DATE: February 25, 2020
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer
SUBJECT: Retroactive Human Trafficking Advocacy Program Grant Application/Agreement
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Retroactively authorize the Chief Probation Officer’s previous submittal of a grant application to the State of California, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for the Human Trafficking Advocacy Program ($187,500);
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a retroactive Grant Application/Agreement for the Human Trafficking Advocacy Program with the State of California, Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for the period of January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020; and
3. Adopt resolution authorizing the Chairman to sign the retroactive grant application and to execute the retroactive Grant Award Agreement and any extensions or amendments thereto with Cal OES for the period of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, subject to the maximum of $187,500, and approval by County Counsel and the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The Probation Department was awarded the competitive Human Trafficking Advocacy Program grant in December 2018 for one year. The grant allows Probation to submit a non-competitive reapplication for four consecutive years. This is the second year of funding, and the first year of the four-year non-competitive reapplication cycle. To meet the grant filling deadline, the Probation Department submitted the grant application contingent upon your Board’s approval. The grant provides funding for support and assistance to human trafficking victims. 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If the recommended actions are not approved, the grant application will be withdrawn, and due to lack of resources, the Crime Victim Assistance Center (CVAC), which is operated by the Probation Department, will be unable to fund the Human Trafficking Advocacy Program and the associated Senior Victim Advocate position.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The Cal OES request for grant applications was published on September 6, 2019, with a filing deadline of November 1, 2019. The Probation Department submitted the grant application to Cal OES on October 31, 2019,and was notified of the grant award on January 14, 2020 by letter from Cal OES. The Department is bringing the item and agreement to your Board on the first available Board date within the agenda item processing deadlines. Once the grant agreement is executed by the Chairman and Cal OES, it becomes the final agreement between the County and Cal OES.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The grant will fund a total of $187,500 ($150,000 in grant funds and $37,500 in required 20% match). The grant does not pay for any indirect costs. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenue for this grant are included in the 2019-20 Adopted Probation Grants Org 3432 Budget.
DISCUSSION:
On December 21, 2018, Cal OES awarded the County the competitive award, which allowed for a Senior Victim Witness Advocate position to be dedicated entirely to a specialized caseload of human trafficking victims. The award allows the Probation Department to submit a non-competitive reapplication for four consecutive years. The recommended actions are for the second-year funding of the grant.
Upon approval by your Board, the award will be used to continue to fund one Senior Victim Witness Advocate position, on a full-time basis, by the Crime Victim Assistance Center, to provide support and assistance to victims of human trafficking. The Senior Victim Witness Advocate position conducts outreach to increase awareness of the human trafficking epidemic and services available to victims, support human trafficking victims by navigating the different systems such as criminal justice, child welfare, immigration, etc., and serves as the human trafficking advocacy subject-matter expert of CVAC. This position has developed innovative strategies to collaborate with and coordinate services across the criminal justice system, social services, and community-based service providers. In addition, this position links victims to short-term needs (clothing, food, emergency shelter, and medical care) and also long-term needs (mental health services, permanent housing, and child care).
The third recommended action will adopt a resolution authorizing the Chairman to submit the previously submitted grant application, and to execute any extensions or amendments to this grant as required by Cal OES, subject to review and approval by County Counsel and the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector, not to exceed a total of $187,500.
If the grant funding is eliminated, the position associated with this grant will be deleted, unless an alternative funding source is identified.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 7, February 26, 2019
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Application/Agreement with Cal OES
On file with Clerk - Resolution
CAO ANALYST:
Samantha Buck