HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12112012 - SD.7RECOMMENDATION(S):
1. ACCEPT the 2011-2012 report on the County's progress in reducing the harm to victims of domestic and family
violence and their children through alignment of intervention, remediation, and prevention systems and reports.
2. REAFFIRM the high priority of "Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence" as the County's primary system change
effort addressing domestic/family violence.
3. COMMEND the results documented through the partner Departments, law enforcement agencies, Superior Court,
and community service provider agencies, which represent incremental progress toward the goals of assessing
families impacted by domestic/family violence and reducing the short-and-long term financial, emotional, and
institutional costs of domestic/family violence.
4. APPROVE the recommended strategic directions contained in the progress report including continuing to leverage
and pursue additional public and private funding, implementing system review strategies, continuing to develop
integrated/co-located service delivery models, strengthening evaluation, and strengthening the functioning of the
partnership(s).
5. ACKNOWLEDGE partner Departments , law enforcement, Superior Court, and community
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 12/11/2012 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II
Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III
Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV
Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
Contact: Devorah Levine
313-1524
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board
of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: December 11, 2012
David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: June McHuen, Deputy
cc:
SD. 7
To:Board of Supervisors
From:Theresa Speiker, Employment & Human Services
Date:December 11, 2012
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence Initiative Progress Report
RECOMMENDATION(S): (CONT'D)
service provider agencies' dedication and commitment to reducing domestic and family violence.
6. ACKNOWLEDGE the ten (10) year Anniversary of the establishment of the initiative through the Zero
Tolerance for Domestic Violence through June 2012.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
BACKGROUND:
The Board of Supervisors requests progress reports regarding the status of the Zero Tolerance for Domestic
Violence Initiative. Attached is a report through June 2012.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Not applicable
CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:
Not applicable
ATTACHMENTS
Zero Tolerance 2012 Progress Report
CONTRA COSTA
COUNTY’S
ZERO TOLERANCE FOR
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
INITIATIVE
A Ten -Year
Retrospective
Report
DECEMBER 2012
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INTRODUCTION
Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence, an initiative of the Contra
Costa County Board of Supervisors, is a public/private
partnership designed to reduce domestic violence, sexual
assault, elder abuse, and human trafficking by interrupting the
generational, traumatic, and progressive cycle of violence.
Authorized as the first Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence
County in the State of California, Contra Costa continues to
successfully implement a coordinated approach characterized
by:
Efficient system improvements
Accountability for results
Policy and practice changes
Investment by stakeholders and outside funders
Strong public/private partnerships
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
In February 2000, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
declared that the county would have “zero tolerance for
domestic violence.” In 2001, it launched the Zero Tolerance for
Domestic Violence Initiative (Zero Tolerance), a multi-agency
system improvement effort, providing funding and establishing
accountability criteria for a variety of supports and services. At
the same time the Board sought legislative authorization for
oversight of systems change efforts.
SB 425 (Torlakson), the Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence
Act, authorized a five year pilot program in Contra Costa County.
In 2006, the County reported to the California State Legislature
on the significant progress made possible by the pilot program.
The legislature’s response was permanent authorization of the
Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence Act under SB 968
(Torlakson), which mandates a multi-faceted, multi-sectorial,
and coordinated approach to domestic violence.
Zero Tolerance (ZT) facilitates, coordinates, and incubates
improved service delivery systems and policy development. The
overarching goals of the ZT initiative are to bring about improved efficiency and coordination
of system response, improved responsiveness to clients’ needs, and increased access to
funding. The ZT theory of change includes the assumptions that:
Early and strong intervention with perpetrators of misd emeanor domestic violence
(DV) offenses prevents the escalation of violence to felony-level crimes.
Increased perpetrator accountability and education will lead to lower recidivism and a
safer community. INTRODUCTION BUILDING POWERFUL
ALLIANCES ACROSS DISCIPLINES
Zero Tolerance functions on the
principle that no one entity can
do it alone, placing an emphasis
on public systems and private
providers working and
advocating together to leverage
all resources and deliver effective
changes to systems with which
families interact.
