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Adopt a resolution accepting a California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) County Victim Services Program (XC) grant in the amount of $386,749 in 2017 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding for the period of July 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019; Adopt a resolution to amend the List of Numbers in Classifications of positions within the District Attorney’s Office to add 2.0 FTE Social Worker II (Limited Term); Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request increasing expenditures by $135,143, offset by a $132,265 decrease in Contracted Services and $2,878 increase in Other Revenue (4/5 vote required); and Authorize the County Administrator to execute a $25,000 contract amendment with Court Appointed Special Advocates Solano (CASA) for the period of January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No __X_
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No __X_
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The District Attorney (DA) recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt a resolution accepting a California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) County Victim Services Program (XC) grant in the amount of $386,749 in 2017 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding for the period of July 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019; and
2. Adopt a resolution to amend the List of Numbers in Classifications of positions within the District Attorney’s Office to add 2.0 FTE Social Worker II (Limited Term); and
3. Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request increasing expenditures by $135,143, offset by a $132,265 decrease in Contracted Services and $2,878 increase in Other Revenue (4/5 vote required); and
4. Authorize the County Administrator to execute a $25,000 contract amendment with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Solano for the period of January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
On December 6, 2016, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution accepting $532,430 in 2015 VOCA funding from the CalOES County Victim Services (XC) Grant Program to fund services to fill crime victim service gaps and needs. The grant award period was from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018.
The purpose of the XC Program is to provide one-time funding to help fill gaps and needs in victim services. The grant required the implementation of a “Victim Services Steering Committee” (VSSC) to identify these needs in Solano County, with membership required from various County departments, law enforcement agencies, and educational and health care providers. Once established, the VSSC, over a series of meetings, identified and agreed to address the following crime victim service gaps and needs:
• Increase victim advocacy on middle and high school campuses in Solano County.
• Create a multi-disciplinary approach to helping elders who are subject to undue physical and mental abuse.
• Increase support for crime victims seeking protection orders through advocacy.
• Increase the amount of non-acute sexual assault examinations for child victims.
• Increase resources for crime victims that address the immediate health and safety concerns at the time an incident of violence occurs.
• Increase courtroom advocacy through Court Appointed Special Advocates for children in foster care as the result of being victims of abuse and neglect.
• Create a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.
On June 7, 2018, the District Attorney was awarded $386,749 in 2017 VOCA funding by CalOES through an amendment to continue to address crime victim service gaps and needs as identified by the VSSC. On October 25, 2018, CalOES approved a modification to the 2017 VOCA funding, which included: 2.0 FTE Social Worker II (Limited Term) through December 31, 2019, one to focus on youth advocacy who will partner with other agencies that provide services to children in order to provide better advocacy, peer support, and service referrals to child victims of crime, and one to focus on elderly victims of crime, especially elder abuse; one-time purchases such as a 7-panel room partition and 20 chairs to increase private meeting space capacity; chair storage cart; Victim Services Grant Tracking software; desktop document scanners; cell phones for the Social Workers and monthly usage expense; labor to install a video monitor at the SFJC; funding for CASA to recruit and train volunteers from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019; and car seats for CASA clients.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2018/19 Adopted Budget. The $386,749 of 2017 VOCA grant funding and related expenditures are already included in the District Attorney’s Adopted budget for FY2018/19. There will be no additional financial impact to the County General Fund.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board can choose not to accept the grant funding or amend the position allocation; however, this is not recommended as this will prevent Solano County from using VOCA funding from CalOES and may affect its potential to receive future awards from these agencies.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Department of Human Resources has reviewed and concurs with the departmental recommendation.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION