REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
November 5, 2019
FROM
VERONICA KELLEY, Director, Department of Behavioral Health
SUBJECT
Title v
Contracts for Education Services to Victims of Sexual Assault
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve the following contracts for the provision of education services to victims of sexual assault, in an amount not to exceed $261,470, for the period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2025:
1. Project Sister Family Services, in the amount of $115,075.
2. San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services, Inc., in the amount of $146,395.
(Presenter: Veronica Kelley, Director, 388-0801)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not require additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The amount of $261,470 for the education services is funded by Net County Cost in the Department of Behavioral Health’s (DBH) 2020-21 and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Pursuant to federal and State laws and regulations, sexual assault education services are provided countywide to San Bernardino County residents who are victims of rape, incest, and sexual abuse, with the goal of decreasing the impacts of sexual assault crimes by providing support. Services are also available to the victims’ families, significant others, and friends. DBH anticipates that the recommended contracts with Project Sister Family Services and San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services, Inc. will serve an estimated 2,274 clients annually at an average cost of $23 per client.
Incidents of sexual assault are increasing and the County needs these specialized services to address these incidents and to provide county residents with resources. Education services are crucial in decreasing the negative impacts of sexual assault crimes and provide specialized assistance to law enforcement.
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), under the Victims Services Grant Program, designates rape crisis counseling providers by geography to ensure a single point of contact for law enforcement and area hospitals. Both of these providers, Project Sister Family Services and San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services, Inc., were identified by Cal OES as sexual assault education providers for San Bernardino County. Sexual assault education services have been provided to San Bernardino County residents since 1979.
Project Sister Family Services and San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services, Inc. provide education services and work to reduce the level of trauma experienced by sexual assault victims. Services include crisis intervention, counseling, support groups, supportive and advocacy assistance, and community education programs, as well as referrals to additional resources. The goal is to reduce the need for more intense mental health services by providing timely and specialized intervention to help strengthen a victim’s coping skills through empathetic response and support during all initial and subsequent contacts (forensic medical exam, law enforcement and district attorney interviews, court appearances, or other appointments related to sexual assault).
The County continues to fund these mandated activities as the services provide much needed resources to victims of sexual assault. The contract amount for each agency is based on the estimated population in their service areas and will ensure continued countywide community education efforts and linkage of victims of sexual assault with appropriate services. In addition, providers of sexual assault education services receive private donations and funding from other public and private agencies.
DBH recommends the contracts with Project Sister Family Services and San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services, Inc. as they have been designated by Cal OES and have successfully provided the required education services to San Bernardino County residents who are victims of sexual assault. DBH will monitor contractor performance on a regular basis to ensure performance and compliance standards are met.
PROCUREMENT
DBH does not procure for these education services to victims of sexual assault since the County is required to contract with agencies designated by Cal OES. Purchasing classifies these contracts as specialized services.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Behavioral Health Contracts (Ellayna Hoatson, Contracts Supervisor, 388-0858) on September 19, 2019; County Counsel (Dawn Martin, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on September 20, 2019; Purchasing (Leo Gomez, Purchasing Manager, 387-2063) on September 27, 2019; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on October 17, 2019 County Finance and Administration (Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on October 17, 2019.