Board approves two‑year health‑services agreement with California Forensic Medical Group

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors voted April 1 to approve a two‑year agreement (with up to three one‑year extensions) with California Forensic Medical Group (CFMG) to provide health care services at county sheriff and probation custodial facilities.

County staff said the negotiated agreement incorporates contractual changes required by the county’s remedial plan, CalAIM changes to Medi‑Cal reimbursement for in‑custody care, and a jail‑based competency treatment (JBCT) program that previously operated under a different provider. The contract includes specific service‑level agreements (SLAs), compliance thresholds and liquidated damages for failure to meet some clinical monitoring and reporting requirements; staff said the SLA thresholds were negotiated down from 100 percent in the RFP to 90–95 percent levels to align with community standards.

Key elements described by staff: a net addition of approximately 21.95 full‑time equivalent positions for nursing, behavioral‑health clinicians and licensed psychiatric technicians; incorporation of JBCT costs (about $1.4 million annually from the prior contract) into the new agreement; an initial two‑year term with future extensions returning to the board for approval; and higher insurance limits than in the RFP (up to $5 million per occurrence / $10 million aggregate or equivalent self‑insured retention).

Staff and county departments said the contract is designed to improve discharge planning, increase counseling access for people enrolled in medication‑assisted treatment (MAT), speed provider visits and improve compliance with public‑health audits. County officials said pharmacy costs will increase because release planning now contemplates providing a 30‑day supply of medications at release; staff said these costs are expected to be Medi‑Cal eligible under CalAIM and the county will monitor reimbursement and return to the board if projections change.

The board approved the agreement (motion by Supervisor Hartman, second by Supervisor Lee). Supervisors’ questions during the hearing focused on staffing levels, the timeline for a county‑owned electronic medical‑records platform that would ultimately replace contractor EMR costs, contractual remedies and past compliance credits owed by former providers. Staff said they will continue monthly compliance monitoring and that vacancy/payback provisions remain in place; county counsel noted some recovery issues are constrained by a related bankruptcy stay affecting vendor entities.

The board’s action authorizes contract execution and directed continued interdepartmental oversight, monitoring of Medi‑Cal reimbursement under CalAIM, and reporting of any projected increases in pharmacy or other costs that would materially change the county’s financial exposure.

Vote: the motion to approve the agreement passed on the floor.