To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Defender
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Allocation of 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Social Worker III and approve a Supplemental Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2019-20 (4/5 Vote Required)
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Allocate 1.0 FTE Social Worker III, (Class 0727, Salary Range 400, bargaining unit 004) in budget unit 219, amending Appendix A of the July 1, 2017- June 30, 2020 American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Memorandum of Understanding classification plan effective immediately following approval; and
2. Adopt the attached fiscal year 2019-20 supplemental budget and direct the Auditor-Controller to perform the budget adjustment in the amount of $93,900.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Mental Health Fund
DISCUSSION:
In March 2019, the Public Defender’s Office responded to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Request for Proposals (RFP) for projects that would address the needs of individuals and families experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in accordance with any and all applicable Homeless Emergency Assistance Program (HEAP) requirements.
The Public Defender’s proposal requested funding to hire a social worker to work with clients to obtain and maintain permanent housing, and associated costs including the purchase of equipment to support a new position and a pool of funding to secure and maintain housing including security deposits, and up to 3 months of emergency rent payments.
On April 16, 2019, your Board approved funding allocations recommended by the RFP Evaluation Committee including the project described above in the amount of $274,599 for a 2-year period.
On Aug. 20, 2019, your Board adopted the new classification of Social Worker III (Class 0727, Salary Range 475) for Public Defender budget Unit 219, and adopted Resolution No. 19-76 approving the amendment of Appendix A of the July 1, 2017- June 30, 2020 AFSCME Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to include the new job class of Social Worker III, (Class 0727, Salary Range 475).
On Sept. 10, 2019, your Board approved an inter-departmental MOU between DHHS and the Public Defender regarding the provision of supportive services to individuals experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness in Humboldt County for the period of July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2021.
On Oct. 1, 2019, your Board approved Resolution No. 19-95 amending Resolution No. 18-81 and 19-76, to amend the salary range and unit for the Social Worker III from Class 0727, Salary range 475, bargaining unit 219, to Class 0727, Salary Range 400, bargaining unit 004 within the classification plan found at Appendix A of the July 1, 2017-June 30, 2020 AFSCME MOU.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The projected cost for salary and benefits to allocate 1.0 FTE Social Worker III is $50,000 for the remaining seven months of the 2019-20 fiscal year. Additional expenses in the amount of $43,900 are included in the proposed supplemental budget for a total of $93,900 for the remainder of the 2019-20 fiscal year.
Funding for the 2020-21 fiscal year will be included in the annual budget process. Funding is provided through the Homeless Emergency Assistance Program (HEAP) grant, administered by DHHS-Housing, Outreach and Mobile Engagement (HOME). Revenues associated with the Sept. 10, 2019 MOU between DHHS and Public Defender are included in the approved Fiscal Year 2019-20 budget for DHHS-HOME budget unit 1170-426. As a result, approval of the attached supplemental budget and proposed personnel allocation will not impact the General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by providing community-appropriate levels of service and seeking outside funding sources to benefit the needs of Humboldt County citizens.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may choose to not allocate 1.0 FTE Social Worker III, position and the supplemental budget; however, this alternative is not recommended, as $274,599 in grant funding would be lost to the Public Defender Office as successful implementation of this program requires an experienced Social Worker to work with individuals who are at risk of experiencing homelessness in accordance with any and all applicable HEAP requirements.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit A - Proposed Supplemental Budget for Public Defender Budget Unit 1100-219.
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: C-8, C-12, C-27
Meeting of: Sept. 10, 2019, Oct. 1, 2019, Aug. 20, 2019
File No.: 19-1263, 19-1355, 19-1129