To: Board of Supervisors
From: Probation
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Request for Authority to Apply for the Probation Specialized Units (PU) Program Grant
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Authorize the Chair of the Board to sign the Certificate of Assurance of Compliance Authorization with the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) (attachment 4);
2. Authorize the Chief Probation Officer to sign the application to California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) Victim Services Division for the Probation Specialized Units (PU) Program Grant (attachments 1-10) for fiscal year 2020-21;
3. Authorize the Chief Probation Officer to sign any subsequent grant documents relating to the Probation Specialized Units (PU) Program Grant for the 2020-21 fiscal year; and
4. Direct the Clerk of the Board to return the executed Certificate of Assurance of Compliance Authorization with the Violence Against Women Act (attachment 4) to the Probation Department, attention Ellisha Hardison, Legal Office Business Manager.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
The federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Services*Training*Officers*Prosecutors (S*T*O*P) Formula Grant supports the Probation Specialized Supervision Program that is administered in California by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Victim Services Division.
DISCUSSION:
On Oct. 22, 2013, the Board of Supervisors approved the Probation Department’s request to apply for the federal VAWA S*T*O*P Grant. In California, the grant is administrated by Cal OES, Victim Services Division. The Probation Department would like to continue its work with the grant. The Probation Department is submitting the seventh such application to Cal OES to continue its work supervising domestic violence offenders on formal probation.
The Probation Department is seeking approval from your Board to submit grant paperwork to Cal OES for the continuance of the Probation Specialized Units (PU) Program. The extension of the grant will allow the Probation Department to continue to provide intensive supervision to domestic violence offenders. With this program, Probation hired a Senior Probation Officer to supervise these offenders. This program also supports offender participation in court-ordered Batterer’s Intervention Programs (BIP) where previously delays in service left offenders untreated for months. Assistance provided through the grant addresses this service gap.
The first request for proposals (RFP) for this grant was competitive. Upon the initial approval, the Probation Department had the option of applying for two additional annual grant periods on a non-competitive basis, as the grant program was a 3-year funded program. The Probation Department successfully applied for, and was awarded, grant funding in both of the non-competitive years. The grant was due to become competitive again in fiscal year 2016-17, however due to an unexpected excess of funds the grant was opened non-competitively for an additional 2 years. Humboldt County Probation applied again and was awarded. The RFP was again opened competitively year before last fiscal year and the Probation Department sought and was awarded a sixth year of funding. This year is the second of three non-competitive years in the cycle, contingent on the availability of funds. Therefore, the Humboldt County Probation Department once again is requesting authorization to apply for the eighth grant year. This grant period runs from Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021.
The Probation Department requests that the Board of Supervisors authorize the Chief Probation Officer to sign and submit Cal OES’ Probation Specialized Units (PU) Program FY 2020-21 application (Attachments 1 - 10) and any subsequent grant paperwork. In addition, staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors authorize the Chair of the Board to sign the Certificate of Assurance of Compliance (Attachment 4) as required for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
In preparing the Probation Specialized Supervision Program FY 2020-21 application, the Probation Department requested funding from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Victim Services Division for $90,000. The grant includes a required 25 percent county match of the total amount of funding. Therefore, the Probation Department would be required to provide funding in the amount of $30,000 as a match for the grant award however Cal OES has offered a match waiver application option of up to 100% for fiscal year 2020/21 and that application is included here along with the other grant required documents. The Probation Department will utilize monies from its trust fund, 3782, which has a current balance of $1,239,025, to subsidize any remaining program costs not covered by the grant funding. Since the grant period runs from Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021, the impact to the department’s budget is demonstrated with the existing budget of 1100-235-52654, with 100 percent of the total $90,000 being represented.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by enforcing laws and regulations to protect residents .
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Victim Services
Community-Based Organizations - Batterer Intervention Programs
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may elect not to approve this request however it is not recommended. Without funding from this grant, the Probation Department would be unable to continue its Specialized Units (PU) Program for domestic violence offenders, which would result in the loss of treatment services to address this specific, identified need.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Grant Subaward Face Sheet
2. Project Contact Information
3. Signature Authorization
4. Certificate of Assurance of Compliance - VAWA
5. Budget Pages
6. Budget Narrative
7. Project Narrative
8. Subrecipient Grants Management Assessment
9. Project Service Area Information
10. Organizational Chart
11. Grant Match Waiver
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: B-1, C-14, C-10, C-16, C-18, C-19, C-10, C-21
Meeting of: 10/22/13, 1/17/14, 9/23/14, 9/15/15, 10/4/16, 10/17/17, 9/4/18, 9/17/19
File No.: 18-1135, 19-1318