City Council
December 3, 2024
RE
COMMENDATION
AGENDA REPORT
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution:
1. A
ccepting And Appropriating A Grant From The Oakland Unified School District In A
n Amount Not To Exceed One Million Three Hundred Thousand Dollars (
$1,300,000) For The Period Of January 1, 2025, To June 30, 2026; And
2. Awarding A Grant To Communities United For Restorative Youth Justice For School-Based Violence Interruption And Life Coaching Services For The Period Of Febr
uary 1, 2025, To June 30, 2026, In An Amount Not To Exceed Four Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($425,000); And
3. A
warding A Grant To Family Violence Law Center For School-Based Gender- Based Violence Services For The Period Of February 1, 2025, To June 30, 2026, In A
n Amount Not To Exceed Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($450,000); And
4. A
warding A Grant To Youth Alive For School-Based Violence Interruption And Life C
oaching Services For The Period Of February 1, 2025, To June 30, 2026, In An A
mount Not To Exceed Four Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($425,000); And
5. A
uthorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Additional Funding From The Oakland Unified School District That Becomes Available For The Same Purposes Through June 30, 2027, And Amend The Grant Agreements Accordingly For A One-Year Extension.
EXEC
UTIVE SUMM ARY
The
proposed resolution, if adopted, will allow the City Administrator to do the following:
1. A
ccept a grant for $1,300,000 from the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) for January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026 (18 months).
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Holly Joshi
City Administrator Chief of Violence Prevention
SUBJECT: DVP Grant From Oakland Unified
School District
DATE: November 12, 2024
City Administrator Approval Date:
Jestin Johnson (Nov 21, 2024 17:01 PST)
Nov 21, 2024
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: DVP Grant From Oakland Unified School District Date: November 12, 2024 Page 2
City Council
December 3, 2024
2. Awar
d grants to the following community-based organizations to staff school violence intervention and prevention teams at Oakland Technical High School and Skyline High School from February 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026:
• Comm
unities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ): $425,000 for one life coach and one violence interrupter.
• Family Violence Law Center (FVLC): $450,000 for two gender-based violence specialists.
• Youth Alive: $425,000 for one life coach and one violence interrupter.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Viol
ence Impacting High School Students. The majority of high school students living in Oakland’s neighborhoods most impacted by violence attend school in OUSD, which educates roughly 15,000 students in grades 9 through 12 each year. High school students experience community violence in Oakland both vicariously and directly. In 2023, 97 shootings with injury, 88 incidents of domestic violence, 35 rapes, and 111 other sex offenses reported to the Oakland Police Department involved victims between the ages of 14 and 18.1 Exposure to violence on school campuses also occurs. During the 2023-2024 School Year, OUSD high school students were suspended 608 times for physical violence.2 African American students experience the greatest disparity in suspensions for violence, representing 58% of suspended students while only composing 20% of the high school population. While data on the specific prevalence of gender-based violence among OUSD high school students do not exist, staff and service providers understand it to be common. Combined with economic and social stressors present in underserved communities and families, this exposure to violence creates cycles that lead to further violence victimization and perpetration. Furthermore, exposure to violence takes a serious toll on students’ mental health, physical health, and ability to learn in the classroom.
School V
iolence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Program. In June 2020, the OUSD School Board approved the George Floyd Resolution, which eliminated the OUSD Police Department. In the wake of this decision, OUSD implemented or strengthened several community-led approaches to safety and violence interruption, including training staff known as culture keepers to intervene in student conflicts using restorative practices and employing restorative justice coordinators to facilitate restorative conversations and healing circles for groups of students. At the same time, the Oakland City Council convened a group of community leaders to form the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force and developed recommendations for community-led violence intervention efforts. One of the recommendations, authored by task force member Brooklyn Williams, was for a school-based violence prevention strategy that involved delivering conflict resolution and restorative justice services at school in partnership with community-based organizations specializing in violence prevention.
