AGENDA REPORT
TO: Elizabeth Lake FROM: Greg Elliott
Acting City Administrator Interim HSD Director
SUBJECT: Multipurpose Senior Services
Program (MSSP) Resolution 90362
C.M. Addendum
DATE: May 28, 2026
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That City Council Adopts A Resolution Amending Resolution No. 90362 C.M.S. For The Fiscal Years 2024 -2025 Through 2028-2029 To 1) Add Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSPP) Vendors Shield- California Health Care Center And Transdev Services; And 2) Waive The Competitive Process And Local/Small Local Business Enterprise Program Requirements For MSPP Vendors Bay Area Vital -link, Lifeline Systems, Community Care Services, San Oaks Caring Hands II, Shield- California Health Care Center And Transdev Services
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As a result of a staff omission identified during the contract development process, corrective Council action in the form of a Resolution to amend Resolution No. 90362 is needed. As adopted, Resolution No. 90362 C.M.S. did not include the necessary language to waive procurement and the Local/Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) certification requirement for vendors named therein. Except for Bay Area Vital -Link, Inc., vendors identified in Resolution No. 90362 C.M.S. do not currently possess an L/SLBE certificate. Absent this authority, contract processing could not proceed, effectively halting legal review, contractor execution, and submission to the Work Order process unless remedied through a formal corrective Resolution approved by Council.
Shield-California Health Care Center, Inc., and Transdev Services, Inc. were also omitted from the list of vendors in Resolution No. 90362, which must be corrected. Services provided by these named vendors are vital to the health and safety of about 369 vulnerable seniors and disabled individuals who are at risk for institutionalization.
REASON FOR URGENCY
The urgency of this request reflects the essential, time-sensitive services provided through the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), which supports over 369 frail, low-income older adults at risk of nursing home placement. To remain safe in their homes, participants rely on emergency response services from Bay Area Vital-Link, Inc. and Lifeline Systems Company, Betsy Lake (Jun 5, 2026 08:25:38 PDT)
Jun 5, 2026
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: MSSP Resolution 90362 C.M. Addendum
Date: May 28, 2026 Page 2
Life Enrichment Committee
June 9, 2026
which provide installation, monitoring, and 24/7 access to immediate assistance during falls, medical emergencies, or other safety events.
Respite services from Community Care Services, Inc., and San Oaks Caring Hands II LLC included in this report provide caregiver support to families who care for the frail elders at home.
Shield-California Health Care Center, Inc., provides preventive skin care products that are not covered by the participants' insurance. Transdev Services, Inc. is the provider of East Bay Paratransit tickets. These life- sustaining services are critical to the health and safety of MSSP participants, particularly for individuals who live alone and have significant health vulnerabilities.
Any interruption due to delayed contract execution would place participants at heightened risk and disrupt continuity of care. If the exemption is not granted, the City risks interruption of emergency response system monitoring services, caregiver support, preventive skin care products, and transportation
for these at-risk seniors, undermining both client safety and the City’s commitment to vulnerable residents.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The City of Oakland’s Human Services Department (HSD), Aging and Adult Services Division, empowers seniors and adults with disabilities through life- enriching and life- sustaining programs and services, including MSSP. Oakland's frail elders (age 60 and over) have multiple chronic disabilities that put them at risk of early death or institutionalization. MSSP provides culturally appropriate, comprehensive case management services to keep Medicare - eligible, frail elders out of nursing homes and safe and independent in their homes, thereby increasing their quality of life when they are most vulnerable.
Established in 1977, the California Legislature, as a four-year research and demonstration project, MSS was created to identify cost -effective strategies to prevent the unnecessary institutionalization of older adults. The Torres -Felando Long- Term Care Reform Act of 1982 (Chapter 1453) authorized the continuation of MSSP beyond its June 30, 1983, sunset date, contingent upon the program demonstrating cost -effectiveness and the State obtaining federal approval to fund the program through a Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waiver.
The City of Oakland MSSP holds the distinction of being California Department of Aging (CDA) MSSP Site 01 and was the first site to receive a Standard Agreement to provide MSSP services in 1977.
Historically, the Human Services Department (HSD) has sought Council approval annually to accept MSSP funding and authorize the City Administrator to execute agreements with the CDA. These resolutions also included waivers of competitive procurement and L/SLBE requirements to allow the City to contract with specialized MSSP service providers. For example, Resolution No. 89795 C.M.S. for FY 2023–24 included these waivers.
Resolution No. 90362 C.M.S., which authorizes MSSP operations for FY 2024–25 through FY 2028–29, provides authority to continue contracting with the same MSSP providers of goods and services used in prior years. However, the competitive procurement and L/SLBE waiver language was inadvertently omitted from the resolution.
