HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY - J. RYDINGSWORD
Authorize Health & Human Services Department (HHSA) to participate with the counties of Plumas and Mariposa  in the submission of a joint application for the Small County Whole Person Collaborative, and approve the management consultant contract with Hurst Brooks Espinosa, LLC for maximum of $50,000 to assist in preparation of the grant application. HHSA will act as the lead agency in the administration of the contract.

SBC FILE NUMBER: 130

San Benito County HHSA is working in collaboration with two other small counties, namely Mariposa and Plumas, to form a California Small County Collaborative for the purpose of applying for Whole Person Care (WPC) grants and future grants.

In this case, California’s Medicaid Section 1115 Waiver – named Medi-Cal 2020 – includes a unique pilot project opportunity called Whole Person Care (WPC) to help address the social determinants of health for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.  The overarching goal of the WPC Pilots is the coordination of health, behavioral health and social services to improve beneficiary health and well-being.

The WPC Pilot Projects will allow our counties to collaborate across county systems and with Medi-Cal managed care plans, health providers, social services providers and housing providers to address the needs of persons who are –

·         Homeless.

·         At risk of homelessness.

·         High users of multiple systems

·         Those connected to criminal justice system who need restorative justice solutions.

A second round of WPC grant funding is available from the State Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Applications will be due to DHCS in early March 2017 for a 4-year pilot that will end by December 31, 2020.  For every dollar that a government applicant commits to Whole Person Care, it will be matched with a federal Medicaid dollar. Additionally, the pilot opportunity will allow the county to receive federal match for services typically not eligible for Medi-Cal reimbursement, such as case management, housing supports and respite care.

The Small County Collaborative is working on a joint application that includes a menu of target populations that will be locally tailored by each participating county, including individuals who are high-risk and high utilizers of emergency department services; who have two or more chronic conditions; who have a serious mental illness (SMI) or substance use disorder (SUD); who are homeless or at risk of homelessness; and, who are being released from incarceration.

The Small County Collaborative is designing a programmatic structure that includes core client engagement and care coordination services that will be common across the three counties; and, support services, such as housing, post-hospital discharge and behavioral health services that will be specific to each participating county based upon that county’s designated target populations and local service options. In addition, the Collaborative will work with a range of community partners and implement a common data system to better coordinate services for this complex population.

The HHSA is requesting that the Board authorize San Benito's participation in the collaborative and act as the lead agency in the administration of a management consultant contract with Hurst Brooks Espinosa, LLC to a maximum of $50,000 to assist in preparation of the grant application.  Should funding be awarded the HHSA will bring any agreements and budgetary documents to the Board for final approval.

1) Authorize Health & Human Services Department (HHSA) to participate with the County of Plumas and Mariposa in submitting a joint application for the Small County Whole Person Collaborative and;

2) Approve the consultant contract with Hurst Brooks Espinosa, LLC for a maximum amount of $50,000, with HHSA to act as the lead agency in the administration of the contract.