Agenda

Return

C.28

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Ellen McDonnell, Public Defender
Date:	March 7, 2023

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Add one Public Defender Client Services Specialist and one Legal Assistant to the Public Defender's Office

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 03/07/2023

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Ken Carlson, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:	Ali Saidi, (510) 412-4931
cc:

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: March 7, 2023
Monica Nino, County Administrator

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Position Adjustment No. 26119 to add one (1) Public Defender Client Services Specialist (26SC) (represented) position at salary plan and grade QV5 1521 ($6,416.16 - $7,798.88) and one (1) Legal Assistant (2Y7B) (represented) at salary plan and grade ZB5 1337 ($5,346.29 - $6,498.45) in the Public Defender’s Office.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Upon approval of these positions, there will be no additional County cost in the current FY (100% 2011 Realignment funding), and a County cost of $172,948 in FY 23/24 (100% GF). The costs will be offset with a reduction in contract expenses. No net fiscal impact.

BACKGROUND:

Stand Together Contra Costa is an innovative partnership between Contra Costa County and local Community Based Organizations (“CBOs”) operated through the Office of the Public Defender which launched in March 2018. Stand Together Contra Costa provides legal services and community education to support due process, safety, and justice for immigrant families in Contra Costa County through the provision of community education, free legal clinics, and no-cost removal defense legal services for indigent Contra Costa residents in need of legal representation in deportation proceedings. Since launch, Stand Together Contra Costa has been a highly successful program which serves as a direct conduit between the County’s social services array and our vulnerable immigrant populations who are seeking access to services and accurate information about issues of particular concern to marginalized immigrant populations The program fills a crucial role in promoting due process in Contra Costa’s immigrant legal services landscape, as it is the only program in the County which provides pro bono deportation defense services to our indigent immigrant families.

With high levels of volatility in philanthropic funding and with significant levels of turnover at CBO partners, moving the functions of legal assistance and community engagement/services navigation in-house at the Office of the Public Defender will be more efficient and provide greater stability in service delivery for these complex and often long-lasting cases. Shifting these critical programmatic functions from CBOs into the Office of the Public Defender will improve service delivery and will increase operational efficiency for the legal assistance, navigation, and community engagement functions of Stand Together Contra Costa.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If this action is not approved, the resources committed to the project would not be allocated to support legal services and community engagement for those in our community seeking legal due process in the immigration legal system.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

Over 27% of current Stand Together Contra Costa clients are immigrant children aged 0-17. This action will enable the Office of the Public Defender to improve legal services delivery and holistic services navigation to this vulnerable population of children.