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MINUTES - 03252014 - D.8
RECOMMENDATION(S): ADOPT the "Proposed Plan for an East & Central Networked System of Services for Returning Citizens," as amended and recommended by the Community Corrections Partnership. FISCAL IMPACT: The FY 13-14 AB 109 Public Safety Realignment Budget included an allocation of $80,000 for the planning process to develop plans for Central and East County reentry centers/networks. The FY 13-14 AB 109 budget also includes an allocation of $800,000 for the implementation of the Plan ($400k per region). The proposed FY 14-15 AB 109 Budget also includes an allocation of $800,000 for implementation of the Plan. BACKGROUND: As directed by the Public Protection Committee at their March 8, 2013 meeting, a Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the AB 109 Community Programs was issued on March 15, 2013 for the following: Planning for Reentry Resource Centers $120,000 ($40k per region) Three proposals were submitted for “Planning for (3) Reentry Resource Centers.” The two proposals that were recommended for funding to the Board of Supervisors were provided by “Further The Work” for West County and “Emerald HPC International, LLC” for East and Central County. Contracts were awarded by the Board of Supervisors to these two firms on May 21, 2013 in the amounts of $40,000 and $80,000, respectively. Staff of the County Administrator then developed contracts with Further The Work and Emerald HPC International, which were executed mid-June 2013. Both contractors conducted their planning processes on budget and on schedule APPROVE OTHER RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE Action of Board On: 03/25/2014 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Clerks Notes: VOTE OF SUPERVISORS AYE:John Gioia, District I Supervisor Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor ABSENT:Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor Contact: L. DeLaney, 925-335-1097 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: March 25, 2014 David Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: Stacey M. Boyd, Deputy cc: D.8 To:Board of Supervisors From:PUBLIC PROTECTION COMMITTEE Date:March 25, 2014 Contra Costa County Subject:Adoption of the Proposed Plan for an East & Central County Networked System of Services for Returning Citizens and submitted their proposed plans to the County Administrator’s Office on January 27, 2014. At its February 21, 2014 meeting, the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP) reviewed the Plan and recommended its adoption, as amended to exclude "sole sourcing" to contractors for services contemplated in the Plan. The Public Protection Committee is expected to review the Plan at its March 24, 2014 meeting as well. BACKGROUND: (CONT'D) Plan Revisions Having received additional input from staff and the community upon the release of the plan, Emerald HPC revised the proposed plan for the East/Central Networked System of Services after its submittal to the CAO’s office. However, the Plan that was distributed to the CCP at their February 14, 2014 meeting did not include the revised pages in its bound form; the revised pages were provided as attachments to the staff report. Subsequent to its submittal to the CCP at its February 21, 2014 meeting, the Plan was again revised by Emerald HPC with respect to the inclusion of an “Affiliation Disclosure” and a Revised Budget (Appendix I) which removes the proposed allocation for the Mentor-Navigator Supervision services. Emerald HPC now recommends that Mentor-Navigator administrative and supervision services be provided on a countywide basis through the AB 109 Community Programs process (as is currently the case), rather than on a regional basis--which the earlier Plan Budget contemplated. Since the East/Central and West County plans both address the need for mentor-navigators throughout the reentry process and the assignment of mentor-navigators is essentially “geographically-blind” at the pre-sentence and pre-release phases, having just one organization responsible for administrative/supervision services is preferable. The Affiliation Disclosure was provided by Emerald HPC International to clarify that the contractors had no prior relationships with the community based providers discussed in the Plan with the exception of the CEO of Rubicon Programs. These page revisions are included in final plan, "Proposed Plan for an East & Central Networked System of Services for Returning Citizens," which is included in Attachment A . Plan Implementation Both plans have relied on the assumption that implementation funds allocated in the AB 109 Public Safety Realignment Budget for FY 13-14 under “Community Programs,” in the amount of $1,200,000 ($400,000 per region of the County), would be available for use in FY 2013-14 despite the planning processes requiring slightly more than half of the fiscal year. Both contractors submitted their plans at the end of January 2014, and the approval process through the CCP, PPC, and Board of Supervisors will have taken the process through March. The RFP/RFQ processes needed for implementation of the plans will likely take an additional 2 months (assuming no delays in the process), resulting in contract development during the month of June 2014. The contractors have contemplated that the $1,200,000 allocated in FY 13-14 for plan implementation would be encumbered in FY 13-14 and not drop into the AB 109 Public Safety Realignment Fund Balance if not fully utilized by fiscal year end. The plans require the FY 13-14 funding for programmatic start-up, as well as for specific facilities-related costs that would likely accrue to a center-based model. Ensuring that a plan is feasible in its start-up funding is essential to ensuring success in implementation. “Proposed Plan for an East & Central Networked System of Services for Returning Citizens” Managed by two principals, Iris and Keith Archuleta, Emerald HPC International, LLC is a comprehensive consulting firm in business since 1992 that utilizes their High Performing Communities framework to guide clients through the process of building and mobilizing a sustainable, outcomes-based team or collaborative effort. With more than 20 years of experience, Emerald HPC International has conducted large community outreach efforts such as the Youth Intervention Network in Antioch and the Richmond/North Richmond Economic Revitalization Initiative for the Chevron Corporation. Emerald HPC International has developed an award-winning process recognized by both the federal government and the United Nations for engaging and retaining stakeholder and project recipient voices. Emerald HPC International is headquartered in San Francisco, with a local office in Antioch. Emerald HPC facilitated the development of a collaboration network using an approach that involved three phases: Phase 1: Planning, Fact Finding, and Issue Identification Phase 2: Collaborative Building and System Design Phase 3: Implementation Planning Over 80 stakeholders were engaged in the core planning team since June 2013 and an even broader stakeholder group was involved in interviews and informational sessions throughout the process. Stakeholders included representatives from the faith community, returning citizens, all affected County departments, higher education, nonprofit service providers, the business community, and elected officials. A celebration of the completion of the planning process was held on February 27, 2014 at John F. Kennedy University. The Network relies on two essential components: a. Faith-based and other community-based organizations serving as “No Wrong Door” (NWD) engagement sites (sources of information, referrals, engagement and support); and b. Service Teams. The seven identified Service Teams in the Plan include: 1. Mentor-Navigator Services, 2. Family Reunification, 3. Housing, 4. Employment and Education, 5. Leadership and Entrepreneurialism, 6. Women’s Services, and 7. Services for Returned Citizens with Children. In addition to the identification of faith and community-based organizations in East County to serve as NWD sites, the Plan establishes a relationship of the Network with the Local Integrated Networks of Care (LINC) collaborative to identify NWD sites in Central County. The Plan recognizes the need to continuously develop and identify participating agencies to provide ongoing services to returning citizens and their families. The organizations that have been identified at this time as "No Wrong Door" sites for participation in the networks are included in Attachment B. The coordination, support, accountability, and communications system for the Network is provided through “Field Operations,” which speaks to the issues of Field Mobility, Triage Coordination, and Communications. Field Mobility addresses the issues of accessibility of returning citizens to service providers/service teams/network personnel, service provider oversight and quality control, redefining the relationship between law enforcement and returning citizens, and community engagement activities. The Plan proposes a partnership between the Network and the Pittsburg, Antioch, and Concord Police Departments who have agreed to provide space for a Field Operations Coordinator or for Probation staff to meet with returning citizens. Field Operations Coordinators would coordinate “triage” services amongst Probation, the local AB 109 Officer, the Mentor/Navigator, and staff of the District Attorney and Public Defender, as needed. Field Operations Coordinators (3) will serve as the central point of contact between referrals from Probation, the Network Service Teams, and the service providers. The Field Coordinators will also coordinate referrals from NWD sites and returning citizens on their own behalf. The Field Coordinators will be supervised by a Network Manager, who would report to the Chief Probation Officer or his designee, and supported by an Administrative Assistant. A Database Administrator is also contemplated in the Plan to support the Network operations and provide network performance measurement and service provider assessment. Although the Plan does not provide documentation of the agreed upon commitments (duties, responsibilities, relationships) of various organizations cited as Network partners, it does include a sample Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would need to be executed by partnering agencies. While the Plan provides a “Sole Source Justification” (Appendix IV) for designating specific service providers as recipients of implementation funding, to serve as members of specified Service Teams, the CCP did not support this aspect of the Plan and recommended that the implementation of the Plan be subject, instead, to a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to allow for competitive bidding by all community-based service providers. Alignment of the West County and East/Central Plans In its motion approving the plans, the CCP recommended that “the plans be aligned and coordinated and identify specifics related to oversight, service coordination, governance, and leveraging opportunities." The contractors met with staff of the CAO and the Reentry Coordinator to address these issues and proposes the following: Oversight & Governance1. Both the West County Reentry Center and the East & Central Networks include governance and management structures that are deemed by the planning bodies to be most appropriate for the respective regions and models. Both the Center and the Networks operate under the ultimate authority of the Board of Supervisors, which delegates general oversight of the projects to the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP). In turn, the CCP may choose to create subcommittees or to appoint representatives to serve on relevant committees, as appropriate. Evaluating Impact & Data and Information Integration 2. The Center and the Networks will work with both their formal partners and other reentry-related efforts across the county to support the development and analysis of common outcome targets and metrics. Such efforts may include working with internal staff or external evaluators tasked with examining or addressing issues related to reentry across Contra Costa County. The Center and the Networks are committed to assessing their work not merely by measuring units of service (outputs) but by tracking the changes effected by the work (outcomes). The Center and the Networks will support and encourage such approaches in reentry-related efforts throughout the county. To this end, the Center and the Networks will support opportunities to develop integrated and consistent intake and assessment protocols and methods among its partners and with other reentry-related efforts countywide. The Center and the Networks will also support the development of mechanisms to reduce repetition, barriers, and gaps for clients who are navigating across the systems, and to enhance service-providers’ and other