To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Public Health
Agenda Section: Consent
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
SUBJECT:
title
Grant Agreement 25-10593 awarded by the California Department of Public Health for Disease Intervention Specialist Workforce Development in the amount of $526,356.00 and Supplemental Budget for CARE NorCAP (1175437) in the amount of $58,484 (4/5 Vote Required)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the attached State Standard Agreement awarded by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for Grant Agreement Number 25-10593, in the amount of $526,356.00, for fiscal years (FY) 2025-26 through 2029-30; and
2. Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) - Public Health Director, or a designee thereof, to execute the attached State Standard Agreement Number 25-10593 for FYs 2025-26 through 2029-30; and
3. Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)- Public Health Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all subsequent amendments, certifications, attestations and documents directly associated with the attached State Standard Agreement Number 25-10593, after review and approval by County Counsel, Risk Management and the County Administrative Office; and
4. Approve the attached Supplemental Budget for Public Health budget unit CARE NorCAP (1175437) for FY 2025-26 (4/5 Vote Required).
Body
STRATEGIC PLAN:
This action supports the following areas of your Board’s Strategic Plan.
Area of Focus: Safe & Healthy Communities
Strategic Plan Category: 1002- Remove barriers to quality healthcare
DISCUSSION:
The CDPH, Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Branch has awarded the County of Humboldt DHHS - Public Health funds to support the Disease Intervention Specialist (DIS) workforce. This is a new grant which is funded through the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Rebate Fund. The purpose of the grant is to fund local disease intervention specialists supporting current or eligible services and programs as per Sections 120956 and 120972.2 of the Health and Safety Code by developing, expanding, training and sustaining the DIS workforce and to address jurisdictional prevention and response needs for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Mpox through FY 2029-30.
The intention is to scale prevention, increase capacity to conduct disease investigation, ensure appropriate treatment, link people to care and ongoing case management, monitor disease trends, and rapidly respond to changes in disease trends and outbreaks of STIs, HIV, HCV and Mpox or other emerging sexually transmissible diseases.
Disease Investigators play a critical role in identifying and responding to cases of HIV, STIs, HCV and Mpox, as well as reaching their partners. This work is essential for identifying those at greatest risk for HIV for expanding prevention, conducting investigations, monitoring disease trends, ensuring treatment, linking individuals and their partners to care and prevention are vital strategies for controlling the spread of HIV, STIs, HCV and Mpox in California.
The potential for rapid spread of HIV among a population of People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) was realized during a 2015 outbreak in rural Scott County, Indiana. In January 2015, disease Intervention Specialists reported 11 new cases of confirmed HIV infection epidemiologically linked through injection drug use; by comparison, only five HIV infections had been diagnosed in this county in the prior 10 years. By November 2015, 181 new cases of HIV had been diagnosed, and 92% of the infected persons were coinfected with HCV. In this outbreak among PWID, HCV infection typically preceded HIV infection, representing an important opportunity for HIV prevention. HCV among PWID is often an indicator of syringe-sharing, which also increases HIV risk. Program evaluation data in California has shown that offering HCV testing increases acceptability and utilization of HIV testing among PWID and other populations. The syndemic of HIV, STIs, HCV and Mpox from sexual and/or bloodborne transmission highlights the need for a syndemic approach to risk reduction.
DHHS - Public Health NorCAP has been providing services to both people living with HIV and PWID populations in Humboldt County for decades. NorCAP services include free HIV and HCV testing, and linkage to care and treatment. In 2020, NorCAP additionally began providing case management and care coordination to people living with HCV and experiencing multiple barriers to treatment such as substance use, houselessness and lack of transportation and means of communication (phones). As of June 2025, the Hepatitis C program has successfully navigated more than 200 people to treatment, and more than 70 of those have achieved sustained viral response (cured); many of these people are still in various stages of treatment for HCV and will also achieve sustained viral response.
This grant will provide funding for enhanced services to people living in Humboldt County, enabling DHHS - Public Health to rapidly respond to disease trends and outbreaks and connect people who need care to medical care and ongoing case management. This supports your Board’s Strategic Plan by removing barriers to quality healthcare and by implementing Live Well Humboldt-Community Health Improvement Plan, priority area 2 - Behavioral Health - Substance Use, Goal #3: Reduce harm associated with substance use.
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Public Health Fund (1175), CARE NorCAP (437)
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
|
Expenditures (1175-437) |
FY25-26 |
FY26-27 Projected* |
FY28-29 Projected* |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
- |
$116,968 |
$116,968 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$58,484 |
- |
- |
|
Total Expenditures |
$58,484 |
$116,968 |
$116,968 |
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
|
Funding Sources (1175-437) |
FY25-26 |
FY26-27 Projected* |
FY27-28 Projected* |
|
State/Federal Funds |
$58,484 |
$116,968 |
$116,968 |
|
Total Funding Sources |
$58,484 |
$116,968 |
$116,968 |
*Projected amounts are estimates and are subject to change.
Narrative Explanation of Financial Impact:
Approval of Grant Agreement #25-10593 with CDPH will allow DHHS - Public Health to be reimbursed a maximum of $526,356.00 in Public Health fund 1175, CARE NorCap budget unit 437, for FYs 2025-26 through 2029-30. Funding in the amount of $58,484 was not included in the proposed County Budget for FY 2025-26 and requires approval of the attached supplemental budget for CARE NorCAP (1175437) in that amount. Funding in the amount of $116,968.00 will be included in each annual budget process for FY 2026-27, through FY 2029-20.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impact:
Acceptance of this grant will support existing staff and have no impact on current staffing levels.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may choose not to approve these recommendations; however, it would result in a loss of both funding and services to the County.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. CM-2218 CDPH Grant Agreement Number 25-10593 FY25-30
2. Supplemental Budget 1175-437 FY25-26
3. CDPH Letter of Award
4. Contractor Certification Clause (CCC 042017)
5. Civil Rights Certification (DGS OLS 04)
6. Government Agency Taxpayer ID Form (CDPH 9083)
7. Grant Agreement 25-10593 FY25-26 Budget
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A