To: Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County
Department or Agency Name(s): Probation Department
Staff Name and Phone Number: Brad Michnevich, (707) 565-6310
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Guiding People Successfully Program Memorandum of Understanding
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize the Chief Probation Officer to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Santa Rosa for a term of July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2025, with the option to extend two single year terms for $125,000 per year, up to $625,000 over five years. Per the MOU, the County of Sonoma will reimburse the City of Santa Rosa for supporting the ongoing Guiding People Successfully program, a violence and gang prevention and intervention program for all Sonoma County youth.
end
Executive Summary:
The Probation Department seeks Board approval for a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Santa Rosa (City) for an existing violence and gang prevention and intervention program called Guiding People Successfully (GPS) program. The MOU has funding limits in accordance with the FY 22-23 Recommended Budget and will support ongoing implementation of the GPS program and service coordination between Probation and the Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership.
Discussion:
The GPS program has been in existence since 2015, serving gang-impacted youth involved with the juvenile justice system and those at risk for involvement with the juvenile justice. Program funds have come from the California Gang Reduction, Intervention, and Prevention (CalGRIP) Grant from the Board of State and Community Corrections and from Santa Rosa’s Measure O Public Safety Tax Measure. Santa Rosa’s three-year CalGRIP grant cycle ended in December of 2017 due reductions and changes in the CalGRIP grants statewide. Since September 1, 2018, the City of Santa Rosa has been a grantee of the BSCC’s (Board of State and Community Corrections) CalVIP program and has used this funding to sustain services. In recognition of its value to youth and family in the community, the County has provided partial financial support of this program through previous agreements since 2018 via the Juvenile Probation Fund. Current year costs of up to $125,000 equal prior year approved costs and are included in the FY 22-23 adopted budget.
Funds will contribute to costs for the GPS program to include partial funding for the City’s Coordinator position and for access to the Apricot database used by other youth service providers in various organizations. The GPS Coordinator is responsible for coordination and implementation of Multi-Disciplinary Assessment and Referral Team (MDART) meetings, outcomes tracking and GPS activities. This position manages the Referral System by processing referrals and completing all assignments to community-based organizations.
The GPS program provides coordinated approach to identifying youth who are at risk of gang involvement, assessing the needs of the youth, and referring them to services designed to provide opportunities and alternatives to the gang lifestyle. The core elements of the GPS program are (1) centralized intake, (2) preliminary identification of risk and protective factors, (3) referrals to community-based organizations that provide interventions and services, and (4) case management through a monthly meeting of the Multi-Disciplinary Assessment and Referral Team (MDART). Examples of services youth are referred to through this process include career and life readiness training, individual and family counseling, gang mediation and intervention services, and mentoring. By coordinating services through the MDART, the program ensures that all agencies working with the youth have a common goal and shared strategies for each client.
Partner agencies and service providers include Probation Department, Human Services Department, Santa Rosa City Schools, Social Advocates for Youth, Lifeworks of Sonoma County, Center for Well Being, Conservation Core North Bay, Child Parent Institute, LandPaths, Community Action Partnership, The Community Child Care Council (4Cs), Salvations Army, and the Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma-Marin.
A final evaluation report was prepared by the Santa Rosa Violence Prevention Partnership for the services for the period between October 1, 2018, and August 30, 2021. The data showed the program exceeded the goal of serving 180 unduplicated youth. The total individuals and groups served in the period were: 218 unduplicated youth, 142 family members, 71 youth receiving intensive case management, and 65 group events with 357 attendees. The evaluation also demonstrated that 53% of youth showed improvement in two or more Positive Youth Justice domains, while 70% showed improvements in at least one domain. The evaluation report is posted on the Board of State and Community Corrections website:
https://www.bscc.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/santa_rosa_eval_rpt.pdf
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Prior Board Actions:
June 8, 2021, the Board approved an MOU with the City of Santa Rosa effective July 1, 2021.
August 4, 2020, the Board approved an MOU with the City of Santa Rosa effective July 1, 2020.
May 22, 2018, the Board approved an MOU with the City of Santa Rosa effective July 1, 2018.
Fiscal Summary
Expenditures |
FY 22-23 Adopted |
FY23-24 Projected |
FY 24-25 Projected |
Budgeted Expenses |
$125,000 |
$125,000 |
$125,000 |
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$125,000 |
$125,000 |
$125,000 |
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$125,000 |
$125,000 |
$125,000 |
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$125,000 |
$125,000 |
$125,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Funding for these services has been allocated in the FY 22-23 Recommended Budget from the Juvenile Probation Fund, a sub-account of the State’s Local Law Enforcement Services Account (2011 Realignment). The source of this account is Vehicle Licensing Fees. There is no County General Fund impact of this MOU.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
NA
Attachments:
MOU with the City of Santa Rosa for the Guiding People Successfully program
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
NA