Attachment A4a.docx

ATTACHMENT A4a CATEGORY 4: Supplemental Residential Care Facilities

CATEGORY 4: SUPPLEMENTAL RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITIES

BASIC SUPPLEMENTAL RESIDENTIAL CARE SERVICES

Scope of Work Purpose The County of Santa Clara (County) Behavioral Health Services Department (BHSD) is seeking statements of qualifications from qualified Offerors interested in providing enhanced individualized services in addition to standard Residential Care Facility (RCF) services. These services shall be provided to adults and older adults diagnosed with a severe mental illness (SMI) whose level of functioning, symptoms, or psychiatric history necessitates services.

Supplemental RCF services shall be provided to clients diagnosed with a SMI and living in a licensed residential care facility. These services shall serve clients with significant behavioral challenges, limited social skills, poor self-regulation skills, thought disorders, and/ or nursing complexities that prevent them from living in the least restrictive settings.

Target Population A. The program shall serve adults (ages 18-59) and older adults (60 and older) who are residents of Santa Clara County.

B. All clients shall meet the following criteria:

1. Diagnosed with a SMI;

2. Have severe functional impairments meeting requirements for a regular licensed RCF; and

3. Have been recommended for a community placement but continues to need a highly structured licensed care home.

C. Clients may have supplemental security income (SSI) that pays for basic board-and-care costs.

D. The population to be served shall include, but may not be limited to the following (See Attachment F for specific rates and levels of service):

1. Clients with psychiatric issues and significant co-morbid medical conditions, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), obesity, and diabetes.

2. Clients who have significant behavioral challenges, limited social skills, dual diagnoses, impaired or unable to attend to independent living skills, poor self-regulation skills, thought disorders, and/or nursing complexities that prevent them from living in the least restrictive settings.

3. Clients who are chronically mentally ill with behaviors that may require 1:1 supervision due to a history of wandering/Absent Without Leave (AWOL), traumatic brain injury (TBI) or non-medication adherence. In addition, the Offeror shall be expected to provide services to clients who require assistance with activities of daily living (ADL), hygiene/grooming, supportive behavioral interventions, medication management. and/or some level of nursing care.

4. High risk clients or clients that continue to show that they are unable to function in an independent setting due to their medical and psychiatric conditions.

5. Clients at inpatient or acute hospitals with behaviors or conditions that have shown effectiveness to recovery and rehabilitative options when supplemental services are available.

6. Clients who have a developmentally delayed condition, monolingual speaking, difficult to place, deaf or hard of hearing who require additional RCF services.

7. Clients identified as meeting criteria for RCF services may or may not have SSI benefits or any other types of supplemental income.

E. Clients whose mental illness requires a sub-acute level of care, as well as clients suffering exclusively from developmental disability, mental retardation, or physical illnesses alone (without a psychiatric component) shall not be considered for admission.

Program Goals and Objectives A. The program shall be aligned to achieve the following goals and objectives:

Goals shall include, but not be limited to:

Reduce the utilization of acute inpatient psychiatric hospitalization or visits to Emergency Psychiatric Services (EPS) and the Emergency Department (ED) by stabilizing both behavioral and medical symptoms.

Facilitate rehabilitation that focuses on maximizing the client’s level of functioning in the community.

Provide a homelike and therapeutic environment for clients who are experiencing medical and behavioral health challenges. The goal is for clients to move towards their potential in their physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Objectives shall be achieved by:

a. Assist clients who are in the diagnostic spectrum, including psychotic disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Clients may have a secondary diagnosis of developmental disability or drug and alcohol-related conditions.

b. Provide a home-like and therapeutic environment for clients who are experiencing medical and behavioral health challenges with the goal of moving clients towards their physical, mental, and spiritual/emotional health potential.

c. Assist the County in efficiently and effectively managing limited resources by providing an alternative to utilization of state hospital days and acute hospital administrative days.

d. Increase the client’s motivational and self-restoration skills.

e. Prevent or decrease the rate of decompensation, thus reducing placements at higher, more costly levels of care.

f. Provide the intensive staffing required to supervise and treat behavioral and medical conditions.

g. Prevent the need for re-hospitalization into acute psychiatric or medical facilities.

h. Empower clients by involving them in directing their own treatment programs.

i. Work collaboratively with the public behavioral health system to enable efficient utilization of this program’s specialized resources.

j. Assist clients in developing socially responsible behaviors, independent living skills and coping skills to address their mental illness and medical conditions.

