Approve agreement with OLE Health dba CommuniCare OLE in the amount of $190,810.92 for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 for the provision of laboratory/drug testing specimen collection services. (No general fund impact) (Morales)

Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) is recommending the approval of this Agreement for Laboratory/Drug Testing Specimen Collection Services with OLE Health dba CommuniCare OLE in order to support the health, safety, and stability of children and families involved with Child Welfare Services (CWS) by monitoring substance use in custody and reunification cases. These services are mandated under the state and federal child welfare laws, local ordinances, and court mandates governing CWS.

HHSA previously evaluated alternative vendors and found they did not meet the forensic standards or other scientific requirements outlined in court cases and/or did not offer local collection sites accessible to the families being served. Due to the importance of having locally accessible testing sites; a secure chain of custody to ensure sample integrity and proper documentation; and legally defensible test results, CommuniCare OLE has been determined to be the only provider that can best serve the needs of HHSA and the community.

HHSA request approval of this Agreement which has an initial term of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 for a total contract maximum of $190,810.92. The Agreement includes 2 optional extensions for 2026-27 and 2027-28. Approval of this Agreement will ensure that children and families won’t be at risk of judges rejecting substance abuse allegations due to non-forensic drug tests and will allow for families to test within the County.

County Counsel has approved this Agreement as to form.
General Services Department, Procurement Division

HHSA previously contracted with CommuniCare OLE for these services for the period of July 1, 2018, through February 29, 2024. CommuniCare OLE performed at a satisfactory level during the term of this agreement, but in 2023 when HHSA issued a Request for Proposal (RFP), CommuniCare OLE did not participate due to the allocated cost structure established by HHSA being lower than what they determined necessary to effectively meet service requirements. Following the RFP process, HHSA contracted with a vendor that best fit the County’s needs, but due to the vendor’s testing being primarily for medical purposes, there was a lack for forensic compliance that created legal challenges in dependency court cases. The vendor also lacked local testing sites, causing an added burden to families who were required to travel out of county for testing.

On March 27, 2025, the then acting County’s Deputy Director of General Services Department/Manager of Procurement/County Purchasing Agent (Purchasing Agent) approved a sole/single source procurement for these services, based on satisfactory service/reasonable prices and to avoid the interruption of County business. Without sole/single source approval for these services, the County would be negatively impacted by not being able to provide critical drug testing services that support child welfare families. Factors considered, included but were not limited to specialized expertise in handling sensitive cases, established protocols, forensic-compliant testing, and local accessibility.

Vendor Performance
Performance Measures associated with this Agreement are included in Att. A. Agreement, Exhibit E. To date, performance data has yet to be collected or analyzed. Performance data will be tracked an analyzed as specified in the Agreement.