DATE: January 24, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: County Victim Services (XC) Program Grant Application/Agreement
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Retroactively approve and authorize the Chief Probation Officer’s previous submittal of a grant application to the State of California, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) for the County Victim Services (XC) Program;
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a Grant Application/Agreement for the County Victim Services (XC) Program with Cal OES for the period of January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 ($416,334); and
3. Approve and authorize the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, or his designee, to execute the required Authorization for the Grant Subaward Certification of Assurance of Compliance.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. To meet the grant filing deadline, the Probation Department submitted the grant application, contingent upon your Board’s approval. The grant provides funding for the Fresno County James Rowland Crime Assistance Center (CVAC), which the Probation Department has operated for crime victims and witnesses in Fresno County since 1975. It should be noted, once the grant agreement is executed by the Chairman and the State of California, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the application documents become the final agreement between the County and Cal OES. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended actions are not approved, the Grant Application will be withdrawn, which will result in a significant reduction of services provided by the CVAC, and Probation will have to identify an alternative funding source for the positions partially funded by the grant.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The grant will provide a total of $416,334 for the program. Due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, a waiver request for the required match was submitted and is expected to be accepted by Cal OES; therefore, the mandated match of $52,042 is not included in the grant application. The grant partially funds the following positions: three Victim-Witness Advocates, one Deputy Chief Probation Officer, one Assistant Deputy Chief Probation Officer, one Program Technician, and one Office Assistant. If funding is not granted, Probation will have to identify an alternative funding source for the above listed positions. If an alternative funding source is not identified, these positions will be deleted. The grant does not pay for any indirect costs. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the FY 2022-23 Adopted Probation Grants Org 3432 Budget.
DISCUSSION:
On August 9, 2016, the Board approved the original grant application for the period of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018. During the application review, Cal OES waived the mandated match and increased the award amount. The agreement was approved by the Board on April 4, 2017. The Board approved to accept additional funding on October 17, 2017 and extend the term of the agreement through December 31, 2019. On March 24, 2020, the Board approved the agreement for the term of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. On November 24, 2020, the Board approved the agreement for the term of January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. On November 16, 2021, the Board approved the agreement for the term of January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022.
To meet Cal OES eligibility criteria, and to determine how this funding opportunity can continue to best serve our community, on September 9, 2022, Probation reconvened the Victim Services Steering Committee (VSCC) to identify the County’s victim services gaps/needs. The VSCC includes representation from: Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, District Attorney, Behavioral Health, local Police Departments, Probation, Sheriff, Cal OES-funded Victim Witness Assistance Program, Cal OES-funded Domestic Violence Assistance Program, and Cal OES-funded Rape Crisis Program. As a result of the meeting, VSCC determined the victim services gaps/needs affecting Fresno County remain the same as originally identified by VSCC in 2016 and confirmed in 2020. VSCC prioritized for funding three gaps in services. The first identified gap in service is the continued need to extend services to crime victims in the rural areas of Fresno County. The second identified gap in service is the continued need for immediate and extended or emergency housing for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. The third gap in service is the continued need for accessible transportation for the safety and security of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
The most recent Cal OES request for grant applications was published on June 1, 2022, with a filing deadline of October 3, 2022. In order to meet the filing deadline, the application was previously submitted to Cal OES, contingent upon the Board’s approval, and is being brought to the Board on the first available Board date.
The recommended grant funds three Victim-Witness Advocate positions, one Deputy Probation Officer, one Assistant Deputy Chief Probation Officer, One Program Technician, and one Office Assistant for CVAC. Services provided by the Victim-Witness Advocates include advising victims of available services, referring to professional care providers, explaining the criminal justice system process, accompanying victims, family members, and witnesses to court and related hearings, and assisting victims with claim applications. The funded Deputy Probation Officer reviews the orders of the court and the offender’s case file, serves as a liaison with other County offices, and guides the victim through the court process regarding matters of restitution. The Assistant Deputy Chief Probation Officer is responsible for the daily operations of the project and any grant related duties. The Program Technician and Office Assistant perform various support tasks, such as clerical and paraprofessional/technical work.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 40, November 16, 2021
BAI # 48, November 24, 2020
BAI # 39, March 24, 2020
BAI # 55, October 17,2017
BAI # 8, April 4, 2017
BAI # 46, August 9, 2016
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Application/Agreement with Cal OES
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck