DATE: May 7, 2024
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Amend and Extend an Agreement With the Alameda County Probation Department to Provide Delinquency Prevention Network Services and to Accept and Appropriate $233,441 From Alameda County to Fund the Extension
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council: (1) adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to extend an agreement with the Alameda County Probation Department through December 31, 2024, to provide Delinquency Prevention Network services and; (2) accepts and appropriates $233,441 from Alameda County to fund the extension.
SUMMARY
Since the 1970s, the Youth and Family Services Bureau (YFSB) has had contracts with the Alameda County Probation Department to provide mental health services to youth who are justice system-involved or at elevated risk of system involvement. In 2019, the City was awarded a three-year contract to begin providing additional services beyond mental health counseling and implemented new Diversion, Life Skills, and Restorative Justice programming. In 2022, the contract was extended through February 29, 2024.
In January 2024, the City was notified by the County of their intent to extend the contract for an additional 8 months and increase the total amount of funding at the same rate as the previous five years of the contract. As a result of rising costs to the City to provide the contracted services, a request was made to also increase the amount of funding in the new contract amendment. To allow the County time to consider the request for increased funding, an Extension of Time amendment was completed in February 2024, adding an additional 10 months to the contract term (through December 2024). In April 2024, the City was notified that our request for additional funding in the amount of $233,441 for the 10 month extension was approved, reflecting an 18% increase over the amount originally awarded for the extension.
Council approval is requested to authorize the City Manager to accept and appropriate the additional revenue from the Alameda County Probation Department to continue the important work of providing Diversion, Life Skills and Restorative Justice services to youth who are system-involved or at elevated risk of justice system involvement.
BACKGROUND
YFSB’s central mission is to ensure Hayward’s richly diverse youth and families feel safe, supported, and experience community connectedness and general wellbeing. YFSB’s groundbreaking model of integrating youth serving systems across Hayward, including embedding mental health clinicians in a police department setting, allows YFSB to meaningfully improve the well-being of youth and families by maintaining alignment across the systems with which families have contact. This is achieved through offering comprehensive, culturally responsive services and opportunities that promote family stability and prevent juvenile justice involvement through empowering families to build on their strengths, supplement needs and create pathways to achieving goals. For nearly 45 years, the Bureau has successfully done this supporting thousands of families to address challenges and improve their individual and family functioning. Less than 10% of youth who participate in YFSB’s services are arrested or re-arrested within one year.
Since the 1970s, YFSB’s core service of providing mental health counseling to youth and families who are either system-involved or at elevated risk of system involvement has been primarily funded through a contract with the Alameda County Probation Department for Delinquency Prevention Network (Youth Service Center) services. In April of 2018, the Probation Department in partnership with the Alameda County General Services Agency released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to expand the Delinquency Prevention Network beyond the mental health counseling that had always been offered and begin funding Diversion, Life Skills, and Restorative Justice Services. As part of a competitive bid process to identify the most qualified service providers to deliver these services in specified geographic regions Countywide, Hayward was identified as Service Area Two. Through the RFP, the County outlined both general and specific requirements for contractors.
The general requirements specified that services utilize evidence-based practices and incorporate the following approaches:
Trauma Informed Care Approach, which recognizes the long-lasting impact of trauma, including historical trauma, and implements services and interventions accordingly; Positive Youth Development Approach, which values and honors the strengths that youth and families possess as the basis of what is needed to achieve their goals; and Cultural Responsiveness Approach, which emphasizes the importance of developing policies, systems and structures that are relevant for families across racial/ethnic identities as well as gender, sexual orientation, language capacity, socioeconomic status, exposure to trauma, migration, and other factors that directly impact culture.
Additionally, an emphasis was placed on the provision of services that were developmentally appropriate for youth and focused on utilizing social support and building coping strategies to encourage success.
The specific requirements of the RFP sought contractors to provide the following services:
Diversion services and programs specifically structured to prevent formal entry into the juvenile justice system and work with local school districts to develop site-specific alternatives to suspension programming; Life Skills and Support Services to enhance a youth’s ability to live independently and provide skills and opportunities that are critical to success, such as tangible life skill development, and pro-social engagement. These programs include service coordination/system navigation and case management services; and Restorative Justice programs that utilize restorative practices to facilitate accountability strategies, which encourage youth to take responsibility and make amends for the harm caused within their communities. Services are intended for youth both in and out of custody.
In Summer 2018, YFSB completed the application and interview process to provide the services outlined above to 115 youth annually. In November 2018, annual funding in the amount of $237,500 was awarded to provide the proposed services. In May 2019, the City received a Standard Services Agreement from the County specifying a three-year contract award (March 1, 2019 through February 28, 2022) for $712,500 in total funding with an option to extend an additional two years. The contract extension was executed in January 2022 bringing the total amount of funding over the five-year contract term (through February 29, 2024) to $1,187,500.
In January 2024, the City was notified by the County of their intent to extend the contract for an additional 8 months and increase the total amount of funding at the same rate as the previous five years of the contract. As a result of rising costs to the City to provide the contracted services, a request was made to also increase the amount of funding in the new contract amendment. To allow the County time to consider the request for increased funding, an Extension of Time amendment was completed in February 2024, adding an additional 10 months to the contract term (through December 2024). In April 2024, the City was notified that our request for additional funding in the amount of $233,441 for the 10 month extension had been approved, reflecting an 18% increase over the amount originally awarded for the extension.
This funding will offset the cost of the 1.5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Service Coordinators (Lead Program Assistants), 0.2 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Family Counselor, 0.3 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Counseling Supervisor, and 0.5 (FTE) other administrative support required to provide the contracted services.
