County health department previews multiple contracts: coordinated entry, shelter matching and housing initiatives

Gina James, director of Health and Human Services, alerted the board to several health‑and‑housing contracts coming to the commissioners for approval in the near term. She said Amendment No. 1 to the county’s consolidated contract with the Washington State Department of Health will appear on the Tuesday agenda and will add standard annual program allocations for foundational public health services, emergency preparedness (partial allocation initially), and other program lines.

Why it matters: the amendment funds public health activities and supports the county’s ability to bill and receive state dollars for behavioral-health and sheltering services. James said the state’s fiscal-year timing means that some allocations are delivered in multiple amendments across a contract cycle.

Coordinated entry and shelter contracts: James summarized the coordinated entry procurement: four proposals were received and three incumbent providers—Emergency Support Shelter, Family Health Center and Community House—are the preferred contracts for continued service; Lower Columbia CAP submitted a proposal that county staff want to continue to review. Proposed contract amounts for 2025 reflect last year’s activity and negotiated adjustments; James said these contracts will be scheduled for board action after staff finalizes negotiations and program terms.

Emergency Support Shelter matching: the county historically funded shelter operations at roughly $100,000 and for the last two years has added a conditional county match of up to $50,000 tied to private donations. James asked whether the board wished to continue the match at the $50,000 level; commissioners indicated support for the match approach, saying it encourages private fundraising while leveraging county funds.

Housing programs and Phoenix House/Sunrise Village: James said a long‑running contract that supported the Phoenix House transitional facility (case management for residents exiting inpatient treatment) has transferred management to Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington; that contract will be renewed and the county will invite Housing Opportunities to present updated staffing and performance models. She also noted a one‑time $60,000 startup request that was part of an earlier Sunrise Village proposal: construction is complete and staff say the $60,000 would support leasing and initial operations to “lease up” the new units. James characterized the Sunrise Village ask as one-time start-up assistance rather than ongoing operating support.

Funding sources and billing: James said coordinated entry and many of these services will be billed to the Department of Health contract; emergency shelter additional match would likely be funded from dedicated document‑recording fee (DOC fee) revenue that the county has used for shelter operations. She said some allocations (for example, a portion of emergency preparedness) are being issued as partial-year allocations now and may be completed in later amendments when the state’s fiscal year advances.

Next steps: Amendment No. 1 to the DOH consolidated contract will be on the upcoming Tuesday agenda; other provider contracts will be scheduled after staff completes final negotiations. James said staff will invite Phoenix House/Housing Opportunities and coordinated-entry providers to present operational updates if the board requests more detail. No formal action was taken in the presentation; commissioners provided direction on the shelter matching approach and requested follow-up materials.