Public Partners:
Antioch Unified School
District
Employment and Human
Services Department
Health Services Department
District Attorney’s Office
Police Departments
Probation Department
Public Defender’s Office
Superior Court of California,
County of Contra Costa
Community-based Partners:
Bay Area Legal Aid (Bay
Legal)
Child Abuse Prevention
Council of Contra Costa
Community Violence
Solutions (CVS)
First 5 Contra Costa
STAND! For Families Free of
Violence (STAND!)
Youth Intervention Network
We Care Services for Children
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A client-centered system will increase DV
survivors’ ability to build safe and
successful lives for themselves and their
children.
Coordinated efforts of partnering agencies
will lead to the broader community
learning that violence is not tolerable and break the intergenerational cycle of violence.
The primary ZT projects designed to bring about the initiative’s outcomes are:
Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition: Working to raise awareness about the impact of
human trafficking, build capacity among public and private agencies to reach out to
victims who are being trafficked and provide access to services, and to develop
coordinated services, policies, and protocols. A multidisciplinary coalition meets
quarterly.
Criminal Justice Training and Materials: A partnership of criminal justice, social service,
and community agencies in Contra Costa is delivering interactive training and materials
to criminal justice agencies spanning the issues of domestic violence, sexual assault,
human trafficking, and elder abuse.
Domestic Violence Court: A post-conviction misdemeanor domestic violence court
works to interrupt the escalation of violence in abusive relationships. Through
coordination among multiple agencies, DV Court includes a specialized calendar,
probation supervision, and access to victim services.
Families Thrive (formerly Safe and Bright Futures) brings together organizations in the
community to marshal resources and support partnerships to address the needs of
children, youth and families impacted by domestic violence.
http://www.familiesthrive.org.
Internal and Cross-agency Policies, Procedures, and Practices: By bringing multiple
agencies to the table, the initiative creates opportunities for professionals to
communicate and understand each other’s functions and roles, learn about effective
and promising approaches, and develop improved systemic responses. For instance, co-
locating advocates in police departments, CALWORKS offices, and health clinics raises
awareness and institutionalizes new practices. A significant effort to develop
countywide high-risk assessment protocols in domestic violence cases and a high-risk
team case review is currently underway.
Preventing Violence Before It Begins (DELTA Project): Through community action
teams, raising public awareness, training, and an annual Men of Merit event, the
project engages men as agents of change, recognizing that men must be leaders in the
struggle to prevent violence.
Restraining Order Clinics: BayLegal, in partnership with the Superior Court and STAND!,
provides countywide clinics assisting litigants in preparing restraining orders, providing
information about domestic violence, and linking them to important community
resources.
(Projects continue on following page.)
“We have significantly improved the awareness of
law enforcement around DV issues. We have
facilitated training and provided extensive
resources that are used by law enforcement, as
well as aided in the development of protocols for
best practices among multiple partners in the
criminal justice field.”
– Law Enforcement Partner
IMPROVED SYSTEM RESPONSE PROJECTS
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Safe for Us Supervised Visitation and Safe
Exchange: The Safe for Us Visitation and Exchange
center, operated by CVS, offers safe parent/child visitation and exchange services for
children and their families who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault,
stalking, and child abuse. The program’s mission is to decrease childhood exposure to
violence, increase safety of child and adult victims, and build healthy family
relationships.
West Contra Costa Family Justice Center (WCCFJC): A collaborative multi-service center
for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, stalking, and
human trafficking, and their families. Identified as a best practice by the United States
Department of Justice, the WCCFJC provides advocacy, access to counseling and mental
health, assistance with emergency shelter, safety planning, law enforcement assistan ce,
civil legal assistance (restraining orders, custody, and dissolution), court
accompaniment, and access to the Victim Assistance Program .