Research clearly shows that being arrested in adolescence significantly increases the likelihood of subsequent arrests. Consistent with best practices on the most effective ways to serve youth and families and prevent escalating contact with the juvenile justice system, the YFSB Delinquency Prevention Network (Programs) services address the root causes underlying youth behaviors that result in contact with law enforcement. Program evaluation of YFSB’s Diversion, Life Skills and Restorative Justice Services shows that 80.6% of clients served during the initial five years of the contract reached their target outcomes as measured using the Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS).
DISCUSSION
The Youth and Family Services Bureau programs have successfully served Hayward youth and families from within the police department for more than four decades. At a time when the needs of families are only increasing, it is more important than ever to maintain critical mental health and other support services for youth. Moreover, as the field of law enforcement strives to be responsive to the needs of the community, programs like YFSB that prioritize the use of social services can be part of the solution. The services that will be provided under the recommended agreement have been developed in partnership with the Alameda County Probation Department. They reflect best practices for keeping youth positively engaged in the community and preventing involvement with the juvenile justice system., Moreover, the program model allows for universal access to services with all City of Hayward residents being eligible to participate at no cost, regardless of insurance or immigration status. Services like those provided by YFSB have been shown to mitigate the negative impacts of arresting youth during adolescence, including reducing the likelihood of future arrest or incarceration and increasing school enrollment and graduation rates. Consistent with this research, less than 10% of youth who participate in YFSB’s services are arrested or re-arrested within one year.
Components of YFSB Delinquency Prevention Network (Programs) Services – March 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 Diversion services and programs to prevent formal entry into the juvenile justice system. Program components include individual and group diversion meetings for youth who are arrested for first time or minor offenses or who receive citations for marijuana use pursuant to Proposition 64 and Alternative to Suspension group services delivered at Hayward Unified School District middle schools; Life Skills and Support Services to enhance a youth’s ability to live independently and provide skills and opportunities that are critical to their success, such as tangible life skill development, and pro-social engagement; Service coordination/system navigation and case management services, including Educational Support Services and participation in Coordination of Services Teams (COST) to connect youth and families to community resources, address basic needs and remove barriers to program success; and Restorative Justice programs for youth who are in custody at Camp Sweeney and Juvenile Hall, or are returning to the community after time in custody, that utilize restorative practices to facilitate accountability strategies, which encourage youth to take responsibility and make amends for the harm caused within their communities.
Program Sustainability
It is anticipated that these programs will be able to continue for many years to come. County financing comes from state allocations for Juvenile Probation Activities Funding and is a recurring expenditure in the County’s operating budget.
The services that will be provided under the recommended agreement are part of the YFSB’s overarching strategy to reduce and prevent juvenile involvement in the justice system by linking youth to services and opportunities that help them stay positively connected with the community. Addressing the root causes underlying youth behavior problems, such as mental health challenges, family functioning issues, school engagement problems, and insufficient access to positive activities and supports are critical components to encourage youth success and prevent contact with law enforcement. For youth who do encounter law enforcement, these services give officers more options and minimize formal processing in the juvenile justice system. This has a clear nexus with public safety and contributes to the overall wellbeing of Hayward families.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
As stated under DISCUSSION, above, improving community safety and keeping youth out of the juvenile justice system by supporting them to lead productive and healthy lives will have a positive economic impact for the Hayward community, as it addresses many of the factors that underlie poverty and a lack of economic opportunity. Moreover, the positive impact this program has on overall public safety contributes to a safe and thriving City which attracts residents and local businesses.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority of Enhance Community Safety and Quality of Life. Specifically, this item relates to Project Q17: Continue to provide family support programs through the Youth and Family Services Bureau.
FISCAL IMPACT
With the acceptance and appropriation of $233,441 awarded as part of the recommended amendment, the City will have received a total of $1,420,941 for DPN Program services from March 2019 through December 2024, spanning six fiscal years. The 2.5 FTE that support services discussed in this staff report are included in the City’s FY 2024 Operating Budget. Accepting and appropriating these funds will help to offset the cost of these budgeted positions. While the revenue from these agreements does not fully cover the cost of the positions, the costs are further offset by additional revenue from the Medical Administrative Activities (MAA) program. Any remaining net costs to the City’s General Fund are included in the annual operating budget.
NEXT STEPS
If the Council authorizes this action, staff will work to: 1) amend the agreement with Alameda County Probation Department for Delinquency Prevention Network (Programs) services through December 2024; and 2) accept and appropriate $233,441 and 3) continue providing essential mental health services to Hayward youth and families.
Prepared by: Emily Young, YFSB Administrator
Recommended by: Bryan Matthews, Chief of Police
Approved by:
____________________________________________
Dustin Claussen, Interim City Manager
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2020). Research in Brief to Transform Juvenile Probation: Expand the Use of Diversion from the Juvenile Justice System. Baltimore, MD: Author. Retrieved from https://www.aecf.org/resources/expand-the-use-of-diversion-from-the-juvenile-justice-system/ Josh Weber, Michael Umpierre, and Shay Bilchik, Transforming Juvenile Justice Systems to Improve Public Safety and Youth Outcomes (Washington, DC: Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, 2018).
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2018). Transforming Juvenile Probation: A Vision for Getting it Right. Baltimore, MD: Author. Retrieved from https://www.aecf.org/resources/transforming-juvenile-probation/ Cauffman, E., Beardslee, J., Fine, A., Frick, P.J., & Steinberg, L. (2020). Crossroads in Juvenile Justice: The Impact of Initial Processing Decision on Youth Five Years after First Arrest. Development and Psychopathology.