I. Reporting and Data Collection Requirements A. Offeror shall implement an appropriate reporting system to evaluate and monitor activities. County must keep an accurate record of each client placed for services for each day of service. All client data and services shall be maintained by County in County Billing Application. Offeror is responsible for making sure that County receives accurate information of all clients served within twenty-four (24) hours of each transaction.

B. Offeror shall allow the BHSD Director or designee to make periodic reviews of program activity and client care. Offeror shall provide all necessary information and client records as needed to complete the review, and to evaluate fiscal and clinical effectiveness, appropriateness, and timeliness of services being provided.

C. County, with input from the Offeror, may develop reporting instruments to facilitate evaluation and monitoring. Previously established documents shall be used when applicable and appropriate, as determined by the County. Upon implementation of these reporting instruments, the Offeror shall comply with the established requirements.

D. Monthly meetings shall be held to discuss care coordination, outcome, and client progress of each BHSD client. Additional meetings may be required or needed based on the needs of the clients and the facility.

E. Quarterly meetings shall be held with the Offeror to discuss contractual and operational concerns or issues. The Offeror may request additional meetings with the County if needed.

F. County shall conduct unannounced yearly supplemental reviews of the facility to ensure expectations for client care are met. Site visits or facility reviews may also be sporadic pending on the needs of the clients, or any complaints received by the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit. Offeror shall be required to submit a Plan of Correction to the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit within fourteen (14) business days of receiving the notice for citations or issues relating to the facility.

G. Bed Holds are granted up to seven (7) days if the client is required to leave the facility for acute medical or psychiatric services. Offeror must inform the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit staff immediately if the bed hold period is beyond the seven (7) day-time frame. The BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit shall not be responsible for payment beyond the seven (7) day bed hold period without prior authorization. Offeror is expected to accept the client back to the facility within the seven (7) day bed hold period if the client is deemed appropriate to return.

II. Outcomes and Measurements A. Offeror shall achieve the following outcomes:

1. Engage in a continuous quality improvement process to:

a. Reduce the rate of recidivism into the acute psychiatric and medical settings by 70%.

b. Minimize incidences of aggression towards others and self-harm by reducing admissions into the acute psychiatric settings.

2. Work towards transitioning at least 10% of the total census of BHSD clients to the least restrictive settings in the community within nine (9) to twelve (12) months of residing in the facility.

B. Offeror shall achieve the following outcome measurement methods:

1. County reserves the right to conduct an annual review of the program to ensure that Offeror is providing quality care to the clients.

2. Measurements shall be monitored and tracked through a designated tracking system.

3. Performance outcomes shall be reviewed and shared with the RCF program provider every six (6) months.

III. Program Description A. Service Description

1. Offeror shall admit clients in need of nursing and psychiatric services. Offeror shall also admit clients who may have a history of or who, without adequate treatment, are at risk of displaying behavioral symptoms (e.g., non-medication, non-ADL adherence, history of elopement risk, disrobing, unable to follow through with medical care, substance or alcohol use, and/or excessive verbal abusiveness), which preclude them from being accepted and admitted into a regular residential care facility.

2. Offeror shall provide professional nursing care with licensed nursing staff or refer the clients for follow up medical services, when applicable: physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social services, medications, supplies, equipment, and other services as necessary.

3. Offeror is expected to have the following specialized services at their facilities based on the needs of the County to place clients:

a. Incontinence care requiring assistance and prompts, ADL assistance, medication management requiring assistance and prompts, and money management assistance;

b. Deaf, blind, hard of hearing, monolingual speaking services;

c. Services that address difficult to place clients due to history of aggression, substance use issues, or history of failed placements;

d. Services that address difficult to place clients due to TBI and developmentally delayed conditions; and

e. Services that address medical conditions requiring nursing assistance

4. Offeror shall use a variety of tools or motivational strategies (e.g., verbal prompts, 1:1 behavior management techniques, redirecting, and modeling of appropriate behavior) to prevent physical, mental and emotional deterioration.

5. Offeror shall provide prompts and provide 1:1 supervision in assisting clients with managing their symptoms of impulsivity, anger, and other behavioral issues.

6. If Offeror is considering admitting deaf or hard of hearing clients, Offeror shall provide assisted devices for these clients to assist them in their environment. Examples of devices may include, but not limited to, Frequency Modulation systems, Infrared systems, Audio Induction Loop systems, and other accessories to connect hearing aids to media (e.g., phones, music players, computers, and tablet devices).

