Item Number: 15
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: October 21, 2025
Submitted By:
Alex Jauregui, City Planner
Subject:
Amendment No. 1 to the Professional Services Provider Agreement Between the City of Victorville and Symba Center for Wellness Center Wraparound, Shelter Operator, and ERF-3 Services, Project No. JM23-065-1
Recommendation:
That the Honorable City Council:
(1) Approve Amendment No. 1 to the Professional Services Provider Agreement with Symba Center;
(2) Authorize the City Manager, upon consultation with the City Attorney, to make non- substantive and/or clarifying changes to said Amendment, as needed; and (3) Authorize the City Manager to execute said Amendment and any supplemental amendments to the Agreement that:
(a) Do not result in an increase in compensation to the Consultant in excess of the amount set forth in VMC Section 2.28.060(e)(3)(B); and (b) Are similar in nature and scope to those contained in the attached Amendment to preserve service continuity.
Fiscal Impact:
The recommended actions do not result in a fiscal impact beyond what was approved in conjunction with the original Wellness Center Professional Services Provider Agreement approved by the City Council on May 20, 2025.
Strategic Plan Goal:
This item aligns with Goal D, Reduce Homelessness, of the 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, particularly Strategies 1 and 4, which emphasize the City’s commitment to reducing homelessness:
Strategy 1 - Complete construction and open the Wellness Center Campus including low-barrier emergency shelter, recuperative care facility, medical clinic, and wraparound supportive services.
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Strategy 4 - Evaluate the effectiveness of coordination of homelessness services.
Together, these strategies guide the City’s efforts to deliver holistic and measurable solutions to address homelessness in the community, and the proposal will implement these strategies by creating and maintaining sustainable solutions.
Background:
On May 20, 2025, the City Council approved a 36-month Professional Services Provider Agreement (“Agreement”) with Symba Center, effective July 1, 2025, appointing it as the sole operator of shelter and wraparound supportive services at the Wellness Center and a continued vendor for the City’s ERF-3 program (Attachment B). Since its opening in December 2023, the 170-bed campus-style facility has served individuals experiencing homelessness with housing, healthcare, and support. Symba Center has provided wraparound services from the start and assumed full operational responsibility as of July 1, 2025.
Symba Center’s operational budget for the current Agreement was developed with the expectation that Medi-Cal reimbursements, delivered through the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (“CalAIM”) program, administered locally by health plans, would continue to provide a significant portion of ongoing funding, as they have since the Wellness Center opened. Under this framework, Symba Center delivers authorized Community Support services such as case management, housing navigation, housing tenancy, housing deposits, short-term post-hospitalization housing, and recuperative care. These CalAIM reimbursable Community Support services are central to the Wellness Center’s whole-person care model and were intended to offset the City’s monetary contributions.
However, recent California Department of Health Care Services (“DHCS”) policy changes, such as 182-day global caps on room-and-board services per year, and shifts in local health plan administration have impacted these reimbursement streams. More specifically, on June 18, 2025, the Inland Empire Health Plan (“IEHP”), which is one of the default Medi-Cal health plans for San Bernardino and Riverside counties, temporarily paused enrollment in Community Supports to reassess oversight and align with DHCS guidance. While this pause has since been lifted, referral backlogs and stricter service criteria have disrupted Symba Center’s service delivery and anticipated reimbursement.
Discussion:
Overview
Symba Center is proposing to revise their staffing plan to maintain sustainability under recent Medi-Cal and IEHP changes and requirements, making necessary staffing reductions while preserving all core functions and the originally approved scope of work.
To enhance client housing stability, support the proposed staffing model, align the current-year budget with reconciliation outcomes, and maintain compliance with state- approved budget requirements, Symba Center has proposed a reallocation of ERF-3 funding categories (Attachment A – Exhibit B-2). This adjustment would not only address 4 3
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necessary budget updates but also strengthen community support and housing navigation services for eligible ERF-3 clients at the Wellness Center. Symba Center has also requested the ability to receive monthly advances for Non-ERF-3 contracted services. These proposed adjustments would allow the prepayment of contract services and would not alter the allocation of $1,374,920 for ERF-3 nor the total 36-month contracted amount of $8,931,792.50 for Wellness Center operations.
Additionally, actual operational insurance costs have been lower than anticipated, potentially resulting in cost savings that may be redirected to program operations to further support long-term sustainability.
Shelter Operations - Proposed Staffing Plan
To clarify the proposed staffing adjustment at the Wellness Center, the following chart represents the staffing levels proposed by Symba Center. All services identified in the scope of work will remain; however, they will be delivered through a streamlined model based on the proposed personnel/staffing levels outlined below. Should operational revenues from third-party sources, such as IEHP, increase in the future, the City may require Symba Center to incrementally restore staffing levels in proportion to the increased funding, up to, but not exceeding, the original staffing model, with such adjustments to be implemented within forty-five (45) days of written notice.
