Fremont City Council Meeting: 06/18/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Human Services Department Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5187) DOC ID: 5187
Updated: 6/13/2024 9:48 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
ALAMEDA COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT CONTRACT - Authorization to execute a two-year service contract with Alameda County Probation Department for Programs Supporting At-Promise Youth and Families from FY 2024/25 through FY 2025/26.
Contact Persons:
Name: Annie Bailey Suzanne Shenfil
Title: Youth and Family Services
Administrator
Director
Div/Dept: Human Services Department Human Services Department Phone: 510-574-2111 510-574-2051
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Alameda County Probation Department (ACPD) has contracted with the City’s Human Services Department for many years to provide delinquency intervention and prevention programs to at-promise (formerly referred to as at-risk) youth and their families. After the most recent Request for Proposal (RFP) process, ACPD has awarded a new contract to the City to continue these services, in the amount of $1,124,189, for a two-year term from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2026, including $553,788 for FY 2024/25, and $570,401 for FY 2025/26.
The purpose of this report is to recommend that the City Council authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute a two-year agreement with Alameda County for a total not to exceed amount of $1,124,189, for delinquency intervention and prevention programs provided through the Human Services Department’s Youth and Family Services Division and the Fremont Family Resource Center Division.
BACKGROUND: Alameda County through its Probation Department has contracted for delinquency intervention and prevention services with the City through the Human Services Department’s Youth and Family Services (YFS) Division and the Family Resource Center (FRC) Division for many years. The purpose of these services is to provide at-promise (formerly referred to as at-risk) youth and youth on probation with early intervention counseling, case management, and truancy intervention services and to provide family support services to parents and caregivers. Since the inception of the original contract, the agreement has been renewed each year.
In February 2023, the City successfully responded to a three-year RFP to provide Youth Service Center (YSC) services in the Fremont and Newark combined service area, and subsequently received an award letter to continue providing services for FY 2023/24 through FY 2025/26. A protest of the County’s RFP decision, unrelated to the City’s award, delayed the completion of the RFP process for the first year (FY 2023/24). In light of the delay, the Alameda County Probation Department (ACPD) asked that the City execute amendments to its existing agreement with the City to ensure that services would continue uninterrupted.
Council Staff Report (ID # 5187) Meeting of June 18, 2024 Updated: 6/13/2024 9:48 AM by Dina Lewis Page 2
In March 2024, upon resolution of the bid protest, the City was advised that ACPD wished to proceed with the new YSC contract for a two-year term, FY 2024/25 and 2025/26.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: Through the proposed agreement, the Human Services Department’s YFS and FRC divisions will provide services for 245 at-risk and system- involved youth and their families residing in Fremont and Newark to reduce at-risk behavior.
The target population is youth who are habitual truants, runaways and/or youth at risk of becoming wards under California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 601 and youth described in California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 602. This target population includes the following: adjudicated youth on probation; youth who have had contact with the juvenile justice system (police, probation, or the courts); and at-promise (at-risk) youth referred by School Attendance Review Boards (SARBs), local schools, other community agencies, or parents. YFS and FRC will provide the following assessment driven services under this contract:
Youth Service Center: YFS assists youth from Fremont and Newark as part of a county- wide system of Youth Service Centers that are funded by Alameda County Probation Department to provide youth and family crisis intervention, youth assessment, short-term diversion counseling, parent education and support, and linkage to other needed resources.
Youth Service Center counselors work with youth who are on probation (Section 602 California Welfare and Institutions Code), youth who have committed status offenses (Section 601 California Welfare and Institutions Code, i.e., running away, truancy and refusing to follow parent’s or teacher’s direction), and first-time offenders through our diversion program located at Fremont Police Department.
Services for probation youth (California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 602) are coordinated with the Alameda County Probation Department. The goal is to divert youth from the juvenile justice system when possible and to assist youth to successfully complete probation requirements and prevent recidivism.
Services for at-promise (at-risk) youth (California Welfare and Institutions Code Section 601) are coordinated with Fremont and Newark Unified School Districts, Fremont Police Department, parents, and other community agencies. Youth who are truant, and/or cited for alcohol, marijuana, and other drug use, or school behavior problems are referred for counseling services through school and clinic-based programs.
Diversion services for first-time offenders are coordinated with the Fremont Police Department. Successful completion of the diversion services program allows youth to avoid receiving a criminal record. Typically, the requirements include an assessment, family and individual youth counseling, restitution for damages, and in some cases attendance at a Santa Rita Jail Youth Education Program. The goal, through early intervention, is to prevent youth from entering the juvenile justice system and to strengthen family relationships.
Family Support (Case Management): The Family Resource Center’s Family Support Coordinators serve as advocates to assist at-promise (at-risk) youth and their families in accessing and utilizing necessary community resources to address family problems that are contributing to the youth’s delinquent behaviors (i.e., homelessness, parental drug or alcohol abuse, health care access, cultural and language barriers). This is done in coordination with the Deputy Probation Officers (DPO’s) assigned to youth. FRC Fam ily Council Staff Report (ID # 5187) Meeting of June 18, 2024 Updated: 6/13/2024 9:48 AM by Dina Lewis Page 3
Support Coordinators work with each family to develop a family case plan that will consider family concerns, priorities, and resources. The Case Manager works with the Probation staff in the development of an Intervention Plan and/or a Multi-Disciplinary Team to address minor’s risk factors and critical issues associated with probation failure and/or challenges.
Key components of Case Management services are Outreach, Assessment, Planning, Linkages, Monitoring, and Advocacy.
FISCAL IMPACT: ACPD has awarded the City a contract in the amount of $1,124,189, including $553,788 for FY 2024/25, and $570,401 for FY 2025/26. In anticipation of this funding, the City Council appropriated sufficient funding in the Alameda County Probation Youth Diversion Fund (Fund 133) as part of the FY 2024/25 Adopted Operating Budget. FY 2025/26 funding will be included in the City’s proposed FY 2025/26 Operating Budget
This funding does not impact the General Fund. Contract funding will support 2.82 full -time equivalent clinical counseling and case management positions. Funding through this contract is combined with Medi-Cal reimbursement, Targeted Case Management reimbursement, and fees to operate the programs described above.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: This action is not a project subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378 as it is an administrative governmental activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS: None.
RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute a two-year agreement in the amount of $1,124,189 with Alameda County to provide Youth Service Center services for at-promise youth and families in Fremont and Newark.