7. Offeror shall have staff on site who understands and has training to work with clients diagnosed with a SMI. Offeror is expected to provide staffing above and beyond the staffing requirements of State Department of Community Care Licensing. Offeror is also expected to provide on-going trainings to staff on how to work with clients with chronic behavioral and, if applicable, medical needs.

8. Offeror shall document the frequency and intensity of inappropriate behavior, and client development progress.

9. Offeror shall provide clients daily assistance with hygiene and grooming, transportation to dialysis appointments as needed, and 1:1 assistance and supervision with medical equipment as appropriate.

10. Offeror shall teach clients how to check and monitor their blood sugar levels and administer insulin to treat their diabetic conditions.

11. Offeror shall provide intensive supervision for clients who have a history of AWOL, wandering, or are currently at-risk for wandering offsite without supervision. The physical layout of the building should be secured at all times with security alarms in place as necessary.

12. Offeror shall immediately attend to clients in crisis situations and notify their outpatient mental health providers, and if applicable, the conservator immediately.

13. Offeror shall provide nutritionally healthy meals to all clients according to the County Nutritional Guidelines and Standards and provide individualized meal plans for clients with special medical needs.

14. Offeror shall provide 1:1 behavior management by utilizing prompts, education, and redirection and by modeling appropriate behaviors.

15. Offeror shall teach clients how to develop money management skills, how to use the behavioral health system of care, and how to foster independent living skills.

16. Offeror shall provide transportation services to clients who are unable to utilize public transportation to medical appointments, or psychiatric appointments, or to other meaningful social activities that are beneficial to their well-being.

17. Offeror shall contact the outpatient case manager, the outpatient provider’s after-hours hotline, the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit, and if applicable, the conservator to coordinate care for the client or when a crisis situation occurs. All client crisis situations must be acted upon immediately to ensure the safety of the client and other clients in the facility.

18. The Offeror shall ensure that the services provided to a specific client at a given time are cost-effective, clinically and culturally appropriate, and at the least restrictive setting.

B. Staffing Requirements

1. Offeror shall provide staffing above the required Community Care Licensing staff to client ratio per number of beds in order to meet the needs of individuals requiring RCF.

2. Qualified medical staff shall possess and maintain appropriate licenses and certificates in accordance with all statuses and regulations. Background checks, criminal records review, Department of Justice clearance, etc. shall be obtained and maintained in accordance with County rules and regulations.

3. Offeror’s staffing patterns shall reflect, to the extent feasible, at all levels, the cultural, linguistic, ethnic, sexual orientation, and other social characteristics of the client base served in the program.

4. Offeror shall make every effort to hire staff reflective of the County’s diversity with particular attention to the County identified seven (7) Santa Clara County threshold languages (Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, Farsi, and Russian). Offeror must be able to document recruitment and outreach strategies.

5. Offeror’s staffing levels need to be appropriate to provide necessary residential and treatment needs. Staff schedules shall be made available for review upon request of BHSD staff.

6. Offeror shall provide professional development and training requirements that are in accordance with BHSD standards.

7. Offeror shall provide appropriate staff that possess the education and training to address the behavioral needs of clients with SMI.

8. Offeror shall provide 1:1 staffing to the clients with the conditions stated, such as self-harm, polydipsia, brittle diabetics, scavenger behavior, intrusive behavior, and aggressive/assaultive behavior.

9. Offeror shall be in compliance with licensure and all laws governing the qualifications of personnel. Offeror agrees to submit any material changes in such duties or minimum qualifications to the County.

10. Offeror shall provide continuing education to all staff to proactively address clients’ problematic behaviors and to minimize transfers to EPS and hospitalization.

11. Upon BHSD request, Offeror shall submit an organizational chart, which reflects the contracted facility’s current operating structure.

12. Offeror shall provide at least eight (8) hours of cultural competence training to staff per fiscal year. Trainings may be obtained internally within the facility or through external sources.

13. Offeror’s organization shall maintain practices related to recruiting, hiring, and promoting multi-lingual staff and/or a culturally or ethnically diverse workforce. Offeror’s organization shall have training requirements related to diversity, equity, and/or inclusion (e.g., Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning + [LGBTQ+], cultural and linguistic capacity, racial equity).

C. Cultural Competency

1. Offeror’s organization shall be inclusive of promoting behaviors and practices towards a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive organizational mindset. Offeror shall have a leadership model inclusivity and tools and support to improve their organization’s ability to identify and mitigate bias, respect differences, build empathetic relationships, and manage conflict.

