To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Social Services
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Agreement with Binti, Inc. for Data Management Services for Resource Family Approval and Foster Placement Processes
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve, and authorize the Chair of the Board to execute, the agreement with Binti, Inc. for the period of 36 months from the date of execution, to provide data management services for Resource Family Approval (RFA) and foster placement processes in an amount not to exceed $138,000;
2. Direct the Clerk of the Board to route the fully executed agreement to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) - Contract Unit for further processing.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Social Services Fund
DISCUSSION:
Continuum of Care Reform (CCR), mandated by the California legislature for the Department of Social Services (CDSS), ensures that counties implement the state-mandated requirements of the foster home approval/licensing process. Many of the required changes mandated by the State of California were implemented as of Jan. 1, 2017.
The RFA processes now include, but are not limited to: case management, home study completion and tracking of processes that were previously completed by the State of California Community Care Licensing (CCL) Division. These processes include intensive tracking of all trainings and all steps completed by applicants and current approved homes, while ensuring that placement homes are readily available for children and youth in Child Welfare Services (CWS). Tracking of these numerous steps is cumbersome and Binti’s software product provides a solution that will save staff time on a large scale.
Binti, Inc. provides a software product that allows staff to efficiently identify and manage tasks that are essential to their workload and approval of placement homes in Humboldt County. This product offers a database that provides the capabilities needed for State reporting requirements as well as identifying available placement homes when an urgent need arises. In addition, a public facing website, hosted by Binti, provides the ability for potential care providers to apply and complete steps to initiate approval online. Binti’s product provides the capability to record all approvals the county has issued, as well as assist in placement matching for foster children. This capability will be invaluable to the immediate and long-term success of CCR while providing enhanced customer service to the families and individuals served by DHHS.
Currently, the database utilized by CWS staff known as Child Welfare Services Client Management System (CWS/CMS) does not have the functionality to allow for the robust RFA tracking as required by state directives. Binti, Inc. has been utilized by the county for RFA tracking services since January 2017, and CWS is increasing the contract capabilities to include Binti, Inc.’s new placement module, allowing for approved Resource Families and other foster placement resources to be utilized by the placement team in a more robust manner than is currently available to staff. Updates to the CWS/CMS system, which are not anticipated to be complete for several years, should include the RFA process capacity and is expected to negate the need for a third-party solution once completed.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the 3 year agreement with Binti, Inc. for software is $46,000 annually for a total of $138,000. This agreement will reside in fund 1160, budget unit 508 and will be funded through a combination of federal, state and local funds. This agreement was included in the proposed county budget for fiscal year 2019-20 and will be included in future fiscal years. There is no impact to the county General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by providing community-appropriate levels of service and protecting vulnerable populations.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board could choose to not approve the agreement with Binti, Inc, although this is not recommended, as Resource Family Approval processes are mandated by CDSS.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Master Subscription and Services Agreement with Binti, Inc.
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: C-10
Meeting of: 01/17/17
File No.: 19-703