Report 2012-122 Recommendation 21 Responses
Report 2012-122: Mental Health Services Act: The State's Oversight Has Provided Little Assurance of the Act's Effectiveness, and Some Counties Can Improve Measurement of Their Program Performance (Release Date: August 2013)
Recommendation #21 To: Santa Clara County Mental Health Department
Santa Clara County should ensure that all MHSA invoices are adequately supported with information that demonstrates that MHSA services were provided.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2015
Santa Clara County has fully implemented the recommendation. Since our last reporting status update provided in October 2014 the County has created another set of invoicing guidelines and templates specifically for the current fiscal year (FY) 2016. The new FY16 invoicing templates includes invoicing guidelines, information about invoice types, and details about eligible services. Attached is supporting documentation that demonstrates the work the County has done around the implementation of this particular recommendation. Annually, the County will continue to review invoicing guidelines: update guidelines and templates as needed each fiscal year. In addition, the County will continue to provide one-on-one trainings to our contracted providers around the County's invoicing guidelines and use of templates.
- Completion Date: November 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2014
The County has drafted invoicing guidelines for different types of invoicing, e.g., direct service, outreach, flex/housing, cost-reimbursement, and dedicated beds. Initially, the County had planned on sharing the guidelines with the Behavioral Health Contractors' Association (BHCA) of Santa Clara County and all our contract providers in August 2014 but has been delayed to November 2014.
- Estimated Completion Date: November 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Not Fully Implemented
1-Year Agency Response
The County has drafted invoicing guidelines for different types of invoicing, e.g., direct service, outreach, flex/housing, cost-reimbursement, and dedicated beds. The County will be sharing the guidelines with the Behavioral Health Contractors' Association (BHCA) of Santa Clara County and all our contract providers in August 2014.
- Estimated Completion Date: August 2014
- Response Date: August 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented
6-Month Agency Response
The County is standardizing and documenting invoicing procedures for each program and type of invoice (e.g. direct services, indirect outreach services, flex funds, dedicated bed contracts, etc). The invoicing documentation will address invoice formats as well as supporting documentation requirements. The County anticipates completing the work by July 1, 2014 and the procedures will be circulated to the affected contract providers.
- Estimated Completion Date: 7/1/2014
- Response Date: February 2014
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
60-Day Agency Response
As part of the MHSA process described for recommendation #1, the County will conduct a review of billing and invoicing procedures of each of the MHSA contracts. This process will include identifying documentation requirements for each category of invoices, i.e., direct services, flex funds, etc, and will establish invoicing requirements for each invoice category. Those requirements will be standardized and included in contract amendments slated for FY2014-15.
- Estimated Completion Date: 6/30/2014
- Response Date: October 2013
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2012-122
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.