additional monthly invoices from July 2022 through January 2023. LCDSS is currently creating a contract for these essential services due to their ongoing nature and that they will be provided to an individual client.
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Recommended Action: a) Approve Purchase of mandated client services described as after care services with Evolve Youth Services and authorize Director of Social Services or her designee to issue a purchase order in an amount not to exceed $ 34,000.