institutional stakeholders’ ready access to appropriate, available and useful information about both clients and services countywide through data-sharing agreements and mechanisms. The Center and the Networks will strive to evaluate impact in four realms: Identifying outcomes for clients as individuals: Tracking each client’s progress along an intentional, individual path (for example: sobriety, family reunification, successful completion of probation, educational progress) a. Assessing collective outcomes across client cohorts (for example: rates of recidivism within a certain population, percentage of clients who achieve and retain housing, job placement and retention) b. Tracking outcomes for service providers (for example: percentage of a partner’s clients who complete their individual development plans, client ratings of a partner’s services) c. Measuring the value of the Center or the Networks as a whole (for example, assessments of the Center by Partner organizations or by clients, metrics that track progress of the Center’s clients as a whole, percentage of effective and successful referrals between the Center and the Networks and other efforts across the county) d. Data Systems and Information Management: It is anticipated that multiple stakeholders will continue to maintain individual data-bases and data-management systems that already exist or that are appropriate for their specific areas of service. Nonetheless, it is expected that the Networks and Center should strive to develop data systems that are integrated within their own center or network, that coordinate across the Center and the Networks, and with the larger service systems, both public and private. e. The Center and the Networks will develop their data systems in partnership with and informed by the evaluation project currently managed by Resource Development Associates, as well as with other evaluation or data-related projects that the County may choose to undertake in future. Service Coordination 3. Reentry Coordinator: The Center and the Networks will collaborate their work with the Reentry Coordinator, who holds responsibility for all matters related to reentry. a. Consistent Practices and Definitions: In order to foster clear understanding and expectations for clients andb. partners across regions, the Center and the Networks will foster the development of consistent practices, whenever appropriate, and to develop consistent definitions for terms that are used in both plans. For example, both plans involve the use of mentors and/or navigators, and the Center and the Networks will work together to establish consistent definitions and expectations cross the regions. Opportunities for Shared Training: It is likely the case that each of the models will require specific trainings most appropriate and necessary to its design. However, consistent with the County’s AB 109 Operations Plan, the Center and the Networks will work together to foster the development of shared training opportunities countywide whenever appropriate. c. Referrals: As is already being recognized in the County’s work across all sectors, the development of consistent and high quality referral processes and practices is essential to the creation of an efficient, effective, and integrated system of care. d. Referrals must be able to accommodate multiple stakeholders and to operate seamlessly across geographic regions and differing service models. In addition, referrals must be able to accommodate multiple data systems, varied organizational practices, and diverse client needs. Currently, the County’s stakeholders are in the early stages of developing intentional and consistent referral processes and participant engagement strategies. The Center and the Networks will participate in these efforts, which are likely to include (but not be limited to) the following: The ability to communicate and track client-specific referral information across geographic regions and the region-specific service systems; i. The ability to minimize data duplication through the development of consistent intake and assessment processes and data sharing; ii. Consistent processes for shared updates and referrals tracking to achieve client case plans.iii. Leveraging Existing and Potential Resources4. Maximizing existing resources: Both the Center and the Networks operate within a larger landscape of services and resources across the county. In addition, both the Center and the Networks are designed specifically to fill gaps, remove barriers, integrate efforts, and enhance the values of dozens of existing service partners and stakeholders. Reflecting this foundational intention, both the Center and the Networks will strive to identify collective opportunities to benefit and to benefit from existing resources of all kinds. a. Attracting additional resources: Both the Center and the Networks represent opportunities to identify and solicit new funds and other resources from multiple sources. The Center and the Networks are intended to coordinate their resource planning in order to advance opportunities not only for themselves, but also for the good of the County as a whole. b. Cross-County Learning5. Both the Center and the Networks represent new and complex enterprises that provide substantial opportunities to identify common challenges and highlight emergent issues affecting reentry in our county. As a learning team operating in partnership with the Reentry Coordinator, the leaders of the Center and the Networks will strive to provide insight, analysis, and recommendations to benefit the larger community. CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION: If the Board of Supervisors does not adopt the Proposed Plan, there will be no adopted plan guiding the establishment of networks of services for returning citizens in East and Central county. CLERK'S ADDENDUM Speakers: Joscelyn Jones Torres, resident of Brentwood; Antwon Cloird; Kathleen Sullivan; Iris Archuleta, Emerald HPC International; Keith Archuleta, Emerald HPC International. ATTACHMENTS Proposed Plan for an East & Central Networked System of Services NWD Sites Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved AB 109 Reentry Resource Services Contra Costa County Proposed Plan for an East & Central Networked System of Services for Returning Citizens Prepared for: Contra Costa County Administrator, CCP, PPC, and Board of Supervisors Prepared by: Keith and Iris Archuleta, Emerald HPC International, LLC February 3, 2014 Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC Affiliation Disclosure In the spirit of full disclosure, it should be noted that Dorian Archuleta, is the son of Emerald HPC International’s Principles, Keith and Iris Archuleta. At the end of the East and Central County planning process and after the plan had been submitted to Lara Delaney of the County Administrator’s office, Keith and Iris Archuleta were notified that their son was suffering from deep depression and was considering taking his own life. Keith and Iris were able to make contact with Rudy Hernandez of Prepare My Sheep, one of the service providers involved in the East and Central plan, who in turn set up an appointment for their son with the Dream Center, another of the plan’s service providers. Dorian was interviewed and accepted into the Dream Center long-‐term housing and mentoring program. Keith and Iris Archuleta want it noted that they had no prior relationship with the Dream Center or Prepare My Sheep. They were introduced to these programs through research and fact finding during the planning process. It is important to emphasize that the Archuleta’s had no prior relationship with any of the community based service providers involved with the East and Central plan other than with Jane Fischberg, CEO of Rubicon Industries. Jane Fischberg was a member of the planning team for a Chevron initiative in Richmond and North Richmond, California, where Emerald HPC International was contracted to facilitate an economic revitalization plan in 2012 and 2013. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 2 Introduction Imagine that Matthew is being represented by the Public Defender’s office related to an AB 109 offense and is facing 6 months of jail time. As a part of pre-‐sentence conferences, Matthew is introduced to John, a trained Mentor/Navigator, who along with the Public Defender and Probation Department determine that upon release Matthew will need housing and a job. Matthew had worked at Jiffy Lube before he lost his job on a theft charge years ago. He is now facing an unrelated charge and mentions to his Mentor/Navigator that he’d really like to go into the oil and lube business for himself at some point, but just hopes to get a job upon release from jail. After meeting with Matthew, John contacts Brighter Beginnings about Matthew and informs them that he will be mentoring Matthew and that in discussions with him, he’d mentioned that he’d like to have his own business one day, and that in the past Matthew had worked for Jiffy Lube. The Network point person for Brighter Beginnings works with the Public Defender to set up a meeting with Matthew and John and tells him about the REAL Leadership and Kennedy Entrepreneurial Program partnership and offers to pre-‐register him so that he is able to get connected once he has been sentenced. Matthew agrees, and once his sentence begins, he joins the next available REAL class. Once Mathew starts class, John goes to work looking into other service options for Matthew. He contacts Prepare My Sheep training and employment program and gives them a heads up that Matthew is attending the REAL Leadership program and has an interest in starting his own oil and lube business upon release. John also contacts Men and Women of Purpose and informs them that Matthew will need the assistance of the Employment/Education Service Team pre-‐release, so that he has all of his documents in case he decides to continue on from the REAL program into the Kennedy Entrepreneurial program. Finally John contacts the Dream Center because Matthew will be returning to East County and will need a minimum of a year to finish his oil and lube training with Prepare My Sheep and secure employment, while completing the entrepreneurial program at Kennedy. John keeps track of all referrals, discussions, and actions taken on Matthew’s behalf. He is in regular communication with Matthew, documenting his progress with his pre-‐release classes, and turning in regular reports to his supervisor who then forwards copies to the Field Operations Coordinator. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 3 Prior to release, Men and Women of Purpose has helped Matthew with his employment documents and sent a PDF copy to the Field Operations Coordinator on Mathew’s behalf. Upon release, John picks Matthew up from the county jail and drives him to a temporary housing location in the Network. John has already set up a meeting for John and Matthew to meet with the Field Operations Coordinator and the Network point persons at the Dream Center and Prepare My Sheep. The following week the meeting is held at the Dream Center, and Mathew’s pre-‐ release success is discussed. Matthew has decided that he is not quite ready to be a business owner, but is really interested in getting trained to do oil and lube work. It is decided that Matthew will move into the Dream Center for a minimum of one year and take advantage of some of the counseling and support services they offer residents while he attends oil and lube training with Prepare My Sheep. Because of the Employment/Education Service Team, Prepare My Sheep is able to contact Goodwill Industries and set up an appointment for Matthew to discuss transitional employment with them. Prior to his meeting with the Goodwill point person for the Network, they contact the Field Operations Coordinator and request copies of Matthew’s employment documents which the Field Operations Coordinator is able to forward immediately because prior to his release, Matthew signed a release allowing Men and Women of Purpose to collect and forward the documents to the Field Operations Coordinator. After 3 months in the oil and lube training program Mathew is certified and hired by one of the Prepare My Sheep’s partners. Matthew met the Antioch Police Chief at one of the community meetings held for returned citizens after his release. He’d met the Antioch AB 109 Officer during a triage team presentation while he was still incarcerated. So when John invited Matthew to attend the community meeting, he did. John was able to meet other returned citizens and share his success with the Network. He inspired others to connect post-‐release. Information on how to connect with the Field Operations Coordinator and get involved with the Network was shared. Some of the men and women hearing about the pre-‐ and post-‐release opportunities contacted friends still incarcerated and encouraged them to get in touch with the pre-‐release teams. This is a picture of what hope looks like. Hope can and will lead to successful reintegration and a new life for many returning citizens, a reduction in recidivism in our county’s justice system, and safer communities for our loved ones and kids. A networked system of services for returning citizens is a win-‐win for the entire community and will pay dividends for generations to come. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 4 Table of Contents Introduction 2 Executive Summary 5 Planning Approach and Process Conceptual Framework Design and Operating Principles An Aspiration Operationalizing the Conceptual Framework Assessment, Accountability, and Sustainability A Final Thought on the Process The Plan 13 Mission and Vision Guiding Principles of the Networked System of Services A Unique and Historic Opportunity Ground Floor: Collaboration Network 15 “No Wrong Door” Network Faith-‐Based and Other Engagement Sites Service Teams: Mentor/Navigators; Family Reunification, Housing, Employment and Education, Leadership and Entrepreneurialism, Women’s Services, and Services for Returned Citizens with Children Field Operations 36 Field Mobility Triage Coordination Communications Management System 39 Governance Network Manager Field Operations Coordinators Network Administrative/Operations Assistant Database Administrator Referral Process 44 Pre-‐Sentence Referrals Pre-‐Release Referrals In Jail Presentation Sign-‐ups Post-‐Release Referrals Triage Referrals Getting the Word Out 46 Training, Training, and More Training 47 Mentor/Navigator Training Pre-‐Release Employment and Education Team Training Police Training Comprehensive Network Training A Final Thought on the Importance of Training Assessment 49 Appendices Index 51 Implementation Budget and Budget Narrative MOU Template Final Report on Meetings with Stakeholders/Planning Teams Sole Source Justification A Final Thought on the Plan 51 Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 5 Executive Summary First, we’d like to thank everyone who has participated in and contributed valuable time into this joint planning process for Central and East Contra Costa. Over 80 stakeholders have been engaged on the core planning team since June of 2013, including representatives from the faith community, returned citizens, the Public Defender, the District Attorney’s office, the Sheriff’s Office, Police Chiefs and AB 109 Officers, Probation, County Mental Health, County Health Services Homeless Program, Workforce Development Board, higher education, nonprofit service providers, businesses and industry, and elected officials. An even broader stakeholder group has been involved in interviews and informational sessions throughout the process, attended an update meeting in December at Los Medanos College, and will also be invited to a celebration in February at John F. Kennedy University after the submission of the final plan. Planning Approach and Process Emerald HPC International, LLC consultants, Keith and Iris Archuleta, were contracted in June 2013 to design and lead the planning process in both Central and East Contra Costa to create a coordinating hub for multiple resources and partners, providing local residents returning home from incarceration access to the resources, services and support they need to successfully reintegrate into the communities where they resided before incarceration. Emerald utilized its HPC -‐ High Performing Communities Framework™ -‐ to build, coach and train a core Planning Team, an Operational Planning team, and subject specific Workgroups in designing a strategy based on the use of best-‐practice models customized for East and Central Contra Costa demographics, with an emphasis on collaboration, accountability, sustainability, and effectiveness. When utilizing HPC, it is important to note that collaborative relationship is distinguished from collective relationship in the following way: We define a collective relationship as an aggregation of efforts where the parties are working towards a common goal, with an agreed upon core set of principals and values to which they have all contributed, but have no mutual accountabilities in the form of interlocking roles. However, we define a collaborative as a group of entities and/or individuals, working together towards a common goal with mutual accountability to one another in the form of interlocking roles to accomplish a single mutually agreed upon outcome or set of outcomes. In order to build true collaboration, a case must first be made that one is needed. This requires an initial period of exploration, fact-‐finding, and issue identification. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 6 It is important to note that Emerald defines an issue as a root cause of a problem. An issue is commonly seen as being synonymous with a problem. However, we see an issue as a root cause, and fundamental to identifying solutions to problems and validating the appropriate replication of best practices. This is a critical distinction, since not all best practices are replicable; the root causes of their success will not necessarily be present and relevant to the issues identified in the particular planning context. For example, a problem can be commonly shared in several different communities, but the root causes (issues) related to that problem can be significantly different in particular communities and require different approaches to resolving them. The first and second stages of the Emerald HPC planning process -‐ Fact-‐Finding, and Issue Identification -‐ were conducted in June and July of 2013. During these stages, Emerald conducted over 60 interviews and dozens of informational meetings with all levels of law enforcement, city management, county governance, returned citizens, average citizens, labor, industry, education, community organizations, and faith representatives. We also provided several presentations to community groups and service clubs to bring down the fear-‐based thinking, noise, and misconceptions about AB 109 reentry and to build community understanding, buy-‐in, and support of the reentry service planning process. The third stage of the planning process -‐ Research, Best Practice Evaluation, and Comparative Model Analysis -‐ took place in August. Emerald studied more than 30 best practice models throughout California, the US, and Northern Ireland and reviewed the County’s March 20, 2011 reentry strategic plan developed by the Contra Costa County Reentry Planning Initiative and compiled by Urban Strategies. From our years of work designing and leading collaborative community initiatives, we understood the importance of building a team and training them so that, as we explored options, we could operate from a common set of principals, a common language, and an agreed upon methodology for building a strategy. Therefore, in August 2013, Emerald also conducted a full-‐day training in the HPC planning framework with 44 members of the core Planning Team representing county agencies, elected officials, service providers, returned citizens, and law enforcement working together to learn a common language and set of tools related to team building, collaboration, fact finding, and analysis. Keith and Iris Archuleta of Emerald, Retired Police Chief James Hyde of D-‐Prep Consulting, and Vernon Williams III of The Williams Group conducted the training. Through this process, a deep consensus emerged throughout Central and East Contra Costa that a networked system of service provision with multiple “no-‐wrong door” sites, as opposed to a single-‐site approach, would be best for East and Central county. It was agreed that the regions are too large geographically to expect returning citizens to have to rely on a single site approach in East or Central. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 7 Conceptual Framework Design and Operating Principles During the fourth stage of the planning process -‐ Model Design -‐ from September 2013 though November 2013, we focused on designing a conceptual framework, assessing network scale, and determining mission, strategic vision, and goals. Further, we spent time with the Planning Team designing service delivery and integration, core services, and resource and systems alignment. Based on input from dozens of stakeholders, extensive research on best practices, and an analysis of the key issues, opportunities, and gaps in the reentry service system, a conceptual framework was crafted. The conceptual framework was a learning model that allowed the planning team to: • Proceed together with a coherent process for exploring service design • Delve into design issues by answering the “how” questions • Explore alignment of current services and approaches with long-‐term, sustainable service design – including lessons learned from challenges and successes of current service and referral processes and best practices gleaned from research and analysis of various models and approaches • Build out each area of the framework utilizing the expertise of the team • Connect stakeholders responsible for various parts of the framework • Build the elements of the plan and required deliverables Working with a smaller Operations Team and several subgroups, we were then able to solicit deeper input on and review of the key elements of the service plan framework, including Governance, Management, and Operations. Central Operating Principles developed and then imbedded in the framework include: a. An understanding that returned citizens should be reintegrated and restored into community -‐ the heartbeat of this plan. b. Best practice tells us that highly trained volunteer mentor/navigators who are able to walk alongside returned citizens for the first few critical months is important. Therefore the plan includes an emphasis on recruiting, training, and supervising the placement and ongoing role of volunteers, which will include many from the faith community and men and women who have successfully reintegrated and want to help others do the same. c. Best practice also tells us that in areas where law enforcement works in partnership with volunteers and the faith community, recidivism is significantly lower because the focus of law enforcement includes partnership and restorative justice. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 8 Therefore the plan includes the integration of the three police departments in East and Central Contra Costa that are staffed with AB 109 officers as a critical piece of the support network that will help redefine traditionally adversarial relationships between returned citizens and law enforcement and promote a process whereby police are trained and committed to joining other key community institutions in a genuine effort to assist with restoration. d. We understand from more than 20 years of planning that real collaboration is critical. Effective collaboration requires that interlocking responsibilities must be well crafted and memorialized in writing. Memorializing interlocking responsibilities in the context of this plan means two things: First, in the body of this document we have detailed the agreed upon commitments, duties and relationships. Second, if the plan is approved, these details will need to be further memorialized in binding Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and signed by each service provider and a person with authority to bind the County. Therefore, we have spelled out management roles and responsibilities in this document and assigned responsibility to the Network Manager for detailing the final MOUs, obtaining final approval, and signing them along with the Chief Probation Officer. As planners, we do not have the authority to finalize these MOUs because to do so would imply, and mislead service providers into thinking, that we are entering into an agreement with them on behalf of the County. In fact, we only have the power to recommend a fact-‐base case for entering into the agreements that are critical to the success of the planned initiative. Effective collaboration is the cornerstone of this plan. Other experts agree. For example, Caneel Fraser, Esq., Senior Policy Analyst, Urban Peace of the Advancement Project said, “effective collaboration is a key policy and framework for successfully reducing recidivism.” Wendy Still, San Francisco Chief Probation Officer said, “strong collaboration is important to maximizing capacity and resources,” and that collaboration must include both public and private partners. Adam Christianson, Stanislaus County Sheriff-‐Coroner said that he has “gone from being against realignment to becoming an advocate for it because of strengthened partnerships developed through respectful dialogue among partners and that kind of collaboration is critical.” He went on to say, “mutually respectful collaboration creates support for realignment and community based collaboration is key.” Further, Javier Aquirre, Santa Clara County Director of Reentry Services, said that, like our plan, their strategic plan “is based on collaboration and the use of innovation to create effective diversion strategies.” Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 9 Kenyatta Leal of Centerforce and a returned citizen said that community based collaboration forces “returned citizens to connect with community” and that returned citizens are “more likely to respect community if they feel a part of it.” He also said that collaboration “is a basis for real engagement, real wrap-‐around, and real jobs,” and gives a returned citizen “a sense of self-‐worth that is a diversion from crime.” Moreover, Arnold Perkins, of Ijichi, Perkins and Associates and former Director of the Alameda County Public Health Department, on the subject of working with returned citizens dealing with trauma as a root cause of criminal behavior, said that “collaboration that includes housing, treatment, and services is a huge factor in creating stability and reducing trauma.” An Aspiration This plan puts forth an overarching aspiration for Contra Costa County: To be widely recognized as having a highly professionalized and sustainable collaborative system of reentry service provision; resulting in an above-‐average reduction in recidivism, marked increase in public-‐safety, successful family reunification, and new pathways to living whole, healthy and productive lives for returning citizens. This strategic vision reflects both the County’s commitment to sustainable innovation and to effective collaboration with qualified external service providers including the faith community. Having an overarching aspiration for the County and this process is central to the collaborative theme of this plan. Operationalizing the Conceptual Framework During the fifth stage of the planning process – Structural Detailing and Plan Completion -‐ we continued to operationalize the conceptual framework into a draft plan based on this strategic vision, Operating Principles, and best practices. In order to do so, we met in December 2013 and January 2014 with small groups of stakeholders, including the Operations Team and several Workgroups, who have helped us address the crucial questions and issues related to current service levels, and what would be needed to raise service provider capacity, build effective collaboration, and ensure a cost effective and sustainable service network. In December 2013, we began the process of confirming collaboration commitments from partners and service providers which are now described in this plan, drafting the framework for MOUs, exploring opportunities for securing additional resources, and developing budget recommendations. We then crafted recommended governance and management structure, drafted contract job descriptions and skills assessment, and began to profile best-‐case contracting scenarios. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 10 We also researched and established training needs, priorities and best practice training opportunities for: law enforcement, mentor navigators, family reunification service providers with a youth-‐in-‐the-‐home focus, and contracted staff. Assessment, Accountability, and Sustainability In completing the plan, we have explored, researched, and outlined practices, methods, and indicators related to outcome measures that will ensure the right levels of service capacity and accountability; appropriately evaluate the implementation of the interlocking responsibilities of collaborative partners and their mutual impact on recidivism reduction; and assess the success of family reunification and reintegrating returned citizens into community. Additionally, this planning process has resulted in a sustainable service model that is in alignment with the Service Delivery Model developed by the CCP and is in keeping with the goals established by the Contra Costa Reentry Strategic Plan. This planning process has: · Utilized a holistic, systemic, and inclusive approach to build an effective collaboration representing support and involvement of state and local government stakeholders, justice, community organizations, mental health and substance abuse treatment services, education, housing, employment, advocates, returned citizen, victims, and community members; · Incorporated strategies that draw on evidenced-‐based approaches and practices; · Developed a service model that can be accessed by returned citizens through the use of evidence-‐based tools; · Taken into account the needs of geographic areas from which a disproportionate number of returned citizens are drawn and return; · Incorporated the use of assessment and case management tools targeting continuous reentry planning, beginning at the point of admission into the criminal justice system, and working through pre-‐ and post-‐release; · Developed an innovative approach to utilizing volunteer mentor/navigators to increase access to housing, drug treatment, medical care, transitional employment, job training and placement, educational services, cognitive behavioral therapy and/or other services essential to reentry; · Provided for assessment and evaluation of services and program delivery to determine effectiveness of programs and services provided; and · Resulted in a service coordination plan with multiple entry points to an integrated system of care as a means to achieving the goals of reduction in crime, increased public protection, and a decrease in further victimization. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 11 In the REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) #1302-‐007 for this planning process, the County described a “coordinating hub for multiple resources and partners, providing local residents returning home from incarceration access to the resources, services and support they need to successfully reintegrate into the community.” The RFP further indicated that this coordinating hub, which was referred to as a “Reentry Resource Center” would function as a centralized service and assessment center “emphasizing multi-‐disciplinary service coordination, service referral to community-‐based support, and collaborative case management” and could be co-‐ located in existing facilities, could be a new facility, or could be a “network of facilities and/or providers” with services that could be co-‐located at one site or could be “part of a broader network of services located in neighborhoods most impacted by crime and reentry.” In fact, we are proposing a Networked System of Services to provide sustainable, centralized service and assessment emphasizing multi-‐disciplinary service coordination, service referral to community-‐based support, and collaborative case management. The Network will coordinate multiple existing resources and partners, providing local residents returning home from incarceration multiple points of entry and access to the resources, services and support they need to successfully reintegrate into the community. A Final Thought on the Process At the end of the August 2013 HPC Framework training, the team was asked to give one word or phrase that described how they were feeling about moving forward. The word tag on the next page captures the enthusiasm and commitment of the team expressed that day. That enthusiasm and commitment has remained and grown throughout the process. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 12 Now, this process has culminated into the plan we bring before you for your consideration and hopefully your approval. As You Read This Plan As you read through the plan step by step, please note that you are reading a document that is somewhat compartmentalized and linear by necessity. It is our experience that when stakeholders read strategic plans, operational questions naturally come to mind. We ask that you read through the components assured that we will walk you through all the specifics. So, when you ask yourself, “but how will that work?” or “who will do that?” or “what does that mean for the returned citizen?” or similar questions, know that these questions will likely be answered in detail by the time you have finished reading the plan in its entirety. It has been our job to connect the dots and build a realistic service system and navigation process, and it has been an honor to do so. It has also been an amazing and transformative process for us, and hopefully all of those who have been on this journey with us. We look forward to our County’s success and to the success of those returning to their communities! So with that said, let’s move into the plan… Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 13 The Plan According to the County’s projections, 88% of all returned citizens coming back to East County will reside in Antioch, Pittsburg, and Bay Point. This however does not preclude us from identifying locations in Brentwood and Oakley as well. The projections also tell us that 80% of all returned citizens coming back to Central County will reside in Concord and Martinez. Again, this does not preclude us from identifying locations in Walnut Creek and other areas in Central County. As of January 16, 2014, 47% of all returned citizens coming back to Contra Costa returned to the East region, with 82 returning to Antioch, 46 to Pittsburg, 25 to Bay Point, 18 to Brentwood, and 17 to Oakley, for a total of 188 individuals. Also, 24% returned to the Central region, with 43 returning to Concord and 24 to Martinez, for a total of 67 individuals. Finally, 25% returned to the West region, with 55 returning to Richmond and 21 to San Pablo, for a total of 76 individuals. This means that, of the 9 cities in Contra Costa County with the highest number of AB-‐109 returned citizens, 5 of the 9 are in East County and 2 are in Central with a total of 255 individuals in these East and Central cities. Therefore, the scope of this East and Central plan must accommodate 7 of the 9 most heavily impacted cities in the County. Mission The Networked System of Services in East and Central Contra Costa will provide a “No Wrong Door” service mechanism to help returned citizens succeed in reintegrating into the communities where they resided before incarceration, consequently leading to a significantly reduced recidivism rate, increased public safety, and healthy family reunification. Vision That the Networked System of Services in East and Central Contra Costa will contribute to Contra Costa County being widely recognized as having a highly professionalized and sustainable collaborative system of reentry service provision; resulting in an above-‐average reduction in recidivism, marked increase in public-‐ safety, successful family reunification, and new pathways to living whole, healthy and productive lives for returned citizens. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 14 Guiding Principles of the Networked System of Services 1. We value returned citizens and ensure they are reintegrated and restored into community. 2. We support highly trained community volunteer mentor/navigators who connect with returned citizens and increase their access to needed services. 3. We facilitate and invest in collaboration that is effective, accountable, and meets the needs of returned citizens and the community. 4. We foster accountability and personal responsibility for returned citizens in getting back on the path to a healthy, law-‐abiding, and productive life. 5. We hold agencies, service providers, and community volunteers accountable for their actions and help them work collaboratively to improve their services to returned citizens. 6. We build upon community assets by utilizing existing resources efficiently, connecting multiple services seamlessly; providing training to build capacity; measuring performance to ensure impact; and fostering community ownership and commitment to ensure sustainability. 7. We recognize that reentry starts when an offender is initially incarcerated and ends when the returned citizen has been successfully reintegrated and restored in his or her community. A Unique and Historic Opportunity: One widely discussed and highly effective strategy for reducing recidivism is the Texas Rio Initiative. Due to the close proximity of Texas prisons to the communities where prisoners resided at the time of their arrest and conviction, the relationships between prisoners and their families is able to remain relatively intact. This has helped local workforce agencies and employers, faith-‐based organizations, and nonprofit organizations partner to make successful reentry more likely. Yet, it has been virtually impossible to replicate the Texas Rio model because California prisons are remote and not in proximity to the communities where prisoners resided at the time of their arrest and conviction. This critical component of the Texas Rio Initiative’s success has not been applicable in California. However, now with the launch of California Realignment, we have a unique opportunity to replicate some of RIO and other highly successful strategies for reducing recidivism because, by transferring the responsibility for housing AB-‐109 offenders to counties, we have in essence created local prisons, which in turn create new opportunities for impactful collaboration. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 15 The East and Central Contra Costa regional plan for a Networked System of Services includes: the Ground Floor Collaboration Network, Field Operations, and Management System. Ground Floor: Collaboration Network “No Wrong Door” Network We have dubbed the ground floor Collaboration Network -‐ “No Wrong Door” (NWD) -‐ because this foundational element of the plan has multiple entry points and varied opportunities for engagement that are being made available to returned citizens. The Collaboration Network is made up of multiple entry points where returned citizens are able to get information about and access to services, get connected to a supportive Mentor/Navigator, and/or set up an appointment with a Field Operations Coordinator. We realized early on in the process that a plan for a networked system of services would require spending time assessing the feasibility of, identifying, and partnering with multiple sites and agencies in East and Central Contra Costa. The response has been exciting, and the commitment and enthusiasm displayed by potential partners and service providers has been outstanding -‐ a true testament to the region’s unique willingness to come together and achieve common goals. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 16 Collaboration Network Components The Network will rely heavily upon these 2 components: 1. Faith-‐Based and Other Organizations as “No Wrong Door” (NWD) Sites 2. Service Teams, Including Volunteer Mentor/Navigators It is commonly known that easy-‐to-‐access information about programs and services, employment, housing, transportation and mentoring are included on every best practice list. However, there are certain qualities, standards and factors that increase the likelihood of success in these areas. Therefore, before going into the specifics of this plan’s response to those needs, we will briefly discuss some of the factors we believe will make the plan particularly impactful. Faith-‐Based and Other Organizations Willing to Serve as “No Wrong Door” (NWD) Engagement Sites Having physical sites, located in areas that are easily accessible, especially in areas where concentrations of returned citizens are projected to be high, is very important. Yet, sustainability requires that we be prudent in how we identify these locations, understanding that there is not now, nor is it likely that there ever will be, enough money in the County’s budget to set up and staff multiple sites throughout the East and Central County region. Therefore, we have explored how to best utilize and leverage the tremendous assets that already exist in communities both in East and Central Contra Costa. When studying best practice efforts in other counties and states, one broadly and consistently noted observation is that where the faith community is involved in the reentry strategy, recidivism is considerably lower. In a 2007 webinar, the National Institute of Corrections reported: “Collaboration between faith-‐based organizations, community organizations, and corrections has proven to be a cost-‐effective way to meet agency needs and bring much needed services to offenders. This unique partnership also helps to promote social justice, reduce recidivism, and increase public safety.” Further, in a 2008 report, Moving Men into the Mainstream: Best Practices in Prisoner Reentry Assistance, by Stephen Goldsmith & William B. Eimicke, the writers state: Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 17 “As a condition of parole, many ex-‐offenders are forbidden to associate with other ex-‐ offenders, yet their tendency to return to neighborhoods with high concentrations of them makes compliance difficult. Furthermore, these communities often lack the resources, economic and otherwise, to reintegrate those who are returning. Injecting ex-‐offenders with religion and other forms of support helps inoculate them against the adverse circumstances of their lives after prison. In fact, inmates who report high levels of participation in religious programs and a strong belief in a supreme being are less likely to be rearrested.” Two programs that the authors studied combine mentoring, often under religious auspices, with other services to provide offenders with the inspiration and confidence they need to succeed. From the beginning, we have included the faith community in the planning process. Representatives from the faith community attended our initial training and participated in our one-‐on-‐one meetings. In addition, we have held numerous presentations and discussions with over a dozen pastors at the monthly Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization (CCISCO) Clergy Caucus. Some of these faith leaders include pastors from His Presence Worship Center, Grace Bible Fellowship, Antioch Church Family, Golden Hills Community Outreach Center, Holy Rosary Catholic Church, St. John's Lutheran Church, International Christian Ministries, Family Worship Center, Church of God Holy, Saint George’s Episcopal Church, St Ignatius Catholic Church, All Love Faith Church of God in Christ, First Congregational Church of Antioch, Community Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg, and the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County. In these meetings, we have asked the faith community to support the re-‐entry network in several ways. First, we asked larger congregations with adequate space to make meeting rooms available for Probation meetings with returned citizens when meetings are with low and moderate risk offenders. (Probation field mobility will be discussed in another section of this plan.) Further, we asked that they allow us to train their secretaries and office administrators on how to answer service inquiry calls or handle visits about the NWD Networked System of Services and how to make referrals to the Field Operations Coordinators. (Field Operations Coordinators will be discussed later.) In addition, we requested that they carry Network information on their websites, and announce Mentor/Navigator volunteer training opportunities during congregational services, gatherings or meetings, and in their newsletters and bulletins. The Network will supply these locations with brochures that include resources and options offered through the Network as well as information about County Mental Health services available to the general population through a hotline. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 18 These services include a screening, financial assessment, 6 months of basic healthcare benefits, and expedited benefits where mental health is at issue. Participating organizations will be listed as NWD sites on the Network’s website and Facebook page. In addition to our talks with faith organizations, some of which are already providers of housing and services for returned citizens in East County – described later in the plan, we have also engaged service providers with offices in East and Central County who have agreed to participate in the Network. For example, the Network has established a formal relationship with the LINC collaborative (Local Integrated Networks of Care) in Central County and has been in discussion with Danielle Roundtree of Independent Living Resources in Concord. The LINC Collaborative is made up of a number of organizations that will act as NWD sites in Central County along with faith-‐based organizations, which the Field Operations Coordinator in the Central County region will continue to develop. The LINC Coordinator will work in partnership with the Field Operations Coordinator in Central County to cross-‐refer AB 109 returned citizens in the region to housing and services, with ultimate coordination responsibility for AB 109 clients and other returning citizens resting with the Field Operations Coordinator. The LINC Collaborative includes: JFK University Community Counseling Centers, County Health Services Homeless Program, Concord Chamber of Commerce Michael Chavez Center, SHELTER, Inc., Monument Crisis Center, Wellness City Challenge, Planting for the Future Foundation, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, Central County Homeless Outreach Program, among others. During implementation of this plan, the Network Manager will work to further connect the Network to additional existing resources and services in East and Central Contra Costa. To be sustainable, the Netwo rk must work to continuously develop participating agencies and identify new agencies available to provide ongoing services. For example, as part of the Network Education and Employment Team, the Workforce Development Board will help connect returning citizens to the EASTBAY Works One-‐Stops that provide assistance with employment and vocational training at sites in Concord, Antioch, and Brentwood. Other possible NWD sites for the Network include the SparkPoint Center in Bay Point, which brings together a full range of services, including coaches who help families create plans to set and achieve personal financial goals – from getting out of debt, to going back to school, or finding a job -‐ and Anka Behavioral Health centers in Antioch and Concord, which offer services to adults and children who are mentally ill, homeless, have substance abuse issues, or are involved in the criminal justice system. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 19 Once the plan is approved, the Network Manager and the Network Team will develop MOUs and work out the details with these and many other organizations. Together, the faith-‐based organizations and community based, nonprofit service providers who are willing to act as NWD sites create the foundation for a very powerful source of information, referrals, engagement, and support for returned citizens and the County. But this is only the beginning. The Networked System of Services includes a very comprehensive strategy for critical service provision. Service Teams: Mentor/Navigators; Family Reunification, Housing, Employment and Education, Leadership and Entrepreneurialism, Women’s Services, and Services for Returned Citizens with Children Engagement in and mutual responsibility for successful transition back into community begins at the time a man or woman enters jail and continues through release and successful reintegration into community. Effective and comprehensive assessment, pre-‐release orientation and introduction to a range of opportunities, and the assignment of a mentor/navigator who is armed with a mutually accountable plan and strategy for re-‐entry in hand are proven tools for success. This, coupled with Probation supervision and services through Behavioral Health, is a powerful combination. During the planning process we have been able to identify partners and build the infrastructure for seven essential Service Teams. They are: § Mentor Navigators (Pre and Post Release) § Family Reunification (Pre and Post Release) § Housing § Employment and Education § Leadership and Entrepreneurialism § Women’s Services § Services for Returned Citizens with Children The idea for creating service teams, as opposed to focusing on individual service providers, arose from discussions with providers who have been contracted with the County since July of 2013. Many expressed concern about accomplishing their particular goals without the cooperation of other providers, and without clear programmatic direction. After many discussions, we began to realize that there were unique strengths and competencies these organizations held that complimented not only each other, but a broader and more sustainable strategy for comprehensive wraparound services. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 20 In fact, we uncovered what we think are areas of untapped passion within these organizations, and a genuine willingness to demonstrate a collaborative brilliance that is sustainable and cost effective. It’s important to note that service providers involved in the Collaboration Network system have agreed to having shared recidivism, retention and program completion goals, as well as interlocking responsibility for goal achievement. These goals and responsibilities will be memorialized in MOUs. A sample MOU template is attached as an addendum to this document. Further, we are suggesting that performance based assessments be conducted that go beyond number of referrals and are based on collective client retention and successful transition, as well as effective partnerships with relevant county agencies and the ground floor Collaboration Network. The providers discussed in the plan have agreed to this approach. Last, because of the unique structure of the initiative and the original nature of the roles each service provider is being asked and has agreed to play, we believe that there is a sole source justification for contracting with the service providers named herein. Attached as an appendix to this document are responses to the questions the County uses to assess the validity of a sole source request and substantiate its validity. The following section will describe in detail the Service Teams listed above, including who the team members are, their specific roles, any required training, and how the roles are managed and integrated into the system. At the end of the discussion of all seven teams, we will discuss Field Operations as a coordinating, support, accountability, and communications system for the Network, and the overall governance and management system for the Network. 