2. Offeror shall monitor and evaluate client/family satisfaction and culturally responsive services/practices to continually improve service quality. Data shall be used to improve program satisfaction.

3. Offeror’s organization shall have a plan to address barriers when they do not have staff available to meet the seven (7) Santa Clara County threshold languages (Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, Farsi, and Russian) and a plan for actions and changes to ensure diversity and inclusion in service delivery.

D. Referrals/Admissions/Reimbursement for Services

1. Offeror or their designee(s) shall work closely with County staff to facilitate the admission, transfer, and discharge of clients. Offeror shall admit clients in accordance with the following: ability, scope of practice, and adequate staffing requirements.

2. Frequency, scope, and severity of the client’s behaviors shall be a determining factor to be negotiated on an individual client basis between County and Offeror.

3. County may grant individual exceptions to the above admission criteria. All admissions are subject to the prior authorization process as follows:

a. County’s authorization form must be completed prior to admission of any client to the facility. Failure to obtain prior authorization shall result in nonpayment for services provided by the Offeror.

b. Offeror must notify the County’s 24-Hour Care Unit of all admits and discharges within twenty-four (24) hours by using the Admit/Discharge Notification Form provided by the County.

c. Offeror reserves the right to conduct a pre-admission interview and refuse clients who are not within their scope of practice.

d. Offeror must respond to referrals from referring providers within forty-eight (48) hours of receiving the referral packets.

e. Offeror shall designate specific staff responsible for admission authorization and admission arrangements. Offeror shall provide clinical justifications for denials of admission within two (2) working days of request for admission. Upon denial of the referrals, the Offeror shall inform the referring providers if there are specific expectations that must be met prior to acceptance. All denials must be based on medical necessity, scope of practice, and the ability of the facility to manage the client’s current condition(s).

f. County does not offer retroactive payments to invoices that are beyond 30 days late.

g. Offeror shall assess the clients based on their current behavior and symptoms dating back to no more than thirty (30) days. Denial of referrals based on the client’s past history exceeding more than thirty (30) days must be discussed with the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit or the referring provider prior to excluding the referral indefinitely.

E. Care Coordination

1. Monthly meetings shall be held to discuss care coordination, outcome, and client progress of each BHSD client. Additional meetings may be required or needed based on the needs of the clients and the facility.

2. Quarterly meetings shall be held with the Offeror to discuss contractual and operational concerns or issues. The Offeror may request additional meetings with the County if needed.

3. County shall conduct unannounced yearly supplemental reviews of the facility to ensure expectations for client care are met. Site visits or facility reviews may also be sporadic pending on the needs of the clients, or any complaints received by the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit. The Offeror shall be required to submit a Plan of Correction to the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit within fourteen (14) business days of receiving the notice for citations or issues relating to the facility.

4. Bed Holds are granted up to seven (7) days in the event that the client is required to leave the facility for acute medical or psychiatric services. Offeror must inform the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit staff immediately if the bed hold period is beyond the seven (7) day-time frame. The BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit shall not be responsible for payment beyond the seven (7) day bed hold period without prior authorization. Offeror is expected to accept the client back to the facility within the seven (7) day bed hold period if the client is deemed appropriate to return.

F. Program Hours of Operations Offeror shall operate the program twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week.

G. Evaluations, Transitional Planning, and Discharge

1. Admission:

a. At the time of admission, County designated Care Managers shall specify discharge readiness criteria for each client’s service plan.

b. Offeror shall specify whether the client is able to manage his or her medical conditions independently without the intensive supervision if transitioning to a lower level of care.

c. Offeror shall arrange care conferences with the client’s family members, conservators, outpatient case managers, and the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit’s liaison, as needed, to discuss any concerns prior to discharge.

d. Offeror shall initiate a care coordination conference with the conservator, the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit staff, family members, and, if applicable, outpatient case managers in the event that there is a disagreement with the discharge plan.