In r
esponse to the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force recommendation for school-based violence intervention services, the DVP developed and implemented the School VIP Program, which places a team of three individuals – one violence interrupter, one gender-based violence 1 Oakland Police Department, 2023. Internal data shared by Oakland Police Department with DVP staff. 2 Oakland Unified School District, 2023. Internal data shared by Oakland Unified School District with DVP staff.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: DVP Grant From Oakland Unified School District Date: November 12, 2024 Page 3
City Council
December 3, 2024
s
pecialist, and one youth life coach – in OUSD high schools as full-time staff. These staff build trusting relationships with students who are impacted by violence and work closely with them to reduce their risk for involvement in additional violence in the short- and long-term. Specific responsibilities of each school VIP team member are detailed below:
• V iolence interrupter (VI) : School-based VIs are credible messengers who use their relationships with students and community members to mediate conflicts and prevent future violence. VIs proactively develop trusting relationships with students at their schools and use their community influence to identify and mediate conflicts before they result in violence. In response to incidents of violence that do occur, VIs develop safety plans for students, work with impacted parties to prevent retaliation and connect victims to services that address immediate and long-term safety needs. School-based VIs wor k
c
ollaboratively with community-based VIs, other school VIP team members, school administrators, and family members of students to understand violence dynamics and coordinate mediation and support efforts. School-based VIs also host support groups for students impacted by group violence and for caregivers of impacted students. • Life coach: School-ba
sed life coaches deliver intensive case management services to students at high-risk of group violence. Life coaches work closely with their students to identify the behavioral or contextual factors driving the individual’s vulnerability to v
iolence, develop and implement strategies to reduce their risk for violence and build the safety nets and support systems needed to increase protective factors. Life coaches have daily communication with their students to facilitate positive behavior change and c
onnect students to support services funded by the DVP, including employment nav
igation, housing navigation, therapy services, and relocation. Students receive f
inancial incentives for their progress and achievements, which encourages goal completion and provides resources that help support them in avoiding participation in dang
erous economic pursuits. When appropriate, life coaches engage and partner with family members to support youths’ positive behavior change, create supportive env
ironments, and establish and reinforce safety plans.
• Gender-bas ed violence (GBV) specialist: School-based GBV specialists provide long- term case management for students who are directly impacted by GBV. Using a life c
oaching model that incorporates motivational interviewing, cognitive behavior theory techniques, and coordination of critical services, GBV specialists support students in c
hanging mindsets, behaviors, support systems, and environments to increase safety and create pathways to opportunity. GBV specialists connect students to therapy, housing, and legal services funded through the DVP. GBV specialists also work with students’ family members, when appropriate, to establish and reinforce safety measures.
In addition to providing long-term case management services, GBV specialists train school staff and other school VIP team members on signs of GBV and intersections with gr
oup violence, and they host support groups for students impacted by dating violence, stalking, sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, and commercial sexual exploitation.
DVP G rant Agreements. The DVP has implemented the School VIP Program in OUSD since August 2022 by funding community-based organizations to hire and supervise the violence interrupters, life coaches, and GBV specialists who make up the school VIP teams. The DVP selected organizations through a request for qualifications (RFQ) #267700,4, which the DVP released on December 10, 2021. Based on this RFQ, the DVP awarded grants to community- Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: DVP Grant From Oakland Unified School District Date: November 12, 2024 Page 4
City Council
December 3, 2024
bas
ed organizations to operate the School VIP Program at Bunche Academy, Castlemont High School, Dewey Academy, Fremont High School, McClymonds High School, Oakland High School, and Rudsdale Continuation School during the 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 School Years (Tables 1-3). Through a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and additional city funding, the DVP expanded service delivery during the 2023-2024 School Year, increasing the number of GBV specialists and violence interrupters in the program from four to seven. This additional investment provided each school with a full-time GBV specialist and violence interrupter in addition to their full-time life coach. (Table 3).
T
able 1. Grants awarded to community-based organizations through Resolution No. 89273 C.M.S. and Resolution No. 89796 C.M.S. from July 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023.
Organization Grant Amount Staff Position
CURYJ $375,000 1 Life Coach
1 Violence Interrupter
Community & Youth Outreach $250,000 1 Violence Interrupter EBAYC $375,000 2 Life Coaches
FVLC $687,500 4 GBV Specialists
Student Program for Academic
and Athletic Transitioning
$250,000 1 Life Coach
Youth Alive $625,000 2 Life Coaches
2 Violence Interrupters
Table 2. Grants awarded through Resolution No. 89899 C.M.S. and Resolution No. 90317 C.M.S. from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2025.
Organization Grant Amount Staff Position
CURYJ $787,500 1 Life Coach
2 Violence Interrupters (One started 7/1/24)
Community & Youth Outreach $150,000 2 Violence Interrupters (Ended 6/30/24) EBAYC $600,000 2 Life Coaches
FVLC $1,600,000 7 GBV Specialists
Student Program for Academic
and Athletic Transitioning
$400,000 1 Life Coach
Youth Alive $1,100,000 2 Life Coaches
2 Violence Interrupters
Table 3. Grants awarded through Resolution No. 90002 C.M.S. and f unded by a grant from OJJDP for services from January 1, 2024, to September 30, 2026.