1. Mentor/Navigators (Pre and Post Release) Service Teams There is nothing new about the concept of using mentors/navigators to assist returned citizens with their transition back into family and community. In fact experts like Caneel Fraser, Esq., Senior Policy Analyst, Urban Peace of the Advancement Project said, “volunteers can be utilized in the role of intervention workers.” Adam Christianson, Stanislaus County Sheriff-‐Coroner, says that there should in fact be recruitment and training for volunteers from among the reentrant population. Edward J. Latessa, PhD, University of Cincinnati’s School of Criminal Justice, cautions that volunteers must be adequately trained, stating, “good intentions and community credibility are not enough.” We agree with these statements, and have incorporated these observations and concerns into our thinking. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 21 The role of the Mentor/Navigator will vary depending upon whether or not the assignment is made at pre-‐sentencing, after sentencing but pre-‐release, or at post-‐ release, by Probation referral or through Field Operations engagement. However, one thing will remain constant, and that is there must be mutual accountability on the part of the mentor and the returning citizen. Mentor/Navigators will not be trained to do what the returning citizen must learn to do for him/herself. The Mentor/Navigator is there to walk alongside the returning citizen and navigate him/her through the path of successful reentry. Experts have had the following to say about this type of accountability: Adam Christianson, Stanislaus County Sheriff-‐Coroner, said: “mutual accountability and support for victims are two areas that need more attention,” and that developing mentors from within the returning citizen community is important. Michael Hamilton, business owner and returned citizen after 30 years of incarceration said, “accountability and understanding” how his actions affected others was important to helping him move forward. Gary Scott, Program Director, K.I.D Cat Services at San Quentin, and returned citizen after 15 years incarcerated, said that “reentry starts on the inside and has to be based on accountability and acknowledging victims,” and that Insight Prison Services changed his life because while incarcerated he learned empathy for victims. Kenyatta Leal of Centerforce, keynote speaker at Senator Hancock’s forum on reentry and reintegration, and a returned citizen after 19 years incarcerated, said that understanding how his crime impacted the lives of his victims and engaging in the “No More Tears” program while incarcerated changed his life. Pre-‐Sentencing Assignment A critical partner on the Mentor/Navigator Team is the Public Defender. By partnering with the Office of the Public Defender, we have an opportunity to engage men and women during pre-‐sentencing and assign a Mentor/Navigator who is able to begin working on a re-‐entry strategy based on an assessment with the returning citizen before the beginning of incarceration or probation, depending on the sentence. Attorneys from the Public Defender’s office will be present during the pairing of men and women with a Mentor/Navigator if one is assigned. The Sheriff’s department will also play a key role on this team and will determine what the provisions and requirements for contact visits will be during incarceration. We have learned from the Public Defender and her previous experience with this type of effective engagement, that actual contact visits are critical. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 22 Based on the provisions and conditions set through negotiations between the Public Defender and Sheriff, an agreement will be reached and memorialized allowing Mentor/Navigators access to clients even in some cases where the Mentor/Navigator has had a felony conviction. The Public Defender will lead the effort to train her attorneys as well as those in the District Attorney’s office on this process. The Public Defender and the DA’s office have demonstrated a strong common interest and willingness to work with one another in innovative strategies for reducing recidivism from the start. This type of early engagement will have a significant and positive impact on street level engagement, and on returned citizens showing up for services and being consistent as they reenter society. Accompanying the assignment of a Mentor/Navigator at pre-‐sentence is access to a number of critical services and processes for reintegration that will be discussed in other sections of the plan. Pre-‐Release Assignment One of the critical activities of the Field Operations Coordinator will be the monthly visit to the jails accompanied by the Network Manager, an AB 109 Officer, a member of the Volunteer Management Organization, and a Mentor/Navigator. The purpose of the monthly visit is to educate the jail population on the Networked System of Services in detail, explain the network Service Teams and service opportunities, introduce them to the Mentor/Navigator system, and begin to build the relationships and create the trust and enthusiasm needed to generate interest and connection. They will also set up forums where interested returning citizens can meet Mentor/Navigators, begin to develop strong pre-‐release relationships, and develop re-‐entry plans. When and if the Field Operations Coordinator pairs a returning citizen with a Mentor/Navigator, the Mentor/Navigator will work with the returning citizen to identify the most relevant pre-‐release programs and begin the process of family reunification or other housing. The Mentor/Navigator will be responsible for assisting the returning citizen in successfully navigating the transition of the reentry plan from pre-‐release to post-‐ release with a goal of successful reintegration. We know from Edward Latessa’s research that breaks between pre-‐release and post-‐release programs have a negative impact on recidivism. Therefore, since post-‐release is where returned citizens are forced to deal with real life, well-‐trained volunteers will work as much as possible with service providers to assist with seamless pre to post release transitions in order to reduce recidivism. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 23 Post-‐Release Assignment One of the reasons that a well-‐designed “No Wrong Door” networked system with multiple information and engagement sites is so critical, is that we must be able to attract and engage those returned citizens who have already reentered communities without a service/reentry plan. Through active community outreach, spearheaded by the Field Operations Coordinators, returned citizens will have an opportunity to be matched with Mentor/Navigators and assisted with the development of a service plan, family reunification, housing, employment, and all the other Service Team opportunities available to returning citizens at pre-‐sentencing or pre-‐release. Once the Network has engaged the returned citizen and assigned a Mentor/Navigator, the returned citizen will be rolled into the same tracking and accountability system as those engaged at pre-‐sentencing and pre-‐release. Mentor/Navigator Recruitment Volunteer recruitment efforts will be managed at the Field Operations level of the Network. One of the key responsibilities of the Field Operations Coordinator will be community outreach and recruitment. The Field Operations Coordinator will work with the Faith Community, Service Clubs, Service Providers, City Councils, and other organizations where presentations on the Network, volunteer opportunities within the Network, Mentor/Navigator qualifications, application and screening process, and other important details related to the role can be presented and discussed. Mentor/Navigator Screening and Selection Once potential volunteers have been identified, there will be an application and screening process, periodically scheduled and organized by the supervising agency, that includes an interview before a panel made up of the Field Operations Coordinator, a representative from Probation, a returned citizen, and an AB 109 Police Officer at a minimum. That panel will recommend that an applicant be accepted or rejected for service based on an assessment of whether or not they demonstrate the time, maturity, right motive, and other specific factors the interview panel members agree on. After applications are submitted, and before potential volunteers are invited to an interview, a background check will be conducted. Given that, among others, some returned citizens may become mentors, the background check would exclude volunteers who are currently on probation or parole, have a history of violent crime, and/or are registered sex offenders, as each category would severely limit their access to a number of facilities and community sites and thereby limit their role as a Mentor/Navigator. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 24 Mentor/Navigator Training Once selected, a cohort of Mentor/Navigators will be required to attend the 40 consecutive hours of training, scheduled for access during or after work hours where appropriate, in the internationally recognized Dialogue for Peaceful Change, (DPC) methodology. This training is being recommended because of its comprehensive curriculum dealing with self-‐assessment for volunteers, dynamics related to effective communication, suspending judgment and bias neutral engagement, family reunification, conflict resolution and mediation. Volunteers are trained and certified in DPC in the context of the population they will serve. Therefore, work groups and scenarios will be customized for maximum relevance to the Mentor/Navigators. This training is used all over the world to effectively train leaders, mentors and volunteers. DPC has been used to train over 300 individuals in East and Central County who volunteer or are intimately involved as a stakeholder in the award -‐ winning and internationally recognized Youth Intervention Network. Among those trained have been Contra Costa County Juvenile Probation Officers, Antioch Police Chief and Officers, School Officials, and local citizens willing to volunteer to mentor youth and families where anti-‐social and violent behavior is an issue. Recently, as a part of this planning process, representatives from Men and Women of Purpose and REACH: Rick Fortenberry and Edwina Santiago, along with recent reentrant, Roosevelt Terry, participated in a DPC training sponsored by the Youth Intervention Network in order to assess the impact and value of the training. All agreed, as we do, that this is a power and impactful preparation for the role of Mentor/Navigator. Because of the DA’s role with the Youth Intervention Network in Antioch, an ADA from the Juvenile Division was also involved in this training. In 2010/2011, in order to significantly reduce the cost of DPC training, which for the first few years were conducted by trainers flying in from Northern Ireland and the Netherlands, the Youth Intervention Network was awarded a Keller Canyon grant to have DPC Founder, Colin Craig train local DPC trainers. Vernon Williams III, Retired Antioch Police Chief James Hyde, and Lesia Bell completed the initial comprehensive DPC Training of the Trainers curriculum, and then conducted several US based trainings under the direct supervision of Colin Craig and DPC Coach Jaap van de Sar from the Netherlands. Mandated overseas training under the same team of coaches followed their US based training. Once the trainees had accumulated enough approved hours of training under supervision, they received international licensing and certification to train. As a result of this effort, we now have 3 internationally certified trainers here in Contra Costa to train and certify Mentor/Navigators. