Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: John T. Keene, Chief Probation Officer
Subject: Agreements with Acknowledge Alliance, Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc., and Star Vista Alto through the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act to provide services to at-risk youth
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing the President of the Board of Supervisors to execute agreements through the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA):
A) An agreement with Acknowledge Alliance to provide continuous critical interventions to at-risk youth through on-site individual and group psychodynamic counselling and transition programs at the San Mateo County Community and Court Schools for the term of July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020, in an amount not to exceed $151,230; and
B) An agreement with Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. to provide continuous Law and Leadership Program for the term of July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020, in an amount not to exceed $130,586; and
C) An agreement with StarVista to provide continuous holistic system of care to support at-risk youth with mental health issues and as well as Victim Impact Awareness to adolescents for the term of July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020, in an amount not to exceed $568,752.
body
BACKGROUND:
The Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) was created in 2000 by the State to provide a stable funding source for local juvenile justice programs that have been proven effective in reducing crime among at-risk and juvenile justice involved youth. The San Mateo County Probation Department has funded a number of services such as counselling, case management, mentoring and substance abuse treatment through the JJCPA.
In 2016, under the guidance of the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council (JJCC) the local oversight body for JJCPA, a five year Local Action Plan (LAP) was developed and replaced the LAP created in 2011. The planning process of the LAP included key information interviews, focus groups and a survey completed by staff at community based organizations. The new LAP identified five areas of need for the youth and their families:
1. Behavioral Health
2. Impact of Poverty on Youth
3. Cultural Sensitivity
4. Family and Community Engagement
5. Additional Programs and Services, such as gang prevention, mentoring and re-entry
In January 2017, the Probation Department completed a Request for Proposal process for Youth and Family Programs and has selected Acknowledge Alliance, Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. and StarVista to continue their services which they have previously been providing.
DISCUSSION:
Through this agreement, Acknowledge Alliance will continue to provide support to students transitioning from the Court and Community Schools back into their comprehensive high schools in both Sequoia Union High School District and San Mateo High School District through their collaborative counseling and transition program.
Since 1994, Acknowledge Alliance, formerly the Cleo Eulau Center, has provided services dedicated to promoting lifelong resilience in youth by helping build positive connections between teachers and students to open doors for learning and well-being. Acknowledge Alliance has over 20 years of partnership with the San Mateo County Office of Education and the Probation Department. They are the only local organization that works directly with educators to increase the social emotional learning competencies of youth, particularly those that are disenfranchised, involved in the juvenile justice system and who have been expelled from their local public schools.
Fresh Lifelines for Youth will provide a Leadership Program with the addition of a new Law Program through law courses that offer life skills education which focus on asset building and cognitive-behavioral change, followed by intensive case management services for personal transformation to support efforts targeted at decreasing recidivism behavior in youth offenders. This program shall be consistent with evidence-based practices by placing a high value on consultation, collaboration, and joining with youth, families, teachers, probation, and agency partners to identify, assess, and plan the appropriate level of intervention to develop assets in at-risk youth.
StarVista will continue to provide a holistic system of care to support at-risk youth with mental health issues and the needed help to attain safety from trauma/substance abuse and stressors as well as Victim Impact Awareness services to adolescents. Additionally, StarVista will continue to provide the family-centered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) model to provide parents, caretakers and other family members with new skills to support pro-social behaviors, and train families to deal with particularly challenging adolescents.
StarVista will continue to provide services in two (2) locations in the County; Redwood City and Daly City.
The Probation Department requests that the Chief Probation Officer or his designee be granted authorization to execute contract amendments that modify the County’s maximum fiscal obligation by no more than $25,000 (in aggregate), and/or modify the contract term and/or services so long as the modified term or services is/are within the current or revised fiscal provisions.
The term of these agreements is July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020. The agreements and resolution have been reviewed and approved by County Counsel.
This agreement contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Healthy Community by providing youth with positive connections within the community to help them develop pro-social behavior, emotional wellbeing and strengthen their resiliency against adversities to guide them out of cycles of violence and victimization.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Contractor |
Performance Measures |
FY 2017-18 Target |
FY 2018-19 Target |
|
Acknowledge Alliance |
Percent of youth who report that counseling helped them to express their emotions constructively. |
90% |
90% |
|
|
Percent of youth who report that counseling helped them make positive choices for themselves. |
69% |
75% |
|
Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc. |
Youth will report that the program gave them access to positive adult role models: • Leadership Program • Law Program |
100% 99% |
80% 80% |
|
|
Youth will report that they are less likely to break the law after being in FLY: • Leadership Program • Law Program |
95% 86% |
80% 80% |
|
|
Youth will report that the program has given them more confidence to deal with negative peer pressure: • Leadership Program • Law Program |
100% 99% |
80% 80% |
|
StarVista |
Percentage of participants that will make progress towards their identified goal. |
75% |
75% |
|
|
Percentage of participants that will show improvement in decision making and relationship building. |
60% |
60% |
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Probation Department has secured $151,230.00 for Acknowledge Alliance, $130,586.00 for Fresh Lifelines for Youth, Inc., and $568,752.00 for StarVista from the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) to support these Agreements for the term July 1, 2017, through December 31, 2020. The funds have been included in the FY 2017-18 Approved Recommended Budget and FY 2018-19 Preliminary Recommended Budgets. There is no Net County Cost.