Organization Grant Amount Staff Position
CURYJ $357,266 1 Violence Interrupter
Youth Alive $570,653 2 Violence Interrupters
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The pr
oposed resolution will accept a grant for $1.3 million from OUSD to fund school VIP teams at Skyline High School and Oakland Technical High School from February 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Table 4 identifies the organizations the DVP will fund to deliver these services.
The DVP selected CURYJ, FVLC, and Youth Alive because all three agencies applied to RFQ Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: DVP Grant From Oakland Unified School District Date: November 12, 2024 Page 5
City Council
December 3, 2024
#267700,
4 and have been delivering the required services at other school sites since August 2022. Additionally, these agencies have expressed a strong desire and capacity to hire additional staff to serve Skyline High School and Oakland Technical High School starting February 1, 2025.
T
able 4. Grants proposed for services from February 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
Organization Grant Amount Staff Position
CURYJ $425,000 1 Life Coach, 1 Violence Interrupter
FVLC $450,000 2 GBV Specialists
Youth Alive $425,000 1 Life Coach, 1 Violence Interrupter The proposed resolution advances the citywide priority of holistic community safety by increasing the DVP’s capacity to deliver intensive life coaching, GBV, and violence interruption services to high school students who are at greatest risk of violence and to prevent incidents of violence through focused, relationship-driven supports.
FISCAL IMPACT
The DVP will fund school VIP teams at Oakland Technical High School and Skyline High School from February 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, for a total cost of $1,300,000. This amount is based on sample budgets for each type of service – violence interruption, life coaching, and gender- based violence services – at one school site for the 17-month period. Tables 5 and 6 provide sample budgets for each school VIP team member position.
Funds will
be allocated to Project (To-be-determined), Award (To-be-determined), Fund (To-be- determined), Program (To-be-determined), and Organization (To-be-determined).
Table 5. Sample 17-month budget for a violence interrupter at one school site.
Budget Item Unit Cost Number or
Percentage
Total for
2/1/25 – 6/30/26
Personnel
Violence interrupter $70,000 1.0 FTE $99,167
Supervisor/Manager $105,000 0.20 FTE $29,750
Fringe benefits - 25% $32,229
Subtotal: Personnel $161,146
Operating costs
Gift cards for student basic needs $600/month 15 months $9,000 Computer and phone $2,000 1 $2,000
Miscellaneous supplies $2,000 1 $2,000
Subtotal: Operating costs $13,000
Indirect costs 15% $25,854
Total $200,000
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: DVP Grant From Oakland Unified School District Date: November 12, 2024 Page 6
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December 3, 2024
T
able 5. Sample 17-month budget for a life coach or GBV specialist at one school site.
Budget Item Unit Cost Number or
Percentage
Total for
2/1/25 – 6/30/26
Personnel
GBV specialist $70,000 1.0 FTE $99,167
Supervisor/Manager $105,000 0.20 FTE $29,750
Fringe benefits - 25% $32,229
Subtotal: Personnel $161,146
Operating costs
Gift cards for student basic needs $200/month 10 students; 15 months
$30,000
Computer and phone $2,000 1 $2,000
Miscellaneous supplies $2,500 1 $2,500
Subtotal: Operating costs $34,500
Indirect costs 15% $29,354
Total $225,000
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
N
o public outreach was deemed necessary for the proposed resolution beyond the standard City Council agenda noticing procedures. Expansion of the School VIP Program to additional high school sites is due to significant positive feedback about the program from school communities that have had the program since the 2022-2023 School Year, as well as explicit requests for the School VIP Program from the two new school sites.
COORDINATION
The
City Attorney’s Office, Budget Bureau, and City Administrator’s Office were consulted during the preparation of this agenda report and resolution.
PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
Early data indicate the success of the School VIP Program at reducing suspensions for physical violence. Suspensions for violence at schools served by the School VIP Program decreased from 332 during the 2021-2022 School Year, the year before the program was implemented, to 312 during the 2022-2023 School Year and 302 during the 2023-2024 School Year.
