Title
District Attorney's Office recommending the Board:
1) Authorize the District Attorney to accept a grant from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) for the Child Abuse Treatment Program with a total project cost of $293,038 for the period of January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025, based on the received Letter of Intent;
2) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 183-2024 designating the District Attorney, or his designee, as the Authorized Agent for the purposes of submitting, accepting, and executing award documents via the CalOES Grants Central System;
3) Approve and authorize the District Attorney, and/or his designee, to electronically agree to and accept the associated grant Certification(s) of Assurance of Compliance;
4) Authorize the District Attorney, and/or his designee, to electronically submit the grant application and execute the Grant Award Agreement and required documents, including any extensions or amendments thereof which would not increase net county cost, contingent upon review and approval by County Counsel;
5) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 184-2024, extending the expiration date of 1.0 FTE Victim/Witness Program Specialist I/II - Limited Term position one year, through December 31, 2025;
6) Make a finding in accordance with El Dorado County Ordinance Code, Chapter 3.13.030(b) that there are specialty skills, qualifications, and equipment not involved in County classifications involved in the performance of the work;
7) Make a finding in accordance with Procurement Policy C-17, Sections 3.4.2, 3.4.3, and 3.4.5, in which competitive bidding would produce no benefit to the County for the requested Psychotherapy Services under Agreement 8197;
8) Approve and authorize the Chair to execute Amendment II to Agreement 8197 with H.O.P.E.: Healthy Outcomes for Personal Enrichment Counseling Center, increasing the amount to $320,880 and extending the agreement term one year, through December 31, 2025 for as-needed psychotherapy clinician mental health services to child abuse victims and their families; and
9) Approve and authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute any future amendments to agreement 8197, which do not increase the amount or the term of the agreement, contingent upon County Counsel and Risk Management approval.
FUNDING: California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Victims of Crime Act (49%), State Victims of Crime General Fund (39%), and County General Fund (12%).
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On September 20, 2024, the District Attorney's Office received notification from CalOES that they intend to fund the department for participation in the Child Abuse Treatment (AT) Program in the amount of $257,500 for the period of January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025. The funding requires a local match amount of $35,538, which brings the total project cost to $293,038. This will be the District Attorney’s fifth consecutive award under this grant program. The purpose of the AT Program is to continue providing comprehensive psychotherapy services to children victimized by abuse and/or neglect.
The program will primarily fund Psychotherapy Clinician(s) through a service contract with the H.O.P.E.: Healthy Outcomes for Personal Enrichment Counseling Center (HOPE) and 1.0 FTE Limited Term Victim Witness Program Specialist. The program will also fund an Assistant District Attorney and a Program Manager on a part-time basis to provide supervision and grant management, as well as necessary operating costs to meet program objectives. The intention of this project is to enhance existing services for child victims of crime, child abuse, and/or neglect. Psychotherapy services will be provided by qualified clinician(s) who have adequate education and experience working with this population. Furthermore, the program will keep family therapy available for family members of abused/neglected children as part of the child’s treatment. To aid with these services, the dedicated Program Specialist will provide specialized direct advocacy services to victims of crime, including case management, criminal justice support, assistance with crime compensation benefits, counseling coordination, and referrals.
Due to the continuation of this grant program, the associated Limited-Term Victim/Witness Program Specialist position will be extended in correlation with the grant cycle, covering the period of January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025. Per Personnel Rule 1105, (specifying that limited term allocations have a fixed expiration date which can be extended upon approval by the Board of Supervisors) a resolution is included under this item extending the Limited-Term Victim/Witness Program Specialist position. Additionally, Amendment II to service agreement 8197 with HOPE shall extend the existing psychotherapy services another year through December 31, 2025 and increase the agreement amount by $160,440, for an updated total agreement amount of $320,880, to cover extended service compensation.
As part of the formal grant application process, CalOES requests the acknowledged Certification(s) of Assurance of Compliance be included with the submitted application. As of July 15, 2024, CalOES has implemented a new Grants Central System (GCS) for applicants to manage their grants. It is via this online portal that the grant application shall be submitted, along with certifications complying with assurances and proof of authority. The Certification of Assurance of Compliance includes details regarding Federal Grant Funds, Equal Employment Opportunity Program, Drug Free Workplace Compliance, California Environmental Quality Act, Lobbying, Debarment and Suspension requirements, Proof of Authority from the Governing Board, Civil Rights Compliance, and the special conditions of Subaward. The attached resolution is being requested for adoption by the Board Chair, designating the El Dorado County District Attorney, or his designee, the Authorized Agent role under the GCS, resulting in granted permissions consisting of initiating, submitting, and accepting the AT Program grant agreement and related documents for period January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025, including any future grant amendments that do not increase Net County Cost, upon review and approval by County Counsel.
ALTERNATIVES
Should the Board decline to accept the grant, the County would be ineligible to participate in the program.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
12/12/2023 Legistar file 23-1251: Board executed Agreement 8197 for psychotherapy services.
10/10/2023 Legistar file 23-1546: Board approved the District Attorney to accept the AT Program funding in the project cost of $321,875 and adopted personnel update resolution to extend the expiration date one year for 1.0 FTE Victim/Witness Program Specialist I/II - Limited Term position.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Human Resources/Risk Management and County Counsel
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost for accepting this grant award. Of the total $293,038 project award, $35,538 is earmarked as a local match requirement funded with County General Fund. The grant proposal identifies using a portion of the salary and benefits of the Program Manager and the Assistant District Attorney, as the cash match along with facility rental costs, office supplies, and training/travel costs. Adequate funding is included in the department’s FY 2024-25 Budget and no amendments are necessary.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Upon approval, Clerk of the Board to:
1) Return one certified copy of the Proof of Authority resolution to the CAO Central Fiscal Unit, Attn: Justene Cline; and
2) Return one certified copy of the Personnel Allocation resolution to Human Resources, Attn: Michael Reddin.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Vern Pierson, District Attorney