2. Discharge and Planning:

a. In the event of unanticipated discharge, Offeror shall give twenty-four (24) hour notice, prior to the discharge of a client to the County’s designated staff, the conservator, and any other individuals applicable in the client’s treatment.

b. Clients who are discharging or transitioning to lower levels of care in the community must be linked with an outpatient service team for continued care coordination.

c. Clients who are ready for discharge to a lower level of care must be consulted with the attending physician of the facility. Any potential delay in discharges due to medication changes or client’s change of functioning level must be addressed with the treatment team within fifteen (15) days of the discharge planning process.

d. If a client’s conservatorship status becomes voluntary due to a lapse in a Lanterman Petris Short (LPS) conservatorship and wishes to leave the facility without a physician’s order, the client must sign a statement acknowledging departure from the facility without a written physician order.

e. Assistance with discharges may be obtained from County’s public agencies, including the designated BHSD Care Managers, Public Conservator’s Office, Department of Health Care Services, and State Department of Welfare.

f. Upon a client’s AWOL from the facility, the Offeror must discharge the client within twenty-four (24) hours. A discharge notification must be sent to the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit within the next two (2) business days.

g. Upon discharge or death of the client, Offeror shall refund any unused funds received for the client’s bill to the payor source within thirty (30) days.

h. Any entrusted funds held in an account for the client shall be disbursed to the client (if not conserved) or conservator within three (3) banking days.

i. Any money or valuable entrusted by the client to the care of the facility shall be stored in the facility and returned to the client not conserved or conservator in compliance with existing laws and regulations.

j. Offeror shall notify the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit when a client is discharged from the facility and admitted to another Offeror’s or contract provider’s facility within twenty-four (24) hours. All such discharges and admissions shall be authorized by the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit and arranged by mutual consent, with family members, County, and specified individuals involved with client’s treatment and supports.

3. Length of Stay:

a. A client’s length of stay in the RCF program is time limited. It is expected that clients shall receive active psychiatric, medical, nursing care, and rehabilitative treatment services and be supported to develop independent living skills in order to progress to a non-institutionalized setting in a timely manner.

b. Offeror shall work closely with clients, County personnel, conservators and family members, if appropriate, to ensure that clients continue to receive services at the appropriate level of care and in the least restrictive setting.

c. Median Length of Stay: The initial authorized length of stay shall be for six (6) months or one hundred eighty (180) days. If additional time is required, a six (6) month additional increment shall be authorized based on the submission of an updated discharge plan by the Offeror. Extensions must be submitted in writing and sent to the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit.

d. Leave of absence: Clients are permitted to leave the facility for up to eighteen (18) days per calendar year for family visits or for other reasons that are beneficial to the client’s overall health. A leave of absence form must be submitted to the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit for approval prior to leaving the facility. The BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit shall not be responsible for payment for days absent without prior authorization.

4. Transfer between Contracted Facilities, If and When Applicable

a. Transfers of clients among facilities within a contracted corporation shall be arranged by mutual consent between the Offeror and County and with notification to, and appropriate input from, the client’s conservator, significant family members, the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit, and specified staff involved in the client’s treatment and support system.

b. Offeror shall assist the BHSD 24-Hour Care Unit, and any other County designee, to ensure an orderly transfer of the client.

c. Offeror must provide County with nursing notes, client’s records, and other the documentation supporting the rationale for discharge and details of the disposition. A completed transfer form shall accompany the client to the receiving facility.

IV. Disclosure of Violations and Unusual Incidents A. Offeror shall notify County by telephone of the violation of any provision within twenty-four (24) hours of obtaining reasonable cause to believe that a violation of federal or California law or regulation, including privacy and confidentiality laws; County laws, policies, or procedures; or the requirements included in this RFSQ or the applicable agreement with the County has occurred. In addition, notice of such violation shall be confirmed by delivering a written notice to the BHSD Director within seventy-two (72) hours of obtaining reasonable cause to believe that such violation has occurred. Such notice shall describe the violation in detail as outlined in BHSD Policy AGI-003 (Attachment G).

B. Offeror shall comply with County policies, procedures, and requirements concerning the reporting of unusual occurrences and incidents.

V. Public Health Emergency or Other Emergency Disaster Plan A. Offeror shall have policies and procedures to address disaster preparedness during a Public Health Emergency or other emergency disaster. Offeror shall complete Appendix B4a, Evaluation Criteria and Qualifications and submit the following supplemental information:

1. Emergency and disaster plan to deliver services during a Public Health Emergency or other emergency disaster that includes, at a minimum, evacuation procedures, training for workforce members, and quarterly emergency drills; and

2. Emergency and disaster plan to deliver services during a pandemic such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

B. Offeror shall comply with all County requirements in effect relating to COVID-19 for persons who routinely perform services for County onsite and share airspace with or proximity to other people at a County facility as part of their services for County as set forth in a County Health Order (or similar directives).

RFSQ-BHS-FY23-0225: Behavioral Health Treatment Facility Continuum of Care Page 1 of 3 ATTACHMENT A4a: Basic Supplemental Residential Care Facility Services Scope of Work