To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Administration
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Bringing Families Home Grant, Jointly Applied with Yurok Health and Human Services, to Provide Housing Support Services to Families involved with Child Welfare Services
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director, or a designee thereof, to accept a grant in the amount of $700,000.00 over the period of April 2020 through June 2022;
2. Authorize the DHHS Director, or a designee thereof, to execute any and all agreements required to administer the grant after review and approval by County Counsel, Risk Management, and the County Administrative Office; and
3. Approve the allocation of one (1.0) full time equivalent (FTE) Program Coordinator (job class 1425, salary range 424) in budget unit (BU) 426, effective immediately upon Board of Supervisors approval.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Mental Health Fund
DISCUSSION:
DHHS and the Yurok Department of Health & Human Services (YHHS) applied for and has been selected to receive a grant from the California Department of Social Services called Bringing Families Home. The purpose of the Bringing Families Home grant is to reduce the number of families in the child welfare system experiencing or at risk of homelessness, to increase family reunification, and to prevent foster care placement. In DHHS, the majority of the grant money, if accepted by your Board, will be designated for shorter-term (24 months or fewer) rental assistance and other rental/move in costs such as security and utility deposits.
The grant funding supports the hiring of a Program Coordinator to serve as a Housing Navigation Program Coordinator. This Program Coordinator will work extensively with private landlords to receive access to and link Child Welfare Services (CWS)-involved families to available rental properties. Many DHHS customers have rental or credit histories that might deter landlords from renting to them, and others simply have limited resources to contact multiple landlords for available rentals. Having a Program Coordinator build relationships with the landlords and serve as a single point of contact increases landlord receptivity to renting to DHHS clients, as does extensive internal organization and communication designed to address problems at the earliest opportunity and prevent problems with landlords including evictions. The Program Coordinator will work with CWS staff including social workers to ensure CWS clients are “rental ready” and have necessary documents such as photo identification and income verification as well as complete and accurate rental applications.
DHHS currently has a Program Coordinator effectively working with private landlords to obtain and retain housing for chronically homeless clients including persons experiencing serious mental illness. The Bringing Families Home CWS Housing Navigation Program Coordinator will model efforts on currently successful practices and additionally specialize in finding housing for families, as the needs and the challenges of the clients seeking housing differ due to family size and composition. Additionally, the Housing Navigation Program Coordinator will work with this and any other DHHS Housing Navigators and program staff to prioritize their housing efforts based on need and circumstances.
DHHS will be bringing an agreement before your Board for the YHHS portion of the awarded grant. In the award letter the amounts for DHHS and YHHS are not specified. Currently the expected breakdown of the $700,000 is $267,400 for YHHS and $432,600 for DHHS.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The California Department of Health & Human Services awarded a total of $700,000.00 in funds to the Humboldt County DHHS and YHHS for services and supports to serve CWS families who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness. The grant award will sustain this program through June 30, 2022. The grant will fund salary and benefit costs for 1.0 FTE Program Coordinator at $101,247.69.
DHHS plans to sustain the program beyond the term of the grant by means of cost savings from costly short- and medium-term emergency placement of families in motels. There is no impact to the County General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by providing community-appropriate levels of service creating opportunities for improved safety and health, and protecting vulnerable populations.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Yurok Department of Health & Human Services
County Human Resources
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Your Board could choose not to accept the Bringing Families Home grant. This is not recommended, as services and supports are needed for CWS families experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness, and the collaborative application with YHHS reflects a joint effort to better serve families.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Bringing Families Home Grant Application submitted by DHHS and YHHS
2. Intent to Award Letter
3. Classification Review Request Memo
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: 20-256