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 25 We will recommend and encourage West County to also take advantage of this training opportunity for their volunteer base so that there is consistency across the county. This will make the training even more cost-‐effective by having combined cohorts. In addition to the DPC training, Mentor/Navigators will also be cross-‐trained in the overall operations of the Network and on the other resources and opportunities provided by the rest of the Network Service Teams. Mentor/Navigator Supervision Understanding that the day-‐to-‐day management and support for volunteers is critical to the Network's success, we propose that an RFP be issued in order to attract and retain an agency that will provide supervision and oversight for Mentor/Navigators in both East and Central County. This organization will need to have the capacity and experience needed to at a minimum: • Participate in the screening and selection of volunteers • Recommend the assignment of the best fit volunteer when there is a pre-‐ sentencee assignment • In pre-‐release and post-‐release situations, make the assignment • Have an organizational representative and a Mentor/Navigator accompany the Field Operations Team to the monthly jail visits for orientation on the Networked System of Services • Oversee the reporting responsibilities assigned to the Mentor/Navigators • Assess the need for additional training or removal of a Mentor Navigator • Maintain case files managed by Mentor/Navigators and routinely send weekly updates to files that will be maintained by the Field Operations Coordinator • Act as support for Mentor/Navigators • Maintain performance files on Mentor/Navigators • Perform other supervision duties as determined to be necessary The managing agency will work with the Network Manager and Field Operations Team to develop goals related to the number of Mentor/Navigators needed and in which area, as well as recruitment, selection, training, supervision, support, and other procedures and policies. In addition, they will develop a plan to ensure that Mentor/Navigators are provided ongoing professional development in areas specific to the role and will develop a system for monitoring the Mentor/Navigator’s performance for quality and continuous improvement. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 26 2. Family Reunification (Pre and Post Release) Not all returning citizens will accept the support of a Mentor/Navigator, especially until word begins to reach inside the jails and on the street about the effectiveness and credibility, legitimacy, and reliability of the volunteer team. However, many will need family reunification assistance. For those men and women who have been assigned a Mentor/Navigator, family reunification will have been identified as part of their reentry plan, and volunteers will have been trained and certified in a mediation process for assisting with reunification at pre and post release. However, when there is no Mentor/Navigator, family reunification will happen with the assistance of trained family reunification volunteers. It is important to separate out how we designate volunteers to avoid burnout and preserve the nature of the relationships we are trying to develop between returned citizens and volunteers. Family reunification efforts being conducted by Mentor/Navigator is a part of a holistic process of reentry and is based on the trust and involvement of someone who can make a long-‐term commitment to the family and the returned citizen. This will help the returned citizen’s family become more comfortable with and open to reunification because they will know that there is a plan in place and that the returned citizen will have hands-‐on, long-‐term support as he/she navigates that plan. The fact that Mentor/Navigator assignments are also gender specific adds another important dynamic to the relationship. However, when family reunification requires extensive mediation, which it often will, the Mentor/Navigator has the option of requesting that the supervising agency conduct the mediation, or that two other DPC trained Mentor/Navigator be assigned from the pool for mediation purposes. This is important because DPC trained mediators are able to be unaligned throughout a mediation process. However, as a Mentor/Navigator, they are, by the nature of their role, able to be aligned as an advocate and mentor to the returned citizen to whom they are assigned. By assigning separate mediation teams, the Mentor/Navigator role is preserved as we meet the holistic needs of the family. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 27 Ultimately decisions on how to assign teams for family reunification will be the purview of the supervising agency with the one exception that a Mentor/Navigator cannot participate in family reunification-‐based mediation when a member of the family is his/her mentee. As with other volunteer case management, notes and status reports on the reunification process must be copied and forwarded to the Field Operations Coordinator. Also, the appropriate confidentiality agreements and indemnification documents related to mediation as a part of family reunification efforts must be signed and copies submitted to the Field Operations Coordinator. 3. Housing Another critical Service Team is Housing. (The housing referral process will be discussed later in this document.) Although the county is currently in contract with SHELTER Inc. to provide AB-‐109 housing across the county, we realized that housing in East County had been particularly difficult for SHELTER Inc. to cultivate, so we knew that we would need to help develop additional housing opportunities as a part of the planning process. We have been successful in identifying and securing commitments for over 100 transitional housing opportunities through partnerships with Pastor Jonathan Gee, with the Brentwood New Life Dream Center (NLDC) and Pastor Israel Marrone, of the Regnum Group in Antioch. These are exciting and unique opportunities because of the quality of housing, the level of respect these men both have with officials in the cities where they are placed, their professionalism, and the comprehensive wrap-‐around approach for engaging and working with men and women returning to community. The Brentwood Dream Center is a faith-‐based organization that has, for 10 years, been serving Bay Area men, women, and their children who find themselves without food, clothing or shelter due to addiction or other challenging events in their lives. It began when Pastor Jonathan Gee and his wife opened their own home to men and women struggling with life controlling addictions. They then opened a men’s home, taking in men from all walks of life: family men, business men, the streets, prison and more. Women’s facilities soon followed. Today they have a success rate of over 80% for those who graduate from a rigorous process of counseling, housing, skills training, and mentoring in a faith-‐based environment. The success of the Dream Center has challenged them to grow and expand their capacity. For this reason, the Dream Center purchased the hotel pictured in the photo on the next page when the hotel went into bankruptcy in the city of Brentwood, got it financed, and are completing construction for a projected April 2014 completion. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 28 During the East and Central County AB-‐109 planning process, we convened a meeting at this location with the Workforce Development Board, Center for Human Development, Reach Fellowship, Rubicon, Goodwill, SHELTER Inc., Los Medanos College, and Brighter Beginnings. There, we explored the potential for a long-‐term residential site in partnership with organizations able to provide critical employment, training, and education services. From that, and subsequent follow-‐up meetings, the following commitments have developed: • The Dream Center will have 100 beds, and although not all will be reserved for AB-‐109 returned citizens at least half will be prioritized for AB-‐109 returned citizens referred by the East and Central Network • Pastor Gee is also looking into acquiring additional property that will allow him the ability to have separate housing for men and women. • The Dream Center currently offers college credit courses in culinary arts. Los Medanos College and the Dream Center have expressed an interest in working together to explore additional options. • Goodwill Industries is talking with the Dream Center about transitional employment for returned citizens housed there. • Reach Fellowship will partner with the Dream Center on housing women served by Reach Fellowship. • Brighter Beginnings is interested in working with the Dream Center on leadership training, and identifying AB-‐109 returned citizens housed there for the Kennedy project. • SHELTER Inc. has met with Pastor Gee on several occasions and expressed an interest in leasing beds for AB-‐109 returned citizens at the Brentwood site. Talks are pending completion of construction at the site in April We have also worked extensively with Pastor Israel Marrone of the Regnum Group and associated ministry leaders. Antioch Mayor Wade Harper, City Councilwoman Mary Rocha, and CCP/CAB member Willie Moffett introduced Bishop Marrone to the planning process in August 2013. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 29 At the end of a tour of the large Delta Fair complex we were excited about the treatment and housing opportunities, as well as the fact that Brighter Beginnings had already secured office space there. Since then Reach Fellowship has also moved into the complex. Pastor Marrone is willing to designate up to 50 beds for women returned citizens and 25 for men. He is also willing to work with the Network to make program and training space available, and to offer reasonable rental opportunities for service providers interested in serving returned citizens through the Network. During implementation, the Field Operations Coordinator and Network Manager would continue to work with Pastor Gee and Marrone in working out the details of their agreements as well as to identify additional housing opportunities. 4. Employment and Education One thing became very apparent during our early research and in discussions with the planning team. Not all returned citizens will need employment assistance upon return to their communities, but for those who will, it needs to be immediate, and simultaneously tracked with long-‐term future opportunities for success. The Employment and Education Team has met regularly to discuss and design a process for working together that can have broad impact in the East and Central County region, and this process also has the potential to inform and support the employment efforts in West as well. The team is comprised of the County Workforce Development Board, Los Medanos College, Goodwill Industries, Wells Fargo Bank, Prepare My Sheep, Men and Women of Purpose, and Reach Fellowship. Recent discussions with Rubicon Executive Director Jane Fischberg and Chief Program Officer Rob Hope have given us optimism, and reason to believe, that we will be able to align some of Rubicon’s efforts in East County with the Employment and Education Service Team. During our discussions, we identified a niche within the Network for Rubicon in the area of Returning Citizens with Children and will provide details later in this document. Pre-‐Release Employment and Education Activity It is important that there be consistent and on-‐going training for inmates related to their employability after release, coupled with hands on assistance with employment document accumulation, fulfilling selective service requirements, identifying transitional employment, preparing for Workforce Development Board One-‐Stop services, and preparation for education and small business development opportunities. As with the highly acclaimed Texas RIO project, and similar programs across the country, The National Institute of Justice states: Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 30 “If inmates can find a decent job as soon as possible after release, they are less likely to return to a life of crime and prison.” Project RIO and other successful strategies from across the country have informed our strong confidence in the ability to build a system that not only prepares inmates for more successful job search post-‐release, but that is able to actually place returning citizens into jobs pre-‐release. To achieve this level of preparation and success, the following potential agreements and related projected expenses have been negotiated and included in the implementation budget for the East and Central County regions. 