PERSONNEL/STAFFING Original FTE Revised FTE
Intake Specialist 1 1
Case Managers/HN 8 8
Occupational Therapist 0.5 0.0
Peer Support Specialist 21 21
Licensed Vocational Nurse 4 3
Medical Assistants 5 3
LMFT Therapist 1 1
LMFT Associate 1 1
Medical Director 0.2 0.2
Pharmacist 0.5 0.2
Nurse Practitioner (medical recup) 0.5 0.4
Nurse Practitioner (psych recup) 0.5 0.2
Kitchen Manager 1 1
Kitchen Staff 6 5
Registered Nurse Case Manager 1 1
Substance Abuse Counselor 1 1
Wellness Center Manager 1 1
Assistant Manager 1 1
Data Coordinator 1 1
Drivers 2.5 2.5
Total Full Time Employees (“FTE”) 57.7 52.5
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Encampment Resolution Fund Round 3 (ERF-3) – Proposed Reallocation In the current Agreement, the City Council authorized the expenditure of $1,374,920 to Symba Center in ERF-3 funding. The below table represents how Symba Center is proposing to redistribute available funds across funding categories. The ERF-3 funding category for rapid rehousing is further detailed in Attachment A – Exhibit B-2.
ERF-3 Service
Categories Description
Current
Agreement
Allocation
Proposed
Amendment
Allocation
Case
Management
Trauma informed, client centered
case management to advance
client housing
$302,848 $224,000
Licensed
Vocational
Nurse
Medical services to outreach clients
and the connection to additional
levels of care
$133,848 $156,000
Housing
Navigator
Landlord engagement, housing
search, landlord contracts, and
aftercare mitigation
$151,424 $135,000
Rapid
Rehousing
Rental subsidies, security deposits,
landlord incentives, house search,
and facilitating access to services
$776,800 $859,920
Contingency
Fund Reserve for unexpected costs $10,000 $0
Total Amount: $1,374,920 $1,374,920
Wellness Center Operator Agreement – Proposed Prepayment To ensure continuity of Wellness Center operations while maintaining appropriate fiscal controls, Symba Center is requesting advance payments for non-ERF-3 services under the Agreement. These advances, which would be capped at $225,000.00 per month unless otherwise approved in writing by the City, are intended to cover reasonable estimated costs necessary for the timely and efficient performance of services. As proposed, Symba Center must request such advances in writing and clearly identify the services to be funded, the estimated costs, and the necessity of the advance. No additional advances will be released until Symba Center submits detailed invoices and supporting documentation demonstrating that the prior advance has been fully applied to eligible costs. Symba Center will also remain obligated to account for all advanced funds in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including cost principles and audit standards under 2 C.F.R. Part 200. Any unexpended or improperly used funds must be returned to the City within thirty (30) days of demand.
Insurance – Proposed Reallocation of Savings
Within Section 4.a.(3) of the original Professional Services Provider Agreement (Attachment B – Exhibit B-1, page 2), Symba Center was allocated $125,000 for projected insurance costs to meet the City’s insurance requirements. The agreement specifies that the City is only obligated to reimburse Symba for actual costs incurred and that if the 4 3
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actual costs are less than the amount shown in Exhibit B-1 of Attachment A then the budget line item shall be adjusted downward accordingly. This provision allows the City flexibility to reallocate any savings to other line items. As the total insurance cost is expected to be less than the agreed amount, this may result in cost savings. As such, staff recommends affirming the City Manager’s authorization to reallocate any cost savings from the Wellness Center Shelter operator and Service Provider Agreement insurance budget line item, pursuant to Section 4.a.(3) of the Agreement, to meet Wellness Center operational needs such as staffing or program operations.
Agreement Adjustments
Given recent regulatory changes under CalAIM, the pause in services by IEHP, ongoing reimbursement challenges with local health plans, Symba Center’s current budget constraints, and the need to reconcile the budget in accordance with state requirements, staff recommends that the City Council formally acknowledge these operational and fiscal impacts and approve Amendment No. 1 to the existing Professional Services Provider Agreement with Symba Center. Staff further recommends authorizing the City Manager, in consultation with the City Attorney, to make any necessary non-substantive or clarifying revisions to the amendment as needed, and to execute the said amendment, along with any future adjustments that remain within the approved compensation limits and are consistent in scope and intent.
These proposed adjustments and the ability to make future adjustments in a timely manner are essential to strengthening Wellness Center operations, safeguarding critical services, and ensuring the facility continues to serve as a cornerstone of Victorville’s homelessness response system.
Staff is available for any questions Council may have.
Prepared By:
William Lamas, Homelessness Solutions Manager
Attachments: A. Professional Services Provider Agreement Amendment Number One
B. Professional Services Provider Agreement Between the City of Victorville and Symba Center for Wellness Center
Wraparound, Shelter Operator, and ERF-3 Services Project No. JM23-065-1