Orange County board awards suicide‑prevention contract to Didi Hirsch after heated public comment and debate

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted June 24 to award the county’s suicide and self‑harm reduction services contract to Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services after an extended public comment period and contested board debate.

The item drew 26 public speakers. Representatives from the Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) described a multilingual, multiculturally trained team and said they were ready to start July 1. Dozens of former clients, clinicians and survivors urged the board to keep Didi Hirsch in the county’s contract, saying Didi Hirsch provides specialized survivor support services. Lynn Morris, identifying herself as CEO of Didi Hirsch, told the board her organization had submitted its Medi‑Cal application and had a state contract identification number but was awaiting a county site visit to finalize billing approval.

Why it mattered: speakers on both sides framed the choice as a question of continuity and specialization versus broader outreach and billing infrastructure. Multiple survivors and clinicians said a Didi Hirsch site closure had left more than “40 plus” survivors on a waiting list, a point that board members repeatedly cited during the debate.

The staff recommendation that the contract go to OCAPICA was moved and seconded. That initial motion failed on a 2‑2‑1 split after argument from supervisors who said the procurement’s oral interview scoring and a Medi‑Cal readiness question materially affected the outcome. Supervisor Wagner then offered a substitute motion to award the contract to Didi Hirsch; that substitute passed by majority vote (three ayes to two noes). Board members who supported the substitute urged Didi Hirsch and OCAPICA to collaborate and for staff to return with contract documents and transition plans.

During deliberations, Health Care Agency personnel and procurement staff defended the evaluation process. Ian Kemmer, the county’s behavioral health director, told supervisors the written proposals and the oral interviews were separately scored and that interview performance could significantly affect total points. Juan Corral, director of HCA procurement, stated the solicitation and interview panels were composed of subject‑matter experts and that the process was intended to be fair and competitive.

What speakers said: Lynn Morris (Didi Hirsch) emphasized the organization’s clinical specialization and said, “we have our contract ID number through the state…we are currently waiting for Orange County Healthcare Agency to set up our site visit.” Multiple survivors and clinicians described Didi Hirsch’s specialized survivor support groups and bereavement services that they said are not replicated by general crisis providers. OCAPICA presenters highlighted multilingual outreach and an integrated billing/data infrastructure they said supports county‑wide access to care.

Board direction and next steps: Supervisors authorized staff to draft the Didi Hirsch contract and return with the formal agreement for execution. Several supervisors urged both providers to work collaboratively to ensure continuity of care during the transition and to address the waiting list. The county will monitor Medi‑Cal enrollment and site‑visit status as part of the contract process.

The vote: the board initially deadlocked on the staff recommendation to award the contract to OCAPICA (motion failed 2‑2‑1). The substitute motion to award the contract to Didi Hirsch passed on roll call by majority (three ayes, two noes). The board also recorded extensive public testimony urging preservation of specialized survivor services.