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 ...
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