Agenda

Return

C. 31

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Robin Lipetzky, Public Defender
Date:	December 20, 2016

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Youth Advocacy Program - van Loben Sels/RembeRock Foundation Grant

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 12/20/2016

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor

ABSENT:

Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Richard Loomis, 925-335-8093

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: December 20, 2016
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

Public Defender's Office (0243): APPROVE Appropriations and Revenue Adjustment No. 5035 authorizing new revenue in the amount of $50,000 from the van Loben Sels/RembeRock Foundation and appropriating it to fund temporary contract help for a Youth Advocate position for advocacy support services to juvenile clients in the Office of the Public Defender.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Grant revenues fully fund anticipated program expenditures, for a twelve months (12) month period beginning November 2016. There is no increase to Net County Cost.

$50,000 in new revenue from the van Loben Sels/RembeRock Foundation
$50,000 appropriated for salary expense of Contract Temporary Help

BACKGROUND:

At its meeting on September 20, 2016, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Public Defender to apply for and accept a grant renewal with the van Loben SelsRembeRock Foundation to fund continuation of the Community Lawyering for Youth Project (CYLP). The Office of the Public Defender received funding from this private foundation in each of the past two Budget Years, and based on the success of the Youth Advocacy program for Juvenile Clients additional funding is available for renewal of the grant for an additional year.

The Service Plan for the Youth Advocate includes, the following services:

Pre-adjudication/pre-probation client service needs assessment,
Disposition (sentencing) support in devising a probation plan,
Post-disposition (out of custody) support to assure provision of support services,
Post-disposition (in custody) support to develop reentry plans,
Post-probation follow up with former clients who have completed probation.

Diligent solicitation of supplemental funding from non-profit foundations has resulted in the award of grant revenues to augment the public funding commitment to pursue this important work.

The Department will employ one (1) temporary contract position to work under the supervision of a Deputy Public Defender to complete the assigned work .

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If the new revenue and appropriations are not authorized and approved, the Public Defender's Office will not have access to the additional staffing needed to effectively address the support needs of juvenile clients.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

This Youth Advocacy program is designed to provide support services to mitigate barriers in employment and education that youthful offenders face in community reintegration, following a juvenile delinquency placement or commitment. Support services may include housing, employment and education advocacy. The ultimate measure of success of this program is a decrease in probation violations and an increase in successful probation terminations.