REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
September 9, 2025
FROM
BRADLEY GATES, Director, Workforce Development Department
SUBJECT
Title
California Department of Rehabilitation-America’s Job Center of California Collaboration Grant Agreement
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Accept grant award and approve Grant Agreement (State Agreement No. M118419-7100) with the State of California Employment Development Department to serve people with disabilities, in the amount of $993,000, effective upon the California Department of General Services execution through April 30, 2027.
(Presenter: Bradley Gates, Director 387-9856)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Workforce Development Department (WDD) will use the $993,000 grant funds from the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD) for the California Department of Rehabilitation-America’s Job Center of California Collaboration (DOR-AJCC Collaboration) program to fund existing staff and benefits and contractual services. Sufficient appropriation and revenue are included in WDD’s 2025-26 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
WDD was notified on December 16, 2024, by EDD in coordination with California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), of the availability of $15,600,000 in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title IV Vocational Rehabilitation funds for the DOR-AJCC Collaboration Grant. WDD submitted the application on January 24, 2025. On March 4, 2025, WDD received the notice of award from EDD. The DOR-AJCC Collaboration Grant funds are federal funds that support people with disabilities in pursuit of employment and training services designed to lead to career opportunities. WDD will use the DOR-AJCC Collaboration Grant funding to increase meaningful collaboration, cross-training, co-enrollment, and co-case management strategies between local DOR offices and America’s Job Center of California (AJCC).
Over the grant period ending April 30, 2027, WDD will utilize the DOR-AJCC Collaboration Grant funding to support staffing and activities that build system and staff capacity, build meaningful partnerships, transform service delivery systems, provide a person-centered approach to services, and foster an AJCC culture of disability inclusion, resulting in improved service delivery systems that demonstrate increased employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
The DOR-AJCC Collaboration Grant will build system and staff capacity by training three existing AJCC staff to provide effective services to people with disabilities. WDD’s Disability Resource Coordinator will facilitate system wide coordination and implementation of project goals and objectives to build a more meaningful partnership with DOR to better serve people with disabilities. To transform service delivery and provide a more person centered approach in serving people with disabilities, WDD’s Disability Services Navigator will be trained to provide direct services to participants and coordinate co-enrollment and co-case management with the DOR Qualified Rehabilitation Professional transforming our service delivery system into a more streamlined service model. WDD’s Disability Benefits Planner/Work Incentives Practitioner will provide guidance to Social Security disability beneficiaries about the effect of employment on their public benefits which will enable people with disabilities to make better informed employment and career choices.
WDD anticipates serving a total of 450 participants over the 17 months of the DOR-AJCC Collaboration Grant. The DOR-AJCC Collaboration Grant will benefit County residents by increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities with a better trained staff and strengthen the partnership with DOR to make services and resources more accessible.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Sophie A. Curtis, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on August 28, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Carl Lofton, Finance Analyst, 387-4919) on August 21, 2025.