To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): District Attorney
Staff Name and Phone Number: Shane Lewis 565-3150
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Family Justice Center Polyvictimization Program
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a position resolution to increase the Family Justice Center time-limited Administrative Aide position from a 0.8 to a 1.0 fulltime equivalent (FTE). The addition of the 0.2 FTE will increase efforts to achieve interconnected goals to reduce incidence of re-traumatization for polyvictims; reduce re-victimization of polyvictims; and share knowledge with other Family Justice Center demonstration sites.
end
Executive Summary:
In September 2016, the District Attorney’s Office launched the Polyvictimization Program at the Family Justice Center Sonoma County (FJCSC) with grant funds from the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime. Since 2019, the grant has funded a 0.8 fulltime equivalent (FTE) Administrative Aide position. This request is to increase the District Attorney’s Office’s position allocation for the grant-funded program coordinator at the Family Justice Center Sonoma County to 1.0 FTE.
Cost savings in the first year of the current grant program will allow for a reallocation of funds to support the increase in the FTE of the position.
Discussion:
Many victims seeking services at the Family Justice Center Sonoma County (FJCSC) have experienced multiple crimes throughout their lifetime and as a result experience complex trauma that requires specialized support.
The District Attorney’s Office Polyvictimization Program began in 2016 with a grant from U.S. Department of Justice Programs Office for Victims of Crime. The original award amount was $666,666 for the grant term October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2019. The District Attorney’s Office received the award again for the grant term October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2022 in the amount of $850,000. The Office for Victims of Crime Transforming Family Justice Center Services: Creating New Pathways of Home and Healing for Polyvictims seeks to improve how victim service providers respond to survivors of Polyvictimization (when a person endures multiple victimization of different kinds as opposed to experiencing a single type of victimization repeatedly). The program will continue serve polyvictims and intends to create a systematic approach for partner agencies to identify, support, and provide services to these victims. Effectively addressing polyvictimization requires a holistic and specialized approach to address the needs of these victims.
In partnership with many local partner agencies including Council on Aging, Legal Aid, Verity, and the YWCA of Sonoma County, the following were developed and refined under this program: a model polyvictimization screening tool for use in Family Justice Centers; a strategic plan for implementing the tool and delivering services for polyvictims at the FJCSC; and contracts among all onsite and offsite FJCSC Partners.
Outcomes include greater coordination between FJCSC Partners to serve polyvictims; improved identification of individuals who have experienced polyvictimization; improved provider awareness of polyvictimization and how to provide holistic services to polyvictims; greater FJCSC capacity to lead planning processes, implement screening tools, and coordinate multidisciplinary partnerships; increased capacity to provide culturally and linguistically competent services; working to reduce incidence of re-traumatization for polyvictims; reduced re-victimization for polyvictims; and stronger relationships and knowledge sharing with other demonstration sites.
Due to an increase in grant-related activities, it has been determined that the current allocation of 0.8 FTE for the Program Coordinator is not sufficient to meet the program needs. To address the program needs, the District Attorney is requesting approval to add a 0.2 FTE, to increase the position to full-time. The cost of the salary and benefits to increase the FTE of the current Program Coordinator holding the limited-term Administrative Aide position, from 0.8 to 1.0 is $70,412 through September 30, 2022.
The program experienced significant cost savings during the first year of the grant in other budget areas, providing the additional funding needed to cover the cost of this FTE increase through the end of the grant. Specific details regarding budgeted cost savings are as follows:
|
$8,000 |
Counseling Services |
|
$50,297 |
Human Services Department |
|
$7,365 |
Travel |
|
$4,750 |
Vendors |
|
$70,412 |
|
1. Counseling Services
Verity provides a fully licensed mental health counselor to provide counseling services to individuals identified as polyvictims. This Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) provides services onsite for approximately 60 hours per month. The LMFT provides client counseling including a variety of modalities and approaches. The position was under/unfilled for three and a half months.
2. Human Services Department
The Human Services Department provides an Employment & Training Counselor to provide employment and training services to clients identified as polyvictims, including assisting clients in attaining self-sufficiency goals through counseling, vocational assessment, case management, providing motivation, and making referrals to various supportive services and community groups. Estimated expenses did not align with costs in Year 1, thus resulting in savings.
3. Vendors
A number of vendors were unable to provide in-person services due to the pandemic. Some workshops were held virtually but not to the same extent initially anticipated. The funding for Vendors in Year 2 and 3 remains untouched.
4. Travel
DA Staff and Consultant travel was dramatically reduced due to most trainings being cancelled. One was held virtually. For Client travel, taxi vouchers are not utilized at this time, rideshare vouchers and fuel-only gas cards were not purchased due to an existing supply purchased with a state Family Justice Center grant. There is existing funding in the budget for Staff, Consultant, and Client travel for Years 2 and 3.
Prior Board Actions:
October 2019: The Board of Supervisors granted approval accept the Polyvictimization Grant funds for the grant term October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2022 and to extend the 0.8 FTE time-limited Administrative Aide position through September 30, 2022.
January 2019: The Board of Supervisors granted approval to increase the 0.5 FTE Administrative Aide - Limited Term position to 0.8 FTE.
November 2016: The Board of Supervisors granted approval to accept the Polyvictimization Grant funds for the grant term October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2019, and add a 0.5 FTE Administrative Aide - Limited Term position through September 2019.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 20-21 Adopted |
FY21-22 Projected |
FY 22-23 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$98,366 |
$135,505 |
$33,876 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
|
Total Expenditures |
$98,366 |
$135,505 |
$33,876 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$98,366 |
$135,505 |
$33,876 |
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$98,366 |
$135,505 |
$33,876 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The cost of the additional 0.2 FTE for this position for the remainder of FY 20-21 is $12,169 which will be addressed through reallocation of budget items within the grant and administratively with the County Administrator’s Office. This program is entirely grant-funded and there are sufficient grant funds to accommodate this change. There will be no impact to the County’s General Fund and no additional appropriation is needed.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Administrative Aide |
$4,713.41 - 5,729.14 |
0.2 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
The addition of 0.2 FTE Administrative Aide-Limited Term allocation will not increase, decrease, or change the work of any other positions. The incumbent will continue to coordinate and facilitate program planning and evaluation meetings, track data, and report on progress. This position has been in place since October 2016 when the first three-year term of the Polyvictimization grant was awarded.
Attachments:
A. Resolution - Position Allocation
B. Grant Award Modification
C. Grant Award Modification Approval
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None