REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2020
FROM
MICHELLE SCRAY BROWN, Chief Probation Officer, Probation Department
SUBJECT
Title v
Grant Award from the State of California, Board of State and Community Corrections for Mental Health Training
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Accept Grant Award (State Agreement No. BSCC0049-18-MH) with the State of California, Board of State and Community Corrections to accept $202,500 to provide critical mental health training to 750 corrections personnel and one master training instructor for the period of May 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020.
(Presenter: Eric Vara, Deputy Chief Probation Officer, 387-5777)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The State of California, Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), is providing funds to the Probation Department (Department) in the amount of $202,500 for mental health training of the Department’s corrections personnel. A budget adjustment is not requested at this time but will be included in a future quarterly countywide budget report brought to the Board of Supervisors (Board) for approval, if necessary.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 2019, the BSCC, Standard and Training for Corrections (STC) division disseminated a statewide survey to be completed by agencies as a component of a mandated Annual Training Plan. On April 15, 2019, Probation completed and submitted the survey to BSCC. BSCC utilized the results of the survey to disburse grant funding for Mental Health Training. On September 4, 2019, the Department was notified by the BSCC of a grant award totaling $202,500. The survey process did not have the requisite appearance of a grant application, so the subsequent awarding of funds in connection to the survey was unexpected.
In addition, the grant award contained language requiring the Grantee to assure and certify compliance with all federal statutes, regulations, policies, guidelines, and requirements, including 2016 Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) Federal Award Special Conditions.
The County had not accepted the JAG 2017 and 2018 grant awards due to legal concerns regarding clauses added to the award agreements by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and additional required certifications and assurances. The County has since addressed their legal concerns through the strikeout of specific agreement clauses and the additional certifications and assurances, and accepted the JAG 2017, 2018, and 2019 grant awards on June 9, 2020 (Item no. 22). Any legal concerns regarding certifications and assurances included with this grant award will be addressed in the same manner.
The BSCC is providing $7 million for local corrections agencies for a statewide mental health training initiative. The funding was distributed on a per capita basis to local sheriff departments, police departments, and probation agencies for mental health related training delivered to their STC-eligible staff. The funds, available through the BSCC, will be distributed in two priority areas:
1. Mental health related training for local corrections staff;
2. Instructor training for the new behavioral health training included in all three STC core training programs (Juvenile Corrections Officer, Adult Corrections Officer, and Probation Officer).
Each agency will receive $270 for each eligible person. In addition, reimbursement for travel costs for a staff person to attend master instructor training for the behavioral health training will be included, if indicated on the contract per the agency’s needs assessment survey. The funding for mental health training will be released in one full payment, upon receipt of the original application signed by the Board of Supervisors and full execution of the contract. Travel reimbursement will be made after travel is completed and upon receipt and approval of the reimbursement request.
This item is being presented at this time, as this is the first available date following the required operational, fiscal, and legal reviews. Approval by the Board at this time will not impact critical mental health training to corrections personnel and master training instructor.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Jamie Ryan, Deputy County Counsel, 387-3088) on June 2, 2020; Finance (Carolina Mendoza, Administrative Analyst, 387-4883) on June 5, 2020; and County Finance and Administration (Kelly Welty, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-4376) on June 10, 2020.