To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Social Services
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Approval of domestic violence shelter-based programs for funding and designation of a local agency to monitor the domestic violence shelter-based programs.
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve Humboldt Domestic Violence Services as the local domestic violence shelter-based program to receive funding through the Domestic Violence Shelter-Based Programs Act for fiscal year 2020-21;
2. Designate Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as the local agency to monitor the domestic violence shelter-based program;
3. Authorize DHHS to determine local domestic violence shelter-based programs who would be eligible for funding and the ability to distribute funds annually.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
State mandated licensing fees
DISCUSSION:
Pursuant to Welfare and Institution Code (W&I Code) 18290-18309.8, a county clerk will collect $23 per marriage certificate issued and deposit said funds into a local domestic violence fund. The funds are intended to support domestic violence shelter-based programs. The W&I Code gives the Board the authority to approve funding for one or more domestic violence shelter-based programs.
The W&I Code also grants the Board the authority to designate a local agency to monitor the activities performed by the domestic violence shelter-based programs. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been administering these funds since the creation of DHHS. The Board could choose to designate another agency to monitor and distribute these funds. At this time DHHS would respectfully request that the Board continue to designate DHHS as the monitoring agency.
Over the past years it has become increasingly difficult to distribute the funds to our local domestic violence shelter-based programs due to contracting requirements. To assist in easing the administrative burden of these funds, DHHS is requesting the approval to distribute the funds annually as a pass-through without an agreement and require that the domestic violence shelter-based programs receiving the funds provide an annual update of services to the Board as part of the Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. The annual report shall include, at a minimum, the number of persons requesting services and the number of services provided.
The County of Humboldt has two programs that qualify for these funds; Humboldt Domestic Violence Services (HDVS) and Women’s Crisis Shelter in Southern Humboldt (WISH). It is staff’s intention to distribute 100% of the domestic violence shelter-based funds currently held to HDVS. In future years DHHS intends to equitably distribute these funds between HDVS and WISH. As the total amount to pass through varies annually, DHHS recommends that the future funding distributed between local domestic violence shelter-based programs be based on a caseload ratio, as determined by DHHS.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The revenue associated with the domestic violence shelter-based programs fees is deposited into trust 4002-Domestic Violence Program Trust. A balance of $40,214.24 from fiscal year 2019-20 is available to be distributed. The funds are distributed the year following the year of deposit, for fiscal year 2020-21, the total amount of funds received in fiscal year 2019-20 are distributed to domestic violence shelter-based programs.
Expenditure related to this service were included in the DHHS Social Services FY 2021-22 budget (budget unit 1160-511). Estimated revenue for FY 2021-22 is $21,200.
The County of Humboldt has two programs that qualify for these funds; Humboldt Domestic Violence Services (HDVS) and Women’s Crisis Shelter in Southern Humboldt (WISH). As these funds are pass-through funds and do not contribute to county operation, the payment of funds would be issued out of the trust utilizing a pass-through line item or as directed by the Auditor Controller.
There is no impact to the General Fund as these fees are collected and earmarked for this purpose.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
The recommended actions support the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Framework by protecting vulnerable populations, creating opportunities for improved safety and health and providing community-appropriate levels of services.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board may choose not to approve the recommendations set forth by staff, however this would impact the local domestic violence shelter-based programs availability as they would not receive this additional funding. In addition, it would severely affect the community’s ability to provide efficient and effective support services to citizens experiencing domestic violence in southern Humboldt County.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. W&I Code 18290-18309.8
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: 21-1318