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Orange County supervisors continue decision on suicide services contract after hours of testimony
Summary
After more than three hours of public testimony from survivors, clinicians and agency leaders, the Orange County Board of Supervisors continued a contested contract award for suicide and self-harm reduction services to June 24, asking staff for more financial and transition options.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors on May 20 postponed a decision on a health care agency recommendation to award a contract for countywide suicide and self-harm reduction services, after dozens of emotional public comments and a lengthy board discussion about procurement rules and program continuity.
The item (agenda item 36) proposed awarding the contract to Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) for a service model that includes Medi‑Cal billing, while Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services would retain the county’s 988 hotline function. County staff told supervisors that OCAPICA scored higher in the procurement interview portion — particularly on questions about Medi‑Cal certification and billing — and that the scoring, not the organizations’ reputations, drove the recommendation. Ian Kemmer, behavioral health director for the county Health Care Agency, said: "This is not a service that's going…
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