Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: John T. Keene, Chief Probation Officer
Subject: Measure K: Agreement with Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc.
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Measure K: Adopt a resolution authorizing:
A) The President of the Board to execute an agreement with Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. to provide legal education, mentorship, leadership, and peer-based support programs for at-risk and justice-involved youth countywide for the term of July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $750,000; and
B) An option to extend the agreement with Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. for up to two additional years, in an amount not to exceed an additional $250,000 for the first option, if exercised, and an amount not to exceed an additional $250,000 for the second option, if exercised, at the sole discretion of the Chief Probation Officer or his designee.
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BACKGROUND:
Measure K is the half-cent general sales tax initially approved by the San Mateo County voters in November 2012 and extended in November 2016 for a total of thirty (30) years.
In response to Board direction, County staff gathered community input regarding priorities for the allocation of Measure K funds. Staff collected feedback from Community Based Organizations, County departments and conducted a countywide survey and listening sessions to obtain resident input. At the October 3, 2023, Measure K study session, staff presented a report produced by InterEthnica, summarizing the results of the surveys and listening sessions which provided valuable input for the Board.
On October 17, 2023, after considering the County’s needs and community input, this Board finalized and approved the following priority areas for FY 2024-25 Measure K funding: Children, Families, and Seniors; Housing and Homelessness; and Emergency Preparedness. Mental Health is a component of each priority area rather than a stand-alone item. In addition to the approval of the priority areas, this Board authorized the County Executive to develop and proceed with a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process to obtain applications for funding within the approved priority areas and subcategories identified by the Board.
On March 27, 2024, this Board approved those recommended applications received pursuant to the NOFO and authorized the County Executive to negotiate agreements with applicants to be returned to this Board for approval. By this action, Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc.’s NOFO application was approved for an award of Measure K funds under the Children, Families, and Seniors Priority Area.
DISCUSSION:
Founded in 2000, Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. brings legal education, mentorship, leadership development, and peer-based restorative support programs to more than 2,000 system-involved and at-risk young people annually across five Bay Area counties - including more than 600 annually from San Mateo County. The nonprofit’s mission is to disrupt the “pipeline to prison” by meeting vulnerable youth where they are, offering an individualized, holistic approach that addresses root causes of behavior and provides strategies for overcoming cycles of delinquency, substance abuse, gangs, and violence.
In San Mateo County, Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. offers programs in schools and under-served communities with high rates of youth arrest. The organization also provides programs inside the Youth Services Center-Juvenile Hall. In 2023, most of Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc.’s youth clients resided in Redwood City/North Fair Oaks, East Palo Alto, Daly City, South San Francisco, and the city of San Mateo, and more than 58 percent identified as Latino/Hispanic.
The table below shows Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc.’s existing San Mateo County programs.
|
Program |
Description |
|
FLY Law Program |
A 12-week high school and community-based program for youth who want to learn more about the law while building skills to help them navigate their lives. Program includes a field trip for each cohort to a local law school where students can tour the campus and participate in a mock trial. |
|
FLY Leadership Training Program |
A 10-month community-based program for youth who are interested and motivated to become changemakers in their communities. Participants are identified based on their needs for support, particularly around education, legal advocacy, social support, and safety. Program includes events throughout the year such as go-karting, laser tag, and whitewater rafting. Program also includes a wilderness retreat for each cohort to bond with staff and other youth. |
|
FLY Reentry Program |
Services in the Youth Services Center-Juvenile Hall include: 1) weekly law-related education 2) one-on-one mentoring and 3) one-on-one case management and reentry services for youth released back into the community, including mentoring, creating positive networks, and prosocial events and activities. |
|
STAY FLY Program |
Supports young adults (18-25) in the community who have been involved in the justice system - as well as those currently committed to the Youth Services Center-Juvenile Hall’s secure track program - to build skills for navigating systems and developing support networks. Provides workshops on topics like housing and knowing your rights while working with a case manager to set and pursue goals for success. |
|
FLY Peer Point Program |
A restorative, peer-led to punitive systems of response to youth behavior at school and in the community. We work with schools and police departments to divert youth from suspension, expulsion, and arrest by addressing root causes and facilitating peer circles for healing, community-building, and accountability. |
|
Career Pathways Manager |
Partners with Case Managers to support youth in the community in pursuing their academic and career development goals. They serve as education advocates, and they connect youth to career opportunities, education resources, and more. Provide life skills and/or career navigation workshops at the Youth Services Center-Juvenile Hall for youth in the secure track unit. |
Through the proposed agreement, the majority (86%) of the awarded Measure K funding would support salaries, benefits, and payroll costs for Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc.’s San Mateo County-based team. These funded positions would include 1) coaches and case managers responsible for working directly with youth, 2) coordinators providing administrative support, data entry, and serving as informal mentors to youth, and 3) program managers overseeing daily program operations, developing partnerships, and conducting grant reporting and contract oversight. The remaining 14% of funds would be spent on the organization’s San Mateo County office space costs, including rent and utilities.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
Annual Target |
|
The percentage of youth enrolled in the Leadership and Law programs that report the programs gave them access to positive adult role models. |
80% |
|
The percentage of youth enrolled in the Leadership and Law programs that report they are less likely to break the law after being in FLY. |
80% |
|
The percentage of youth enrolled in the Leadership and Law programs that report increased confidence to deal with negative peer pressure. |
80% |
|
The percentage of youth on probation enrolled in the Leadership Program who did not sustain a new charge during program year. |
80% |
|
The percentage of eligible high school seniors in the Leadership Program who attained a GED or HS diploma. |
80% |
EQUITY IMPACT:
FLY reaches youths impacted by the “pipeline to prison,” including youth who have experienced suspension, expulsion, or incarceration, youth whose parents have been incarcerated, and youth on probation. More than 90 percent are youth of color, 65 percent are male, and nearly all live in communities disproportionately impacted by poverty and high crime. This agreement would support FLY’s work with this vulnerable population in San Mateo County to create positive outcomes and reduce justice system involvement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The initial term of this agreement is from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $750,000 with County-held options to extend the agreement for up to two additional years, in an amount not to exceed $250,000 for the first option, if exercised, and an amount not to exceed $250,000 for the second option, if exercised. The agreement will be funded entirely through Measure K funds transferred to the San Mateo County Probation Department’s budget through current and future budget cycles.