COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Human Services Agency

DATE:

January 10, 2006

BOARD MEETING DATE:

January 31, 2006

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Glen H. Brooks Jr., Interim Director, Human Services Agency

Mark Lane, Director, Children and Family Services

SUBJECT:

Agreement with Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA)

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution:

1. Waiving the Request for Proposal (RFP) process; and

2. Authorizing the execution of an Agreement with CORA in the amount of $105,000 for the provision of Domestic Violence (DV) services. The term of the Agreement is July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Ensure basic health and safety for all.

Goal 8: Help vulnerable people – the aged, disabled, mentally ill, at-risk youth and others - achieve a better quality of life.

This Agreement contributes to this commitment and goal since CORA provides prevention and intervention services to victims of domestic violence and offers them resources to keep them and their children from risk of physical and emotional harm.

Performance Measure(s):

Measure

Actual

FY 2004-05

Projected

FY 2005-06

Percent of CORA’s shelter program clients who will receive referrals to services that will help them achieve greater self-sufficiency

N/A. Baseline data being collected beginning FY 2005-06

80%

Percent of CORA’s shelter program clients who will exit the program to transitional or permanent housing.

N/A. Baseline data being collected beginning FY 2005-06

60%

BACKGROUND:

The Human Services Agency (HSA) has worked for several years with Sor Juana Ines Services for Abused Women (SJI) and the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention (CDVP) to provide domestic violence services to families in San Mateo County.

In 2003, the two agencies merged to work together in ending domestic violence and abuse in San Mateo County. The merged agency is now known as CORA. CORA provides intervention and prevention services, including but not limited to: transitional housing, emergency response to calls from law enforcement, a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, a teen outreach and education program, community education, and emergency shelter and these services are free and confidential to victims of domestic violence in San Mateo County.

Due to a company merger and subsequent reorganization, services under the prior contract were not provided for the full contract term for two of the program areas: emergency response to calls from law enforcement utilizing the Family Advocate Protocol developed with the Violence in Families Initiative Program (VIP) and transitional housing. As a result, CORA will provide these services in consideration for the unused funds under the prior contract with no additional funding under this Agreement for FY 2005-06.

DISCUSSION:

HSA wishes to enter into an Agreement with CORA to continue the domestic violence services to HSA clients for FY 2005-06. CORA will provide prevention and intervention services, which are an integral component of HSA’s charge for promoting self-sufficiency.

This Agreement will fund the 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, a teen outreach and education program, community education, legal assistance and emergency shelter. CORA is the only organization in San Mateo County that provides domestic violence services and is recognized as sole source provider and thus, it is in the County’s best interests to waive the Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The development of this Agreement was delayed due to extended negotiations on continuation of services.

This Agreement has been reviewed and approved as to form by the County Counsel’s Office. Risk Management has reviewed and approved the Contractor’s insurance coverage.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The term of this Agreement is July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. The total obligation of this Agreement is $105,000, of which $100,000 is 100% funded through the marriage license trust fund, $1,500 is funded through Child Welfare Services Funds and $3,500 is Net County Cost. Funds have been included in the FY 2005-06 Agency Budget. There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the approval of this Agreement.