To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Paul Dunaway, 565-3673
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
VOCA XE Contracts with Senior Advocacy Services and Legal Aid of Sonoma County
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of the Human Services Department to execute agreements with Senior Advocacy Services for $54,667 and with Legal Aid of Sonoma County for $41,088 to provide services to older and dependent adult victims of crime for the period May 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.
B) Adopt a Resolution adjusting the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget by $46,833 in increased revenue and allocating $95,755 into the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 budget for a combined total of $142,588. A total of $122,000 is funded by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant and $20,588 is funded by realignment revenues for a combined total of $142,588.
(4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
The Human Services Department is claiming funding from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to contract with Legal Aid of Sonoma County and Senior Advocacy Services for elder justice activities. Funding will be used to serve older and dependent adult victims of crime and enhance elder justice resources in Sonoma County.
Discussion:
The Human Services Department (HSD), Adult and Aging Division, was approved by Cal OES to claim VOCA funds to address the needs of older and dependent adult abuse victims in Sonoma County. The VOCA funding was first awarded in September of 2016. Since then, HSD has applied two more times to continue this funding in order to provide enhanced direct legal and social services. The funding also comes with the provision of promoting and building a multidisciplinary response to elder justice in Sonoma County.
Senior Advocacy Services and Legal Aid of Sonoma County were awarded grant funds through competitive procurements when this grant was first awarded to HSD in September 2016. Each subsequent grant application to renew the VOCA funding has included these providers to ensure continuity of services to the victims of abuse.
Comprehensive and collaborative programs have become the hallmark of best-practice care in elder abuse prevention and treatment. The services provided by the Elder Justice Coordinator through Senior Advocacy Services strengthens the current fragile and fragmented safety net of community-based services and supports. The Elder Justice Coordinator is part of a comprehensive effort that started with a grant from the Office of Violence Against Women that ended in September 2016. The Coordinator leads the evaluation, coordination and expansion of the Sonoma County Elder Justice Coalition. As part of the coordinated community response, the Coalition includes the Sonoma County District Attorney, Human Services Department, Public Defender and Sheriff’s Office, as well as Community and Family Services Agency, Kaiser Permanente-Santa Rosa, Legal Aid of Sonoma County, Petaluma Health Center, Petaluma People Services Center, Petaluma Police Department, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Santa Rosa Police Department, Senior Advocacy Services, Sutter Health-Santa Rosa and Vintage House Senior Center. The Coalition follows a collective impact model. In addition, the Coordinator evaluates and coordinates three existing Sonoma County Elder and Dependent Adult Multidisciplinary Teams (MDT) -- Santa Rosa, South County and the Financial Abuse Specialist Team. The Coordinator meets regularly with MDT community partners, police and fire departments, hospitals, and other agencies and businesses to enhance communication, ensure that meetings are well attended and productive, and to act as the point of contact for MDT members. The Coordinator also convenes the Elder Justice Coalition and implements an elder justice outreach plan with goals to 1) increase public awareness about elder and dependent abuse and how to prevent it, 2) increase coordination between agencies to better serve victims with a comprehensive approach, and 3) increase prosecution to hold perpetrators accountable.
Legal Aid of Sonoma County will provide a licensed Elder Law Attorney and a Legal Caseworker that will deliver comprehensive legal services to elder and dependent adult victims of crime. Referrals will come from Council on Aging’s Elder Advocate and Care Coordinator, the Family Justice Center of Sonoma County, Adult Protective Services, Ombudsman and appropriate community-based organizations. The services will be available in Spanish for monolingual Spanish speakers.
Legal Aid of Sonoma County, as well as the Council on Aging, are partners in this on-going project and will collectively provide direct services to elder abuse victims over this grant term.
Prior Board Actions:
August 14, 2018 - Board authorized the Director of Human Services to execute agreements for VOCA grant funds.
January 24, 2017 - Board authorized the Director of Human Services Department to sign and execute agreements for VOCA grant funds.
Fiscal Summary
Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$46,833.00 |
$95,755.00 |
|
Total Expenditures |
$46,833.00 |
$95,755.00 |
|
Funding Sources |
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|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
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|
|
State/Federal |
$46,833.00 |
$95,755.00 |
|
Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$46,833.00 |
$95,755.00 |
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
A total of $122,000 is funded by Cal OES. A total of $20,588 in one-time local match is funded by HSD fund balance. Appropriations will not only cover the May 2020 through December 2020 contracts, but also current contracts in place with these agencies through April 2020. The expense appropriation will be posted to subsection 24030157 (Adult Grants) and account code 53012 (Support and Care of Persons). The Board delegated budget adjustment authority to the CAO on March 24, 2020 for the remainder of FY 19-20 to maintain continuity of operations and response to needs arising from the current emergency; however, a standalone budget resolution is being submitted along with these contract amendments to provide full context and information in one package. FY 20-21 funding will be included in FY 20-21 supplemental budget. There is no General Fund impact.
Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
- Contract with Senior Advocacy Services
- Contract with Legal Aid of Sonoma County
- Budget Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None