To: Board of Supervisors
From: Marla Stuart, Employment and Human Services Director
Report Title: Revenue Agreement #20-575-1 (Alliance) Department of Justice Grant
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Employment and Human Services Director, or designee, to execute a revenue agreement with the Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women, to accept funds up to $800,000 to continue the implementation of the Enhanced Training and Services to End Violence and Abuse of Women Later in Life Program for the period October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$800,000 from the Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women. 100% Federal. No County match is required.
BACKGROUND:
On June 4, 2024, the Board of Supervisors approved item C.42 authorizing the EHSD Director or designee to apply and accept a continuation grant for up to $750,000 from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to implement the Enhanced Training and Services to End Violence and Abuse of Women Later in Life Program.
On September 23, 2024, EHSD received the award notice and approval from DOJ to enter into a contract and accept an additional $50,000 to address the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) priority area to improve support for survivors from underserved communities. The total grant award is $800,000 for the period October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027.
Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life Program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. § 12421. The program's purpose is to increase and strengthen training for police, prosecutors, and the judiciary in recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of abuse, neglect, exploitation, domestic violence, and sexual assault against older individuals; provide or enhance services for older victims; create or support multidisciplinary collaborative community responses to
older victims; and conduct cross-training for victim service organizations, governmental agencies, courts, law enforcement, and nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations serving older victims.
EHSD, through the Alliance to End Abuse Division, successfully implemented the program in partnership with the Office of the District Attorney, Contra Costa Senior Legal Services, and Contra Costa Family Justice Alliance from October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2024. With this continuation funding, EHSD and its program partners will continue the collaboration to address abuse in later life in Contra Costa County. EHSD and its partners will continue to support a multidisciplinary collaborative community response to abuse in later life.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Should the proposed action not be approved by the Board of Supervisors, EHSD and its partners will not receive the award of $800,000 under the Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life Program grant to support the multidisciplinary collaborative community response to abuse in later life in Contra Costa County.
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
This agreement supports two of the five community outcomes established in the Children's Report Card: (4) "Families that are Safe, Stable and Nurturing"; and (5) "Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families,” by preventing intergenerational trauma and violence against women in later life.