To: Board of Supervisors
From: District Attorney
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Grant Program Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach (UV), Allocation of Full Time Equivalent Victim Witness Program Specialist, and Deallocation of 0.5 Full Time Equivalent permanent part time Victim Witness Program Specialist (4/5 Vote Required)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Authorize the District Attorney to sign all documents necessary to administer, modify and reapply for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Grant Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach (UV) Program for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-19 and first quarter FY 2019-20 (requires 4/5 vote);
2. Allocate 1.0 FTE Victim Witness Program Specialist positions (class 0689, salary range 347) in budget unit 291 effective immediately (requires 4/5 vote); and
3. Deallocate 0.5 FTE permanent part-time Victim Witness Program Specialist positions (class 0689, salary range 347) in budget unit 291 effective immediately (requires 4/5 vote).
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
State of California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Office of Violence Against Women
DISCUSSION:
In October 2018, the Office of the District Attorney of the County of Humboldt submitted an application for annual funding through Cal OES for FY 2018-19, for the District Attorney Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach (UV) Program. The funding is available through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which are federal funds managed and dispersed annually to eligible counties by Cal OES. This grant program is a competitive grant process for a five-year grant award. After the initial grant award there is an annual reapplication. The grant approval is now in the second year of application. The annual application was approved for funding in the amount of $218,750.
Funding to the Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach (UV) Program by Cal OES has allowed the program to provide direct services to victims and witnesses in unserved/ underserved communities. Services provided included crisis intervention, emergency assistance, resource and referral assistance, direct counseling/therapy, victim of crime claim assistance, property return, orientation to the criminal justice system, court escort, presentations and training for criminal justice agencies, public presentations and publicity, cases status/case disposition, notification of family/friends, employer notification/intervention, and restitution. All of these services are mandated by California Penal Code Sections 13835.4 through 13835.5. Other direct services are provided that are not mandated such as temporary restraining order assistance, providing crime prevention information, witness notification and funeral/burial arrangements.
Due to awareness and outreach to the community the number of direct services to victims and witnesses have increased. This has increased the work load for Victim Witness Program Specialists. Currently Budget unit 1100 291 allows for 1.5 Full time equivalent Victim Witness Program Specialists. The program has identified a need for two full-time equivalent Victim Witness Program Specialists to continue to provide community appropriate levels of direct client services mandated by the California Penal Code and allowing the District Attorney Victim Witness program to increase direct services to rural locations.
The employee currently holding the 0.5 Full Time Equivalent permanent part time Victim Witness Program Specialist Position will move to the Budget 1100 208 full time MVA Position.
The grant award in funding by Cal OES would allow the Humboldt County Victim Witness Program to allocate two 1.0 FTE Victim Witness Program Specialist positions.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the grant award will allow the county to be reimbursed up to a maximum of $175,000 for services performed in accordance with the scope of work described in the grant application for the period of Oct. 1, 2018 through Sept. 30, 2019 for the Victim Witness Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach (UV) Program (budget 1100 291). This funding will supply salary and benefits in total of $130,382 along with operating expenses of $44,618. There is a cash match obligation totaling $43,750 that will be met by the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office as emergency victim funding, co-hosting fees for 2-day local training in partnership fees, salary for outreach and internal background hiring fees, educational outreach items, Americans with Disabilities and central service charges along with indirect costs. There will not be a significant financial impact to budget unit 1100-291 in the remaining fiscal year. A budget adjustment from allocated extra help funding would be able to provide salary and benefits in the event the hiring process can be completed prior to end of the fiscal year. Total cost of the grant project is $218,750. There will be no impact to the General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by seeking outside funding to benefit Humboldt County needs, building inter-jurisdictional and regional cooperation along with investing in county employees and providing community-appropriate levels of service.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Cal OES
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may choose not to approve the grant award. This is not recommended as it would cause a loss of anticipated revenue for the County of Humboldt. Furthermore, it would leave the community, as well as the region, without the funding to support the salaries and program functions that will provide local service to victims and witnesses of crime.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Grant Award Letter and application
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: C-9
Meeting of: March 28, 2017
File No.: