DOS approves slate of grants and contract amendments totaling several million dollars

The Department of Disability and Aging Services Commission approved a series of grants and contract amendments at its June meeting, with all votes recorded as unanimous on the items before the commission.

Key approvals at the meeting included:

- Curry Senior Center (Tech at Home): a new grant to provide devices, subsidized internet, training and health coaching, 07/01/2022'06/30/2027, amount not to exceed $2,200,000 (including a 10% contingency). The item was presented by Fannie Lapitan and approved after a motion and second.

- California Department of Aging area plan allocation (FY 2022'2023): staff requested and the commission approved acceptance of the CDA base allocation for San Francisco ($7,600,000) and associated contracting requirements; staff noted a $545,000 increase over last year and a $751,000 increase for home-delivered meals in the package.

- Golden Gate Senior Services: an amendment for home-delivered grocery services adding $177,844 plus 10% contingency (revised grant not to exceed $1,125,659) to deliver roughly 3,300 additional supplemental grocery bags per year and serve about 73 more clients annually; presented by Tiffany Kearney and approved unanimously.

- RTZ Associates (GetCare): a sole-source contract to continue the GetCare database and custom modules for client records and waitlists; contract amount $2,045,984 plus 10% contingency (total not to exceed $2,250,580.82). Presenter Michael Zogg described the system as HIPAA-compliant, hosted on AWS GovCloud, and used by many AAAs in the state. Commissioners asked about SOGI data collection and vendor interoperability.

- IHSS Public Authority on-call emergency IHSS: an amendment adding $347,886 plus 10% contingency (revised total not to exceed $2,119,822) to secure backup IHSS providers and avoid readmissions. Commissioner Buettner disclosed a conflict and recused; the commission later re-voted without Buettner and approved the modification.

- Swords to Plowshares: sole-source grant ($114,000 plus 10% contingency) to provide legal intake clinics and representation for underserved veterans with complex VA mental-health benefit and discharge-upgrade cases; the item was presented by Paul Losalta and approved.

- Community Living Campaign: amended home-delivered grocery grant adding $135,704 plus 10% contingency (revised total not to exceed $1,124,732) to fund staffing infrastructure and cost-of-doing-business increases; Kearney presented details and the commission approved.

- Project Open Hand: new grant for medically tailored meals and supportive services, 07/01/2022'06/30/2026, amount $2,185,448 plus 10% contingency (total not to exceed $2,403,992); Kearney presented outcome metrics and mobile distribution sites.

- Legal Assistance to the Elderly: two legal-service initiatives'a health-law representation position and LGBTQ+ life-planning legal services'combined $437,092 plus 10% contingency (not to exceed $480,801) to help older adults and adults with disabilities with health-insurance and life-planning legal needs.

- Felton Institute: a short-term amendment adding $35,804 (plus 10% contingency) to fund a temporary case manager while staff is on emergency leave (May'Aug 2022); presented by Melissa McGee and approved.

All actions were taken by roll-call votes recorded in the meeting; where a commissioner recused (IHSS Public Authority), staff called for a re-vote without the recused member and the item passed with the remaining quorum.

Votes at a glance (selected):
- Approve May 4 minutes: unanimous (Knudson, Spears, Bittner, Zhang, Lum, Sklar)
- Item 14b (Curry Senior Center): unanimous
- Item 14c (CDA area plan): unanimous
- Item 14d (Golden Gate Senior Services): unanimous
- Item 14e (RTZ/GetCare): unanimous
- Item 14f (IHSS Public Authority): unanimous after recusal and re-vote
- Item 14g (Swords to Plowshares): unanimous
- Item 14h (Community Living Campaign): unanimous
- Item 14i (Project Open Hand): unanimous
- Item 14j (Legal Assistance to the Elderly): unanimous
- Item 14k (Felton Institute): unanimous

Next steps: Contracts and grant agreements will be finalized per city contracting procedures; staff said the CDA area plan and other state/federal funds require additional contract documentation to access the allocations.