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: MSSP Resolution 90362 C.M. Addendum
Date: May 28, 2026 Page 3
Life Enrichment Committee
June 9, 2026
This amendment corrects that omission, seeks authorization to add additional MSSP service providers, and ensures the uninterrupted delivery of critical, life-sustaining services to vulnerable, medically frail MSSP participants.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
MSSP is funded through a Standard Agreement with the CDA, which administers the federal 1915(c) Home & Community -Based Waiver to meet the needs of people who prefer to receive long-term care services and support in their home and community. The goal of MSSP is to prevent or delay nursing placement and to provide community support and resources to seniors who are at risk of nursing home care and homelessness. The program promotes participant self- determination and fosters independent living for frail/disabled elders within the least restrictive environment and is a proven, cost -effective alternative to nursing home placement. Using a medical and psychosocial model, the multidisciplinary team of MSSP nurses and social workers ensures seniors who are frail, and disabled are connected to social and health services and other community supports.
The alternative to not providing these services is the inequity of premature death, nursing home placement, and homelessness of our most vulnerable citizens – the oldest old, poorest poor, and largest growing segment of the population. For 49 consecutive years, the City of Oakland’s MSSP has prevented or delayed these consequences for thousands of Oakland residents. MSSP is essential to securing a safety net for frail/disabled elders of Oakland and ensures their ability to age in the least restrictive environment – their own home.
Oakland Municipal Code (OMC) sections 2.040.040(B) and 2.04.051 A requires the City Administrator to conduct a Request For Proposals/Qualifications (“RFP/Q”) process for professional services contracts. However, OMC section 2.04.051.B allows Council to waive the RFP/Q requirements upon a finding by the Council that it is in the best interest of the City to do so.
Alternative #1 Do not approve Resolution correcting Resolution 90362 C.M.
Pros None.
Cons Disrupt services and support for 369 frail elderly participants.
Reason for not
recommending
It will cause undue harm to Oakland's most vulnerable citizens.
WAIVER RATIONALE
The CDA Standard Agreement funds include $158,111 per year designated to purchase goods and services needed to protect the health and safety of frail elderly participants. Due to the unique circumstances of this program, requiring specialized often one of a kind vendors, obtaining goods and services through the City’s standard competitive process would limit the staff’s ability to purchase in a cost-effective and timely manner. The CDA funds are used to buy personal care items, appliances, non-medical home equipment, and services such as respite and emergency response systems. Due to the specialized nature of what is being purchased, there are a limited number of suppliers, often only a single supplier, who can meet the needs of the participants.
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: MSSP Resolution 90362 C.M. Addendum
Date: May 28, 2026 Page 4
Life Enrichment Committee
June 9, 2026
The CDA mandates that MSSP providers purchase items in a timely manner, based on participants' choices , including brand and vendor. The City’s bidding process timelines and vendor selection render it challenging to meet the requirements of the CDA Agreement.
Therefore, as granted in prior years, the staff is requesting a waiver of the advertising and competitive bidding requirements, as well as the RFQ/P requirements, for the purchase of services or supplies for MSSP participants. This will allow staff to meet the mandate in the 1915c Waiver application between CDA, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the City of Oakland’s agreement, which states that individuals are given the choice among waiver services and providers. This approach is referred to as Freedom of Choice.
Staff proposes that the City waive the competitive procurement process for purchasing goods and services for MSSP participants and enter into contract with the following vendors named in Resolution No. 90362 C.M.S. approved by Council on July 16, 2024:
• Bay Area Vital-Link, Inc.
• Lifeline Systems Company
• Community Care Services, Inc.
• San Oaks Caring Hands II, LLC
• Shield-California Healthcare Center, Inc.
• Transdev Services, Inc.
Bay Area Vital -Link, Inc. and Lifeline Systems Company provide communication/emergency response and maintain and monitor pre -installed hardware in client homes. It would not be fiscally viable to change these vendors through a RFP/Q process, as it would require purchasing and reinstalling equipment that has already been paid for with agreement funds. In addition, the transition period between monitoring and response agencies could potentially put the participant’s health and safety at risk.
Community Care Services, Inc. and San Oaks Caring Hands II provide chore, personal care, and respite services from local providers that deliver a continuum of care for frail seniors, whose in- home workers have established relationships with clients equivalent to those of a primary medical care provider-patient relationship. In some instances, the agencies have hired family members, especially for monolingual, non-English-speaking clients. The agency has gone through a vendor process with those family members to reimburse them as care providers. This process allows clients, many dealing with cognitive issues such as dementia, to receive support from their own family members as in-home care providers.
With the exception of Bay Area Vital -Link, Inc., which currently holds a L/SLBE certificate, staff propose that the City Council waive L/SLBE Program requirements for all other vendors identified in Resolution No. 90362 C.M.S.
Oakland Municipal Code (OMC) sections 2.040.040(B)
and 2.04.051. A requires the City
Administrator to conduct a request for proposals/qualifications (“RFP/Q”) process for professional services contracts. However, OMC section 2.04.051.B allows Council to waive the RFP/Q requirements upon a finding that it is in the best interest of the City to do so.