INCREASING PERPETRATOR ACCOUNTABILITY: A COORDINATED CRIMINAL JUSTICE
RESPONSE
An important component of improving the system response is building the capacity of the
criminal justice system to hold perpetrators of violence accountable, thereby increasing safety
for victims. Strategies include: Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court Specialized
investigation, vertical prosecution, and probation supervision Co-located advocates
Restraining order clinics Training for law enforcement personnel.
Early intervention has improved.
ZT partners seek to intervene early and strongly with perpetrators of misdemeanor domestic
violence offenses to prevent the escalation of violence to felony-level crimes. The first sign
that this is occurring is the increase in percentage of DV calls for assistance that result in police
reports being filed. A training
regarding domestic violence,
developed and delivered by a
multi-disciplinary ZT team for law
enforcement jurisdictions, helped
to improve the way responding
officers assessed and documented
the dynamics of each scene, as
compared with the way this was
done prior to the ZT initiative. A
greater proportion of calls for
assistance now result in a report
being written by responding
officers. Therefore, while the
number of DV calls for assistance
has decreased since 2001, the IMPROVED SYSTEM RESPONSE “We are a type of incubator for
important best practices, pilot projects,
and new things associated with DV.”
– Criminal Justice partner agency
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number of police reports completed for
misdemeanor and felony-level incidents has
increased. In 2001, law enforcement reports were prepared for 64% of calls. The proportion
has never been that low in the subsequent years. In 2010, 85% of calls resulted in reports
being prepared.
The ZT theory of change includes the assumption that intervening swiftly and effectively in a
misdemeanor case prevents a future felony. The number of misdemeanor reports to law
enforcement shows an upward trend since 1999, while the number of felony reports shows a
downward trend. In 2000, 28% of all reports were felony reports. In the 10 years of ZT, that
number has never exceeded 22%, and in 2011, only 13% of all reports were felony reports.
If early intervention prevents further incidences of domestic violence (e.g. those involving
weapons), then data obtained on calls where weapons are present may serve as an impact
measure of the ZT initiative. As the chart below shows, the rate of calls per 1,000 people in
California, Contra Costa, and two nearby counties have all declined since 1998. However, since
2004, the rate of calls involving weapons has been lowest in Contra Costa County. Consistently
lower rates in the county over a period of seven years point to ZT’s impact on awareness, early
intervention, and overall system responsiveness.
Despite this encouraging trend, local data compiled by ZT partner STAND! on homicides in
Contra Costa County with DV as a factor show an increase from five in 2007 to 10 in 2011.
Although it is possible that this reflects greater lethality in DV cases, it is also possible that a
shift in community norms may be taking place, resulting in awareness and/or reporting of DV
as a factor during an investigation about a homicide. Data specific to the percentage of
“The success of our work through the Domestic
Violence Court (sic) is something that the County
should consider to be an accomplishment.”
– Probation Department Partner
IMPROVED SYSTEM RESPONSE
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homicides in Contra Costa County with DV as a factor is currently unavailable. This information
would sharpen an analysis on whether there is a correlation between early intervention, the
reduction of calls with weapons, and reduced lethality. Ensuring that the County’s multi-
agency DV Death Review Team has the capacity and personnel to track and report this data
and compare it with neighboring counties and the state as a whole would help to determine
ZT’s impact in reducing the level of violence and lethality.
Increasing accountability leads to a safer community.
Zero Tolerance partners conduct multidisciplinary trainings to build system responsiveness to
domestic violence. DV Coordinators with the District Attorney’s office conduct training
seminars for local police agencies on the investigation and reporting of DV and for
misdemeanor attorneys on all aspects of trials specific to DV cases, including the type of
evidence to obtain in domestic violence and elder abuse reports that will aid in prosecution.
