DEPARTMENT: Finance
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Troy Elliott
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Digital Referral and Case Management Platform
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes a contract with SHI Government Solutions, a software reseller, to provide the City of San Antonio with product licensing, implementation and development services for Signify Health’s digital referral and case management platform. The total contract value, inclusive of initial implementation costs for the Department of Human Services, Training for Job Success and SA Ready to Work programs is $665,925.00 over a five-year period. Funding for the initial implementation in the amount of $202,125.00 is available from the FY 2021 Information Technology Services Department Capital Budget. Funding for subsequent fiscal years is subject to City Council approval of the annual budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The 2019 Status of Poverty in San Antonio Report identified the importance of a single, multi-disciplinary referral and case management platform to facilitate integration of asset-building and social safety net services. A platform of this kind would alleviate double work and create efficiencies within the organization and across the city. In recognition of the impact of COVID - 19 in exacerbating the demand for integration to better serve San Antonio residents, the City of San Antonio’s COVID - 19 Recovery and Resilience Plan also prioritized implementation of a community referral and case management platform.
Following the COVID 19 - Recovery and Resilience Plan adoption, the Information Technology Services Department (ITSD) worked with the Department of Human Services (DHS), San Antonio Metro Health District (SAMHD), Economic Development Department (EDD) and Neighborhood Housing Services Department (NHSD) to identify an enterprise platform.
The City issued a Request for Offer (RFO) for “Digital Referral and Case Management Platform” (RFO, 6100013829) on April 20, 2021 with a submission deadline of May 7, 2021. A sole offer was submitted by SHI Government Solutions, Inc. and is in accordance with Texas BuyBoard contract 579-19. The proposed licensed solution, known as Signify Health, will be purchased from SHI Government Solutions, Inc. utilizing the BuyBoard cooperative contract number 579-19. This purchase will be made in accordance with the Texas Local Government Purchasing Cooperative passed on ordinance 97097, dated 1/30/2003.
Signify Health’s platform referral component is currently being used in the larger nonprofit community, as a part of the Alamo Area Community Network, led by the Kronkosky Foundation. Currently, 42 nonprofit community partners, including agencies funded by United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, the Kronkosky Foundation, and the City of San Antonio, Department of Human Services utilize the system. Participation in this network and the case management platform will allow the Department of Human Services and the SA Ready to Work programs to leverage additional social services for more efficient management of program participants to include wraparound services.
The Signify Health platform has the capacity to be integrated with other enterprise-wide solutions currently used by the City of San Antonio and partnering organizations. ITSD and the vendor will provide the needed technical assistance for the City of San Antonio and contracted partners to ensure effective system implementation and utilization.
An overview of the Signify Health system capabilities was presented to the SA Ready to Work Advisory Board on May 27, 2021. Staff also provided an overview of the system to existing workforce development program partners, who stressed the importance of maintaining a flexible implementation timeline and identifying sufficient resources to facilitate partner integration. Initially founded in the healthcare industry, the Signify Health platform allows for a configurable system that accounts for data privacy and data integration as well as the flexibility to finalize design components when community partners are identified in relation to the SA Ready to Work program. The proposed contract also includes funding to support workforce partner integration, as they are identified.
The initial term of the contract shall begin upon the effective date of the ordinance and expire December 31, 2021. Implementation is proposed for Fall 2021 with adoption critical to providing sufficient time for the City of San Antonio and partners to coordinate with Signify on system customization needed for the Training for Job Success and SA Ready to Work programs.
Four additional one-year renewal periods, at the City’s option shall also be authorized by this ordinance.
ISSUE:
Approval of this item will provide the City of San Antonio with a contract to deliver an enterprise system critical for tracking program referrals and long-term outcomes effectively and efficiently at both the aggregate and individual client level. This solution is scalable and will have the ability expand to serve departments such as the Department of Human Services, the San Antonio Metro Health District, and the Neighborhood and Housing Services Department and any other departments that provide health services, social services, or employment and training related services for the City’s residents, as needed with pricing established through this contract.
The Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Ordinance requirements were waived due to the lack of small, minority, and/or women businesses available to provide these goods and services.
The recommended award is an exception to the Local Preference Program.
The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program does not apply to non-professional services, so no preference was applied to this contract.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this contract not be approved, the listed departments will continue using manual processes and separate programs to manage and track services provided by their respective partner agencies and departments.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes a contract with SHI Government Solutions, a software reseller, to provide the City of San Antonio with product licensing, implementation and development services for the Signify Health digital referral and case management platform. The total contract value for initial implementation in the Department of Human Services, Training for Job Success and SA Ready to Work programs is $665,925.00 over a five-year period. Funding for the initial implementation in the amount of $202,125.00, of which $101,062.50 will be transferred from the SA: Ready to Work fund and appropriated to the capital budget, is available from the FY 2021 Information Technology Services Department Capital Budget and included in the FY 2021 - FY 2026 Capital Improvement Program. Funding for subsequent fiscal years is subject to City Council approval of the annual budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of this contract with SHI, Government Solutions, Inc. to provide product licensing, implementation and development services for a digital referral and case management platform for an estimated total cost of $665,925.00.
This contract is procured by means of cooperative purchasing and a Contracts Disclosure Form is not required.