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Title:
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Approve a donation from Napa Valley Community Foundation to purchase a one-year trial of Versaterm Mindbase Wellness Platform, waive competitive bid requirements, approve agreement 260129B, provide a sole source and approve a budget amendment. (Fiscal Impact: $13,746; General Fund; Not Budgeted; Discretionary)
[4/5 vote required]
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TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Rollie Soria for Oscar Ortiz, Sheriff-Coroner
REPORT BY: Kyla McKinney, Staff Services Analyst I
SUBJECT: Approve agreement to accept a Donation from Napa Valley Community Foundation
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve a donation from Napa Valley Community Foundation to purchase a one-year trial of Versaterm Mindbase Wellness Platform, waive competitive bid requirements, approve agreement 260129B, provide a sole source and approve a budget amendment. (Fiscal Impact: $13,746; General Fund; Not Budgeted; Discretionary)
[4/5 vote required]
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BACKGROUND
The Napa County Sheriff's Office established a Peer Support program ten years ago. Peer Support in law enforcement plays a critical role in maintaining the well-being and effectiveness of officers. Officers are often involved in situations that are high stress and emotionally taxing, which can lead to mental and physical health struggles. Having a reliable network of colleagues who understand the challenges within law enforcement provides a sense of emotional support, especially after critical incidents.
The Sheriff's Office Peer Support Team is comprised of specially trained members who offer support and guidance to resources for employees experiencing crises, stress, or related challenges. They provide support through peer-to-peer conversations and help with accessing available resources. Previously, the Sheriff's Office, as part of a county-wide law enforcement project that was funded through the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP), using a software application, focused on wellness and local resources.
The CCP elected not to renew the contract due to its cost, and little information as to its use or effectiveness. Currently, the Sheriff's Office Peer Support Team does not have a means outside of personal interactions to track the number of employees who may need peer support assistance, see how the support resources are being used, or run analytical reports on the health and wellness of Sheriff's Office employees.
The Sheriff's Office proposes purchasing the Versaterm Mindbase Wellness Platform. This will enable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, access to wellness resources for early detection and intervention for mental health and wellness. This Wellness Platform is comprised of a web-accessible Integrated Peer Support Hub and a mobile application Wellness Toolkit. The Integrated Peer Support Hub allows Peer Support personnel access to view confidential reports on employee's trauma levels as well as the overall effectiveness of the peer support team. It also provides anonymized personal assessments for employee self-checks and progress levels as well as a fast-tracked way to connect with clinicians and peer support team members.
The Versaterm Mindbase Wellness Platform provides full confidentiality for individuals checking-in on the platform for support. The software allows the Peer Support Team to run in-depth analytics to better understand the concerns and issues that are affecting Sheriff's Office personnel. It seamlessly integrates with the computer-aided dispatch software currently in use, which can alert the Peer Support Team when a Deputy is dispatched to an event that may need Peer Support intervention. Finally, there are no additional costs to add more users on the platform, which will allow for future expansion of the Peer Support Team.
The Sheriff's Office did not budget for this application; however, the Napa Valley Community Foundation has offered to provide funding for a one-year trial of the application in the amount of $13,476. The Napa Valley Community Foundation prides themselves on investing in solutions that respond to the County's needs. Their Financial contribution to the purchase of the Versaterm Mindbase Wellness Platform will positively impact the effectiveness of the Peer Support Team, the wellness of the department members, and the service they provide to the community.
Requested Actions:
1. Accept a cash donation in the amount of $13,746 from the Napa Valley Community Foundation.
2. Authorize the Chair to sign the attached letter in acceptance of the donation and Agreement 260129B
3. Approve a waiver of competitive bidding and sole source award to Versaterm of Ottawa, Ontario.
4. Approve a Budget Amendment in the amount of $13,746 increasing appropriations in the Sheriff's Budget 1360000-53415 with offsetting revenue from the cash donation. [4/5 vote required].
FISCAL IMPACT
Is there a Fiscal Impact?
Yes
Is it currently budgeted?
No
Where is it budgeted?
Not currently budgeted. If approved, it will be budgeted in Sheriff's Operations 1360000-53415.
Is it Mandatory or Discretionary?
Discretionary
Discretionary Justification:
This item is discretionary as there is no mandate for the Sheriff's Office to engage in or offer peer support services, critical incident stress management, stress debriefing or short-term crisis intervention for its staff. However, research shows that providing such services can help law enforcement staff cope with both everyday stresses of the job and/or stress related to involvement in critical incidents. Organizational and environmental stresses left to accumulate over time can lead to drug abuse, alcoholism, anger, burnout and depression.
Is the general fund affected?
Yes
Future fiscal impact:
Appropriations will be budgeted accordingly in future fiscal year.
Consequences if not approved:
If not approved, Sheriff's Office Peer Support Team would not have an efficient way to track the mental wellbeing of Sheriff's employees.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.