The DA’s specialized felony DV unit ensures that a single prosecutor is assigned to each DV
case — a system of “vertical prosecution,” which allows the attorney to become intimately
aware of issues of the case and helps build victim confidence and trust.1
Over time, a higher trial conviction rate may indicate improved law enforcement practices
that lead to effective early intervention and increased perpetrator accountability and/or a
desired shift in societal norms that impacts
jurors’ perceptions of DV and elder abuse
cases.
The conviction rates for DV cases closed
each year in Contra Costa County have
remained high since 2003 (the earliest year
data for which data are currently available):
Over 90% for felonies and 70% or higher for
misdemeanors. Elder abuse felony
convictions were at 100% in 2011, up from
89% in 2007.
Steps to reduce recidivism are in place.
The Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Court, along with deputy probation officers, is
responsible for supervising misdemeanor DV offenders. Probation officers provide intensive
supervision and act expeditiously when probationers are in non -compliance with their
probation conditions and bring them before the court for immediate sanctions whenever
possible. Perpetrator accountability reduces the recidivism that brings such cases back to the
system as felony level offenses. In addition, Probation closely supervises DV felony
perpetrators throughout the county.
1 In the DA’s specialized felony domestic violence unit, a single prosecutor is assigned to each case and is responsible for making
all court appearances from the initial charging of the case to the final disposition. IMPROVED SYSTEM RESPONSE
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Increased awareness about the importance of keeping victims and their children safe by
preventing additional violence has led to a significant increase in the percentage of restraining
order violations that have resulted in convictions over the past five y ears (for which full-year
data is available), from 47% in 2007 to 78% in 2011.
According to the ZT theory of change, increased perpetrator accountability also includes an
acknowledgement of negative patterns and acquisition of better conflict resolution skills.
Therefore, a critical component of the system is treatment for offenders to help them change
their behavior. According to client satisfaction surveys almost all perpetrators who received
mandatory referral to a Batterer’s Intervention Program (BIP) since 2009 report that the
treatment they received was helpful.2
2 However, there are ongoing gaps in establishing consistent standards and accountability for delivery of BIP
treatment, and a lack data on whether perpetrators are completing BIP and what aff ect BIP has on violent
behavior over time.
“The services helped me understand what
my options are and where I can get help.”
– DV survivor attending
Restraining Order Clinic
IMPROVED SYSTEM RESPONSE
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DEVELOPING CLIENT-CENTERED SERVICES
Coordinating and fostering innovative system responses to intervene
in and prevent violence lies at the heart of Zero Tolerance’s work.
This approach necessitates a shift from traditional agency-centered
models to a more client-centered, integrated model.
Co-location of services better meets survivors’ needs.
A cornerstone of collaboration among Zero Tolerance partners has
been the co-location of services among public and private agencies. Examples include co -
located domestic violence and sexual assault advocates in police departments; co-location of
advocates in CalWORKs offices, domestic violence court, restraining order clinics, the district
attorney’s office, and health clinics. Among the many positive results of co-location are that
families participating in CalWORKs are more aware of their ability to request DV services,
when DV is a barrier to meeting Welfare To Work participation requirements; and police
departments are conducting more effective investigations, leading to improved DV conviction
rates.
Building on this foundation of successful co-location, Zero Tolerance partners embarked on an
effort to integrate services through the Family Justice Center model. When the West Contra
Costa Family Justice Center (FJC) opened its doors in February 2011, it became a major step in
improving responsiveness to the needs of victims of violence in the county. The FJC realigns
many of the existing crisis-intervention services provided by multiple public and community
based agencies, which results in better
coordination, faster communication between
partners, reduces the number of times
survivors need to tell their story, and reduces
the wait times when accessing multiple
systems.
The bar chart shows the steady increase in
demand for FJC services
since its opening month. In
exit interviews and surveys:
100% of clients reported
that they felt respected
while at the FJC.
88% reported that their
primary presenting
issue was addressed the
same day.
76% said they would
recommend the FJC to
someone in a similar situation. RESPONSIVENESS TO CLIENTS “The demand for services has quickly
outpaced the Center’s ability to provide
integrated services one day a week.”
