Title
District Attorney’s Office recommending the Board:
1) Accept a grant from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for the Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach (UV) Program in the total project cost of $246,132 for the period of January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023, based on the received Letter of Intent;
2) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign the current Certification of Assurance of Compliance and any modified Certifications that may be required during the performance period;
3) Authorize the District Attorney to execute the Grant Award Agreement and required documents, including any extensions or amendments thereof which would not increase net county cost;
4) Adopt and authorize the Chair to sign Resolution 030-2023 amending the current Authorized Personnel Allocation Resolution for the District Attorney to add 2.0 FTE Victim Witness Program Specialist I - Limited Term positions; and
5) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget transfer increasing appropriations and revenue under the District Attorney’s General Fund for the UV grant award. (4/5 vote required)
FUNDING: California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Victims of Crime Act Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On September 29, 2022, the District Attorney’s Office submitted a response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Unserved/Underserved Victim Advocacy and Outreach (UV) Program, administered by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES). The purpose of the UV program is to increase access to culturally appropriate victim service for unserved/underserved victims/survivors of crime. These services are to include the process of enhancing existing programs to commit staff time to specifically address the needs of the identified unserved/underserved victim/survivor population, hiring staff that reflect the identified population, training all staff on the cultural norms of the population, and increasing outreach efforts. On December 29, 2022, the office received an Intent to Fund letter from CalOES, confirming that the agency will be awarded $196,906 in Federal Victims of Crime Assistance (VOCA) funds for the Grant Subaward performance period beginning January 1, 2023 through December 2023.
Under this program, the District Attorney’s Victim Witness Unit (VWU) has committed to focusing on a cultural/ethnic-specific population; that being the Spanish-speaking community of El Dorado County. Direct services provided by program staff shall include, but not be limited to crisis intervention, counseling, outreach, criminal justice support, and victim advocacy. In order to implement these initiatives, the VWU plans to hire 2.0 FTE Limited-Term Victim Witness Program Specialists. Both positions shall be bilingual in Spanish or another related language as to provide the most effective services to the underserved population. Additionally, staff shall attend Advocate Training as well as provide training material for other staff within the department regarding how to best assist the Spanish-speaking victim population. New staff will require office equipment and miscellaneous supplies. Specialized community outreach will also be at the forefront of the program’s vision, in the hopes it will spread valuable information to the Spanish-speaking population. The District Attorney recommends the Board to adopt and authorize the Chair to sign the resolution, amending the department’s personnel allocation, adding 2.0 FTE Limited Term Victim Witness Program Specialist positions.
It is anticipated the grant award of $196,906 will fund most of the Program Specialists’ salary and benefits, as well as all program operating expenses. The grant award carries a 25% location cash match requirement; in the amount of $49,226, which will fund the Program Manger’s parttime efforts towards the program and a small portion of the Program Specialist’s benefits.
As set forth in the RFP, the District Attorney is required to obtain written authorization from the Board of Supervisors that the official executing the agreement is authorized to do so. The District Attorney recommends the Board approve the acceptance of the grant award, authorized the Chair to sign the certification of Assurance of Compliance for the Victim of Crimes Act (VOCA) Fund and authorized the District Attorney to execute the grant award agreement and any additional required grant documents.
ALTERNATIVES
Should the Board decline to accept the grant award and adopt the personnel resolution, the County would be ineligible to participate in the program.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Human Resources
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is currently no anticipated change to Net County Cost. The budget transfer attached increases revenue and appropriations as needed for the remainder of fiscal year 2022-23. As previously mentioned, the project award of $196,906 carries with it a match burden of $49,226. The grant proposal submitted identified using a portion of the Program Specialists’ benefits and the Program Manager’s dedicated salary and benefits to fulfill the match requirement. In the event the combination of these services is not sufficient to fulfill the match requirement, the District Attorney would be responsible for identifying additional savings within the department to cover the match requirement.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
Upon approval, Clerk of the Board to:
1) Obtain the Board Chair’s signature on two copies of the Certification of Assurance of Compliance form and return one certified copy to the Chief Administrative Office, Central Fiscal Unit, Attention: Justene Cline;
1) Return one certified copy of the personnel resolution to Human Resources; and
2) Forward executed budget transfer to the Auditor Controller’s Office.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Public Safety
CONTACT
Vern Pierson, District Attorney