Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Stephen M. Wagstaffe, District Attorney
Subject: First Amendment to the Agreement with CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse)
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing and directing the District Attorney, or their designee, to execute an amendment to the agreement with CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse), extending the term through June 30, 2027, and increasing the amount by $125,000, to a new total amount not to exceed $250,000.
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BACKGROUND:
San Mateo County experiences approximately 2,000 domestic violence-related calls to law enforcement each year. While adult victims of domestic violence have access to a range of support services, children who witness this violence have historically lacked comparable resources despite being at elevated risk of falling into patterns of violence as future victims or perpetrators.
In 2024, San Mateo County’s District Attorney’s Office Victim Services Division (VSD) in partnership with CORA launched SPARK (Shaping Positive And Resilient Kids) to ensure that every family with police contact related to domestic violence is offered additional outreach, and with parental consent, is connected to specialized mental health services for both the children and the adult victim-survivors as well as being offered a full array of case management, legal and housing services. Since SPARK launched, 53% - 63% of referrals involve households with children aged 0-5, a population with unique vulnerabilities and service needs.
SPARK's Year Two Report, developed in collaboration with Stanford's Gardner Center, documents measurable outcomes for the program. Only 25% of SPARK-eligible survivors answer CORA's initial outreach call within 24 hours of an incident. However, SPARK's expanded follow-up capacity, with additional contact attempts at 30 and 45 days post-incident, has raised successful contact rates to 60% of all referrals. This expanded outreach capacity generated 229 additional outreach attempts in the first year of the program alone. This outreach would not have occurred under the prior program model. This current year since July 1, 2025, an additional 105 families were reached through these outreach attempts offered by the SPARK project coordinator at 30 and 45 day calls after the initial 911 call.
DISCUSSION:
Currently CORA has 54 children engaged in mental health services as of March 31, 2026. Additionally, through SPARK, 44 families with 66 children were referred specifically to mental health services since July 1, 2025. Overall, SPARK has increased the number of children receiving services at CORA 62% when comparing current rates of services to services prior to SPARK’s implementation. In addition, of parents who completed surveys pre and post care about their children’s symptoms, 91% indicate that their children’s trauma symptoms decreased after a course of several months of therapy.
SPARK is now entering a phase focused on deepening and expanding impact. Priority areas for the upcoming year include expanding outreach to law enforcement and community stakeholders and building out outcome reporting infrastructure for child mental health and additional CORA services.
This amendment would extend the agreement through June 30, 2027, and add $125,000 in funding to support continued program operations through that timeframe.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
|
|
Children accessing mental health services in FY 26-27 |
75 Children |
|
Successful survivor contact rate |
65% |
|
Children with reduction in child trauma symptoms |
75% |
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
By preventing intergenerational cycles of abuse, SPARK generates long-term public safety and public health dividends that extend beyond the immediate families served. The program's bilingual service model also supports equitable access for the county's diverse communities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The maximum amount payable by the County under this first amendment to the Agreement is increased by $125,000 to a total amount not to exceed $250,000. Funding for the amended Agreement is included in the Recommended Budget for FY 2026-27.