– Family Justice Center Director
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Coordination and collaboration help clients
access services.
By coordinating efforts to connect victims of
violence to resources they need, regardless
of which agency or organization they interact
with first, and by sharing information and
learning with one another Zero Tolerance
partners hope that victims will have a higher
level of immediate safety and stability, which
in turn will promote longer-term self-reliance
and safety. The accompanying chart shows
that about half of STAND! clients and all or
nearly all of BayLegal clients access services
as a result of referrals from ZT partners. With
coordination, ZT partners are able to reduce
duplication of services and collectively offer
more services than they could alone.
Client satisfaction is high.
Zero Tolerance is committed to learning about
client needs and satisfaction. Since 2009, data
from close to 800 Client Satisfaction Surveys,
completed by clients served by Zero Tolerance
partners, including advocacy agencies, service
providers, and legal partners, has been entered
into an online collector for analysis. These
surveys and the bar charts on this page show:
Top services requested are:
group counseling
restraining orders
individual counseling
other legal assistance (e.g., help filling out documents or accompaniment to court)
cash assistance (e.g., CalWORKs)
Most clients receive the services they need.
Clients requesting group or individual
counseling or help with a restraining order are
most likely to have their needs met. Those
seeking other kinds of legal assistance or
financial support are less likely to have their
needs met. However, a large majority of clients
accessing services provided by ZT partners are
satisfied with the help they receive. RESPONSIVENESS TO CLIENTS “I felt heard for the first time in a long time. It felt
safe to ask questions, and I knew you would take
time to explain the process to me.”
“Their help made me feel calmer, without fear.”
“Now I can conclude this bad chapter in my life.”
– DV survivors/clients
RESPONSIVENESS TO CLIENTS
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Improving Community-wide Capacity
The ZT theory of change is that the
coordinated efforts of partnering agencies will
lead to victims and the broader community learning that violence is not tolerable. ZT’s
holistic and comprehensive approach to ending DV includes laying a foundation for learning
that will lead to the development of a better system response in the future. ZT partners are
building the capacity of multiple agencies, organizations, and first responders in the county
system to intervene when violence occurs and to build awareness and the ability and
commitment to help prevent it before it begins. For instance, the DELTA project of ZT partner
STAND! engages men and boys in a coordinated effort to stop and prevent violence against
women. ZT partners also work to help adults and children exposed to violence to build
resilience in order to thrive and prevent further violence in their lives and in future
generations.
Trainings and resources help practitioners address childhood exposure to domestic
violence (CEDV).
Since its inception in 2009, Zero Tolerance’s project Families Thrive has held in-person trainings
and posted online trainings on the Learning Center of its website (www.familiesthrive.com ),
conducted workshops, and convened community meetings for over 3,000 community
members on topics such as identifying and assessing CEDV, cultural considerations in
addressing CEDV, teen dating violence, and successful communication/messaging with others
about CEDV. Families Thrive has supported eight prototype projects — innovative, replicable
strategies that organizations are developing to address CEDV. In addition, the participating
agencies developed a system to track CEDV in the county, with the intention of increasing
awareness and assisting in the development of a more responsive system.
Using multiple, interconnected strategies,
Families Thrive has strengthened the
ability of agencies and practitioners to
respond to and prevent CEDV, which in
turn promises to lead to healthier families
and less violence in future generations. For
instance, 92% of Families Thrive training
participants say they have increased their
capacity to prevent or address CEDV, and
75% are already applying new practices
they learned.
BUILDING FUTURE CAPACITY
“I am going to present this information at
parent meetings and pass it along to staff so
we can have a better understanding of
children impacted by domestic violence and
therefore be able to perceive and respond to
them differently.”
– Head Start site supervisor
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Return on Investment
Zero Tolerance is a catalyst for bringing new resources into Contra Costa. As the charts on this
page illustrate, the return on investment in the ZT initiative is significant. The Board of
Supervisors has strategically invested limited general fund dollars (at its highest, $2.1 million in
2001, and just $1.3 million this year), and county agencies and community-based organizations
have invested funding for services and in-kind staffing to support system improvements. These
investments have been critical in attracting close to $13 million in funding from various sources
over the past 10 years.
“Zero Tolerance has brought in a lot of additional
revenue to this county on DV issues.”
– Community-based organization partner
LEVERAGING RESOURCES
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CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Reflecting on our first 10 years, we have learned that…
ZT has achieved an improved system response to DV.
Earlier intervention in DV, exemplified by an increase in DV-related
misdemeanor and decrease in felony cases.
An increasing number of DV calls for which reports are submitted by law
enforcement.
Establishment of vertical prosecution, specialized DV investigation unit(s),
probation supervision, and DV Court.
The capacity of first responders, public agencies, and community practitioners
to intervene is stronger.
Trainings, workshops, and other resources for practitioners that assist in
improving investigation, response, prevention, and coordination.
Improved policies and practices across multiple sectors.
The safety and needs of clients and the community are better met.
Co-located and coordinated services enable survivors to receive assistance and
referrals in an efficient manner.
Comprehensive services that go far beyond basic crisis intervention help families
build safe and stable lives for themselves and their children.
Prevention and intervention efforts aim to reduce the harmful impact of
violence on children, youth, and their families.
Zero Tolerance partners envision a future where…
Contra Costa County continues to strengthen the system response to violence by aligning
policies, practices, and protocols for first responders and practitioners. Through innovative
strategies, capacity building efforts, engaging key stakeholders, attracting funding and
reinvestment, and implementing strong evaluation practices, ZTDV will:
Champion and expand seamless, integrated coordination of services across, civil,
criminal and juvenile justice systems to improve victim and family safety.
Ensure effective services for all victims and their families through coordinated
assessment, measurement, and evaluation.
Advocate for appropriate and full level of funding based on true costs and evolving
needs of the response system.
Create a comprehensive and effective system of prevention that establishes Contra
Costa County as a leader in promoting safe communities in California and a model for
other counties in this and other states. RECOMMENDATIONS AND VISION
“Congratulations to Contra Costa County …. Their
efforts, combined with the efforts of their partner
agencies, can help prevent domestic violence in our
community.”
– U.S. Congressional Representative George Miller
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To realize that future, important strategic directions include…
Expand existing effective approaches including but not limited to Domestic Violence
Court; supervised visitation and exchange, advocacy, legal services and reinstatement
of court-based self-help programs.
Increase offender supervision and improve standards for batterer’s treatment
programs (BIP), ability to track treatment completion and outcomes in reduction or
cessation of violent behavior, and address issue of DV r elated to AB 109 (Realignment)
efforts in the County.
Increase system review strategies including staffing for high risk teams, Domestic
Violence Death review team, and other multidisciplinary efforts.
Continue building capacity of public and private agencies to intervene and prevent
violence with particular opportunities to integrate into existing efforts on Healthcare
Reform.
Continue developing integrated/co-located service models such as the Family Justice
Center.
Support coordination and raise awareness about human trafficking as part of the
continuum of abuse.
Continued coordination and introduction of innovative strategies that address the
needs of children, youth and families impacted by domestic violence.
Increase and leverage additional public and private funding.
Zero Tolerance partners have developed innovative programs and helped thousands of
Contra Costa County residents experiencing domestic violence and elder abuse over the
past decade. Yet, ZT’s work is far from over.
Investment in systems change is a long-term and complex endeavor. In the years ahead, Zero
Tolerance partners must continue to strengthen a coordinated and effective system response
and implement strategies to learn how to maximize their impact and understand the longer -
term outcomes resulting from their collective efforts.
We would like to thank Korwin Consulting for its assistance with this report. RECOMMENDATIONS AND VISION