A
lthough the School VIP Program is a pilot, each service component for the School VIP Program is rooted in evidence from Oakland and other cities across the country:
• Violence interruption: Multiple evaluations of the Cure Violence model of violence interruption and street outreach in Baltimore, Chicago, and New York have demonstrated significant reductions in shootings and homicides, including a 63% Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: DVP Grant From Oakland Unified School District Date: November 12, 2024 Page 7
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December 3, 2024
r
eduction in shooting victimizations in New York City.3 An evaluation of the DVP’s shooting and homicide response in 2019 and 2020 found that victims who engaged with VIs largely avoided retaliation and re-injury in the following two years. • Life coaching: An evaluation of the DVP’s life coaching services in 2017 and 2018 found that individuals who received life coaching services had fewer short-term arrests for a v
iolent offense relative to a comparison group.4 Roca’s similar model of intensive case m
anagement found that individuals who received services had a 42-46% reduction in r
ecidivism over a three-year period.5
• GBV services: Life coaching with survivors of gender-bas ed violence is an emerging practice in need of additional research, but existing studies suggest a positive impact. A systematic review of 11 randomized-controlled trials and two quasi-experimental studies on case management and advocacy for survivors of domestic violence found that participants are less likely to experience further abuse and symptoms of depression in t
he 12 months following participation.6 An evaluation of a prevention and intervention c
ase management and life skills program for 54 survivors of commercial sexual exploitation in San Francisco found that participants were significantly less likely to be i
nvolved with commercial sexual exploitation after participation.7 Additionally, a longitudinal study involving 41 youth in Boston who experienced commercial sexual exploitation found that youth who received 6 months of survivor-mentor services had i
mproved coping skills and were less likely to experience future exploitation, engage in del
inquent behavior, or be arrested or detained by police.8 Las
tly, the School VIP Program is part of a comprehensive evaluation currently being conducted by the Urban Institute of all DVP activities funded by Measure Z. Preliminary results from that evaluation will be available by December 2024.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: Students who participate in life coaching services will receive stipends of up to $200 per month for completing life coaching goals.
E
nvironmental: There are no environmental opportunities associated with this report.
Race & Equity: The majority of students at Skyline High School and Oakland Technical High School are students of color, with 30% identifying at Latino and 26% identifying as African 3 Cure Violence Global. (2021). The evidence of effectiveness. Retrieved November 4, 2024, from https://cvg.org/wp- content/uploads/2021/09/Cure-Violence-Evidence-Summary.pdf. 4 Mathematica Policy Research. (2020). Evaluation of Oakland Unite: Year 1 Strategy Report. 5 Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. (2023). Intervention Strategies. Retrieved November 4, 2024, from https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/other-laws-policies/intervention-strategies. 6 Rivas, C., Ramsay, J., Sadowski, L., et. al. (2015). Advocacy Interventions to Reduce or Eliminate Violence and Promote the Physical and Psychosocial Well-Being of Women Who Experience Intimate Partner Abuse. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Volume 12.
7 Cohen, M., Edberg, M., & Gies, S. (2010). Final Report on the Evaluation of the SAFE Project’s LIFESKILLS and GRACE Programs. Available: https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/234464.pdf. 8 Rothman, E., Preis, S., Bright, K., et. al. (2020). A Longitudinal Evaluation of a Survivor-Mentor Program for Child Survivors of Sex Trafficking in the United States. Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect, Volume 100.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: DVP Grant From Oakland Unified School District Date: November 12, 2024 Page 8
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A
merican. Given that group violence and GBV disproportionately impact African American and Latino individuals in Oakland, expanding the School VIP Program to these high schools will help reduce racial disparities in experiences of violence and trauma.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution:
1. A
ccepting And Appropriating A Grant From The Oakland Unified School District In An A
mount Not To Exceed One Million Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,300,000) For The Period Of January 1, 2025, To June 30, 2026 And
2. A
warding A Grant To Communities United For Restorative Youth Justice For School- Based Violence Interruption And Life Coaching Services For The Period Of February 1, 2025,
To June 30, 2026, In An Amount Not To Exceed Four Hundred Twenty-Five Thous
and Dollars ($425,000) And
3. A
warding A Grant To Family Violence Law Center For School-Based Gender-Based Violence Services For The Period Of February 1, 2025, To June 30, 2026, In An Amount Not To Exceed Four Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($450,000); And
4. Awarding A Grant To Youth Alive For School-Based Violence Interruption And Life C
oaching Services For The Period Of February 1, 2025, To June 30, 2026, In An A
mount Not To Exceed Four Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($425,000); And
5. A
uthorizing The City Administrator To Accept And Appropriate Additional Funding From The Oakland Unified School District That Becomes Available For The Same Purposes Through June 30, 2027, And Amend The Grant Agreements Accordingly For A One- Year Extension.
For ques
tions regarding this report, please contact Holly Joshi, Chief of Violence Prevention, at (510) 920-6272.
R
espectfully submitted,
Holly Joshi (Nov 20, 2024 19:05 PST)
Holly Joshi
Chief of Violence Prevention
Re
viewed by:
Mailee Wang, Deputy Chief of Administration
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: DVP Grant From Oakland Unified School District Date: November 12, 2024 Page 9
City Council
December 3, 2024
P
repared by:
Jenny Linchey, Deputy Chief of Grants,
Programs, and Evaluation