The Department requests authorization to extend the contract with Conard House, Inc. for the provision of supportive services for the period of July 1, 2003 through Sept 30, 2003. The total contract will not to exceed $1,285,731. This Program is funded 94% by County dollars and 6% by State funding through the Department of Public Health. This three-month extension will allow the Department to conduct a competitive bidding process while allowing services to continue at Conard House.
BACKGROUND AND SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
The Department has contracted with Conard House to provide representative payee services, case management, and housing outreach services for the past 12 years. They have carried a caseload of over 500 clients, many of whom have received their services for many years. During this period, the Conard program model evolved in response to the needs of its clients, resulting in an innovative blend of case management and representative payee services. As the program changed, however, it was no longer clear if the clients being served were the ones that the Department would prioritize. Clients come to Conard either through self-referral or through other community based agencies, not through the Department.
While Conard consistently met the contract objectives, the Department needed to reassess the services and the clientele served under this contract. The Department undertook an assessment of the services in lieu of monitoring the objectives listed in the contract.
During the last year, the Department's Planning unit worked with the Conard staff to assess the needs of its clients. The assessment reflected that 86% of Conard's clients were in stable housing, and most had been in stable housing for two years or more. Eighty six percent needed only occasional assistance or less with their money management. All Conard clients have psychiatric disorders, which make them eligible for SSI or other disability benefits, and their needs are ongoing, but 71% were compliant with taking their medications and were at least marginally stable. Moreover, some of the clients received services from other sources, including supported housing programs. Other clients are likely eligible for Medi-Cal funding of their case management. The Department has initiated a discussion with Conard and the San Francisco Department of Public Health about the potential and the logistics for serving the current Conard clients through Medi-Cal.
The Department has decided to invest in serving persons with psychiatric disabilities who are currently in shelter. It is re-designing its homeless shelter system to emphasize entries into permanent housing, and to support this vision, the Department will release an RFP seeking services that help homeless persons who have psychiatric disabilities and are staying in emergency shelters. It will seek the following:
_ Intensive case management services aimed at helping individuals with disabilities, or who otherwise face barriers to housing, to exit shelter and enter permanent housing. These barriers can include mental health symptoms or substance abuse issues that disrupt functioning or create episodic crises.
_ Representative payee services for individuals receiving SSI, SSA, VA or other public benefits;
_ SSI advocacy services for individuals who appear to be eligible for SSI benefits, but because of their disability, are having difficulty completing the application process.
The Department RFP will also seek supportive case management for clients who are currently receiving case management services, but who have been housed for one year or more and have the potential to transition to lesser levels of service, to other systems of care, or to become independent. This flexibility will allow for a successful transition of the current clients.
The Department is requesting a three-month extension to maintain existing services during the RFP process. Appendix A, Scope of Services is unchanged for this three-month period but is attached for reference.
FUNDING
The attached budget shows the Department funded portion for Conard's support services as well as funding from the work order from the Department of Public Health. The State funding from the Department of Public Health partially funds one case manager. There are no other changes to the budget.
Attachments
Request for Authorization
Appendix A, Scope of Services
Appendix B, Budget
