REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 18, 2025
FROM
JAMES LOCURTO, Director, Transitional Assistance Department
SUBJECT
Title
Contracts for Domestic Abuse Intervention and Shelter Services
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve contracts with the following agencies in a combined total amount of $2,515,759, to provide countywide domestic abuse intervention and shelter services, for the contract period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026:
1. Desert Sanctuary, Inc., in the amount of $381,801
2. DOVES of Big Bear Valley, Inc., in the amount of $367,000
3. Family Assistance Program, in the amount of $439,196
4. House of Ruth, Inc., in the amount of $281,333
5. Morongo Basin Unity Home, Inc., in the amount of $352,951
6. Option House, Inc., in the amount of $361,478
7. Victor Valley Domestic Violence, Inc. dba A Better Way, in the amount of $332,000
(Presenter: James LoCurto, Director, 388-0245)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The total amount of the combined recommended contracts is $2,515,759, of which $2,221,759 is federally funded through the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) single allocation. The remaining $294,000 is funded by revenue derived from a surcharge on marriage license fees and court ordered domestic abuse fines mandated by Senate Bill 1246 (SB 1246). Adequate appropriation and revenue are included in the Human Services (HS) Administrative Claim 2025-26 budget. If funding declines or is reduced by the Federal Government, then the County can reduce or terminate the contracts.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Over the past 45 years, the Transitional Assistance Department (TAD) has contracted with local agencies to provide domestic abuse intervention and shelter services. Some of the many services provided under these contracts include a 24-hour crisis hotline, group meetings to discuss issues and concerns with others who are experiencing similar problems, temporary shelter for those who need to immediately vacate their homes for safety reasons, and outreach services which may include domestic abuse awareness, education, and life skills classes. Services also include providing referrals to existing services in the community, such as medical care, legal assistance, and Welfare-to-Work activities to enable the customer to obtain unsubsidized employment as they move toward self-sufficiency.
California’s welfare reform bill, Assembly Bill 1542 passed in 1997, includes a family abuse section, which addresses domestic abuse issues that may serve as barriers to employment or self-sufficiency for CalWORKs applicants and recipients. The objective of the bill is to identify CalWORKs applicants and recipients who are past and/or present victims of domestic abuse and to assist them in obtaining employment and becoming self-sufficient. In addition, SB 1246, requires counties to place a surcharge on the cost of marriage licenses, which is to be used to augment direct and shelter services for victims of domestic abuse and their children.
The seven agencies listed in the Recommendation have provided critical services throughout the county to victims of domestic abuse and their children, as well as assisted CalWORKs customers in obtaining training to support self-sufficiency and lasting employment. Since 2020, they have served approximately 6,700 victims of domestic abuse. Upon approval of the recommended contracts, TAD anticipates the agencies will provide domestic abuse intervention and shelter services to 1,900 victims of domestic abuse during the term of the contracts.
Contractor performance will be monitored by reviewing monthly reports detailing expenses and the progress of each CalWORKs customer, and an annual site visit to monitor for compliance with the administrative, fiscal, and program requirements of the contract. The contracts may be terminated without cause by the County with 30 days written notice.
PROCUREMENT
The Purchasing Department supports the noncompetitive procurement of these agencies based on their specialized credentials. Since 2006, these seven agencies are the only member agencies of the San Bernardino County Coalition of Domestic Violence Shelter Directors (Coalition). These agencies are the only domestic abuse agencies in the county that provide a shelter dedicated to victims of domestic abuse and their children and that meet the criteria to be eligible for state funding.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on May 9, 2025; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 21, 2025; Purchasing (Ariel Gill, Supervising Buyer, 387-2070) on May 22, 2025; Finance (John Hallen, Principal Administrative Analyst, 388-0208) on May 29, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on May 30, 2025.