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: MSSP Resolution 90362 C.M. Addendum
Date: May 28, 2026 Page 5
Life Enrichment Committee
June 9, 2026
FISCAL IMPACT
Without MSSP, potentially 369 frail elderly/disabled Oakland residents per month are immediately at risk of nursing home placement or homelessness, adding further strain to our healthcare and social service issues. In addition, eleven current City of Oakland staff positions would be lost.
MSSP is a Medicaid Waiver, fee-for-service, reimbursement agreement program. To bill MediCal and collect the full $1,976,364, the City must serve 100 percent of the participant capacity, including goods and services.
The annual MSSP per -slot rate is $5,356 per year. Compared to the San Francisco Bay Area annual nursing home rate of $182,500, MSSP remains a significant cost-saving for taxpayers and provides a more community-centered set of services.
The resolution request functions as an addendum to correct Resolution 90362 C.M.S.
This ongoing agreement is funded by Title XIX of the Social Security Act, Social Security Act Funds, and the State of California and appropriated in the Department of Health and Human Services Fund (2128), Multipurpose Senior Services Program Organization (75231), Empowering Seniors & People with Disability Program (YS14), and MSSP FY 25-26 Admin Project (1007653), MSSP FY 25-26 Case Management Project (1007654), and MSSP FY 2025-26 Waived Services Project (1007655).
.
Sufficient funds are included in the Fiscal Year 2025- 2026 as part of the FY 2025- 27 Biennial Adopted Budget for MSSP and Waiver Services, e.g., Emergency Response Systems, and Respite Services.
A breakdown of the appropriated project funding sources is included in Table 1:
Table 1: Project Funding Sources
Fund Source Organization Project Program Amount
2128 75231 1007653 - Admin YS14 $602,621
2128 75231 1007654 – Case
Management
YS14 $1,212,632
2128 75231 1007655 – Waived
Services
YS14 $158,111
Total Project: $1,976,364
Total Ongoing: $1,976,364
Expenditures and revenue are ongoing and annual for fiscal years 2025-2026, 2026-2027, 2027- 2028, and 2028-2029.
Future funding will be included in the proposed annual budgets and has been approved by Council in Resolution 90362 C.M.
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: MSSP Resolution 90362 C.M. Addendum
Date: May 28, 2026 Page 6
Life Enrichment Committee
June 9, 2026
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
The MSSP Site Director/Senior Services Supervisor works closely with internal and external parties, including the Multipurpose Senior Services Program Association, CDA Program Analyst, Alameda County Senior Services Coalition, Health Care Services, Hospice, City of Fremont – Aging and Family Services, Center for Elders Independence, and community -based organizations serving the elderly population. Referrals come from hospital discharge planners, public health nurses, County Adult Protective Services (APS) nurses and social workers, MSSP staff case findings, community outreach presentations, and word of mouth.
HSD receives hundreds of calls from the public inquiring about services for seniors. Particularly, family, friends, and neighbors who are concerned about declining elders who need case management.
COORDINATION
This report and legislation have been reviewed by the Office of the City Attorney and the Budget Bureau.
RACE AND EQUITY
The work of HSD’s Aging and Adult Services division is guided by the following equity outcome:
Older adults in Oakland – including people facing disparities due to race, age, language, disability, gender, and other inequities – feel safe, healthy, included, and connected in the community by having access to the resources and supports they need to age well and live full lives.
The action advances racial equity by expanding access to coordinated, community-based care for populations disproportionately impacted by homelessness, chronic conditions, and systemic barriers, including Black, Latinx, Asian Pacific Islander, immigrant, and low -income residents. The program incorporates culturally responsive outreach, Community Health Worker models, and service delivery in trusted community settings to reduce barriers and improve engagement.
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Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: MSSP Resolution 90362 C.M. Addendum
Date: May 28, 2026 Page 7
Life Enrichment Committee
June 9, 2026
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That City Council Adopts A Resolution Amending Resolution No. 90362 C.M.S. For The Fiscal Years 2024 -2025 Through 2028-2029 To 1) Add Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSPP) Vendors Shield- California Health Care Center And Transdev Services; And 2) Waive The Competitive Process And Local/Small Local Business Enterprise Program Requirements For MSPP Vendors Bay Area Vital -link, Lifeline Systems, Community Care Services, San Oaks Caring Hands II, Shield- California Health Care Center And Transdev Services
For questions regarding this report, please contact ANA BAGTAS, AGING AND ADULT SERVICES MANAGER at (510) 238- 6947
Respectfully submitted,
Greg Elliott (Jun 4, 2026 14:10:17 PDT)
GREG ELLIOTT
Interim Director, Human Services
Prepared by:
Karyl Eckels, Sr. Services Supervisor
Aging and Adult Services
Reviewed by:
Ana Bagtas
Aging and Adult Services Manager