1. Workforce Development Board and Los Medanos College Donna Van Wert, Workforce Development Board (WDB) One-‐Stops Administrator, and David Wahl, Los Medanos College (LMC) CTE Workforce Development Manager, have worked diligently through the planning process to understand each other’s priorities, requirements, overlapping issues, and barriers to serving the reentry population. They are also working together to create complementary training curriculum for pre and post release engagement. LMC has expanded its capacity for working with returned citizens. College leaders realize that the processes for education planning, admission orientations, math and English placement tests, and assessments are complicated and require help to navigate. Although Mentor/Navigators will be trained to assist returned citizens navigate education prospects, LMC is considering bringing on a Community Education Partnership Liaison to work directly with the Network. This person will also assist with WIA eligibility. David Wahl will be reaching out to his counter-‐part at Diablo Valley College (DVC) to assist with replication of the practices that are being developed at Los Medanos. There is also an expectation that Network management will ensure that alignment between LMC and the WDB One Stops in East are mirrored between DVC and the WDB One Stop in Central. The Workforce Development Board (WDB) offers Universal assistance for returned citizens who are self-‐sufficient and job-‐ready. For these clients they primarily offer the use of computer and helpful workshops and there is no pre-‐screening required. The Employment/Education Assessment and Prep Team will assess self-‐sufficiency for Universal services at pre-‐release so that the appropriate referral can be made. Returned citizens assessed to be in need of Intensive services can potentially qualify for money for training but must have all their work eligibility documents. Returned citizens will work with the Employment/Education Assessment and Prep Team pre-‐release to ensure that they have a drivers license, social security card, I-‐9 Visa, and other employment documents, as well as confirmation of selective service registration, or waiver. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 31 These documents will be copied, converted into a PDF, and a copy forwarded to the Field Operations Coordinator who covers the region where the returned citizen will reside. Returned citizens enrolled in the WDB’s Intensive program will be eligible for assistance with putting together a resume, computer training workshops, truck driver training, assistance with getting a drivers license, employment related transportation, and books for school. Direct funding for school is also available, but the WDB will ask that participants first apply for PELL grants. To receive a PELL grant, a returned citizen must have at least a GED. If they do not, they may apply for WIA funds. Contra Costa County Adult Education is a WDB partner and can assist with both pre-‐ release and post-‐release GED attainment. It will be the role of the Employment/Education Assessment and Prep Team to get as much of this done pre-‐ release as is possible. As key components of the MOUs to be drafted for the Employment and Education Team members, the WDB and LMC will be asked to act as Trainer of Trainers, that is, to provide training to designated Employment and Education point persons with Men and Women of Purpose, Reach Fellowship and Brighter Beginnings and other organizations who will in turn provide training to staff and volunteers within those organizations. Point persons from these organizations will participate in an extensive and ongoing series of pre-‐release workshops in employment and education preparation basics, in addition to pre-‐and post-‐release specialty workshops and training that will be discussed later in this section. 2. Goodwill Industries Goodwill Industries will continue to provide transitional employment to returned citizens in the Central County region, and although not currently in contract to do so, has agreed to provide needed transitional employment to those returning to the East County region as well. In order to accomplish this, they will be designating a point person from within their organization who will, along with the Central county point person, work with the Employment and Education Team to schedule pre-‐ release transitional employment interviews and placements. While returned citizens are employed with transitional employers, they will also be able to access other training opportunities they were informed about by members of the pre-‐release Education and Employment Team. For example, while working in a transitional job set up through Goodwill Industries, returned citizens will be able to enroll in the WDB Intensive post-‐release training and long-‐term employment assistance classes because Goodwill will have negotiated this arrangement with employers ahead of time. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 32 The WDB and Goodwill are talking about ways to stipend returned citizens on days they must be off work to attend classes, WDB meetings, trainings, and interviews. They are also discussing ways to utilize OJT (off the job training) practices to subsidize employee salaries up to 50% if the employer will guarantee a permanent job at the end of the transitional assignment. Because Mentor/Navigators will be trained in the pre-‐and post-‐release employment and education opportunities and assigned to returned citizens at pre-‐sentencing, pre-‐release, and post-‐release, they will be able to assist returned citizens with navigating these opportunities in the context of a comprehensive, individualized post-‐release strategy. Men and Women of Purpose and Reach Fellowship have agreed to undergo extensive training from the Workforce Development Board, Los Medanos College, Goodwill Industries, Arturo Castillo of the County Homeless program, and Network Management in order to act as point persons for the preparation of returning citizens entering into employment, education, and/or housing. Earlier we discussed the importance of employment documents and other requirements being in place when returning citizens are released. It is also critical that returning citizens have a comprehensive overview of the entire Networked System of Services for East and Central County, and what it means for them individually and collectively. This information needs to be repeated and updated regularly and often so that the word gets out to those who are still incarcerated as well as to their friends and families already on the streets. To this end, in addition to receiving in-‐depth training, Men and Women of Purpose and Reach Fellowship have agreed to designate a liaison from within their organizations to act as lead information specialist to all county jail facilities. Also, they have agreed that at a minimum the liaison will be required to: • attend comprehensive training on the operation of the Network and all of its opportunities, partnerships, and providers • be trained in Community College and Workforce Development Board requirements and opportunities • attend training of trainers with the Employment/Education Prep Team • attend Field Operations Coordinator meetings when necessary • attend all Network Manger’s team meetings • lead comprehensive forums within all county facilities no less than once a month on all opportunities available through the Networked System of Services and about the necessity of having the right documents gathered pre-‐release • identify men and women who do not have the documents needed for employment, education or housing, and work with Mentor/Navigators and returning citizens to get the documents in place • copy documents once collected, transfer them to PDF form, and deliver them to the Field Operations Coordinator in the region where the man or woman will return • distribute “Interest” forms to all participants at every forum. Collect at the end of each forum and deliver to the Field Operations Coordinator who will coordinate engagement with the appropriate network team contact; (forms will be developed by the Network Manager) • attend all capacity building training deemed necessary by the Network Manager Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 33 5. Leadership and Entrepreneurialism 1. Brighter Beginnings and John F. Kennedy University Brighter Beginnings has demonstrated an enthusiasm and capacity for working hand-‐in-‐hand within the Networked System of Services for the East and Central regions of the county to build a “safety net and a career ladder” that will reduce recidivism and help returned citizens to “move forward and up towards self-‐ actualizing their preferred futures.” To that end, Brighter Beginnings has developed a comprehensive Re-‐Entry Academy for Leaders: REAL. REAL was developed by Program Director Clyde Wayne specifically for the purpose of supporting returned citizens in Contra Costa County. Clyde is a seasoned social services professional, counselor, and teacher. His experience spans the areas of social service, case management, mental health, crisis intervention, research, management, coaching, and family therapy. As well, Clyde has a Master’s in Counseling Psychology and a Professional Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching. During discussions with Brighter Beginnings about their ongoing role with the Network, it became apparent that there were opportunities and benefits to working with Brighter Beginnings that had not been fully explored. As we began to understand better, the comprehensive nature of the REAL curriculum, we brainstormed about expanded leadership opportunities for returned citizens as entrepreneurial community leaders with the ability to mentor and hire other returned citizens. In this way, we could not only advance the lives and opportunities of returned citizens now, but also create future pipelines to employment and life changing opportunities for other returned citizens. With this in mind, we enthusiastically reached out to John F. Kennedy University’s Institute of Entrepreneurial Leadership (IEL) and set up a joint meeting between them and the Brighter Beginning’s team. Unbeknownst to us before that meeting, the University had been exploring ways to work with returned citizens. In the past the University has had success working with difficult to employ populations, some which have had criminal backgrounds or lacked education. They have been able to help launch businesses from among this population in Contra Costa, and those businesses are now in operation and hiring locals. Brighter Beginnings and JFKU have agreed to work together to bring exciting opportunities to returned citizens who through the REAL training program decide that entrepreneurial leadership is something they want to pursue. With the inclusion of the REAL Leadership training and the Kennedy program, the pre-‐release and post-‐release options for returned citizens is greatly enhanced -‐ a huge bonus for the county because we can grow our own future employment opportunities for returned citizens with business owners who will understand their transition needs. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 34 In documents about the program, JFKU officials state that they provide a full range of training, education, consulting, advising, mentoring, pathways to resources and capital, and networking opportunities that support the new and emerging entrepreneur. The IEL program is centered in JFK University’s College of Undergraduate Studies and serves as a primary educational partner for the entire university community with many local public, private, and nonprofit communities. IEL works with businesses, investors, policy makers, foundations, academic, and student-‐ entrepreneurs to design, develop, and grow new and emerging ventures that are focused on creating local job opportunities and sustainable enterprises to meet local needs across a variety of major and niche industries and sectors.” Further, they provide knowledge, capital, and access to local communities through a diverse set of experiential education, workforce training, and partnership initiatives; enhance opportunities and potential for promising Bay Area entrepreneurs to create new jobs and to position themselves for greater success; re-‐ skill industry for the increasing Green Economy labor demands through real-‐time workforce training and learning labs; and allow Contra Costa and surrounding counties to “Grow our Own” entrepreneurs and industry workforce by providing a coordinated, interdisciplinary portfolio of resources and tools. Kennedy and Brighter Beginnings are actively meeting and planning so that they may begin pre-‐release engagement as a member of the Employment/Education Network Team as soon as possible. 2. Prepare My Sheep Prepare My Sheep is a faith based initiative started by Rudy Hernandez, owner of Dent Police, a successful auto body business based in Contra Costa County. The Prepare My Sheep mission is: “To give men and women the same opportunities that were given to us. We want to bless the men and women with what we have been blessed with…. a positive enlightening way of life.” Their Vision is: “To build men and women up to be entrepreneurs in their own life so they can become either proud business owners for themselves, or to have a job they can be proud of, building them up to have a better income so that they can become a better provider to their family.” Founder Rudy Hernandez and his business partners understand the needs of returned citizens, and he has now been a successful business owner for 11 years. His business partner Eddie Ibarra, has been an Automotive Technician for the past 20 years and is the owner of Fast Eddie’s Auto Services. Prepare My Sheep currently has two training locations: one in Antioch, and one in Richmond. Prepare My Sheep has agreed to provide post-‐release training and employment for returned citizens identified by the pre-‐release team as interested in working, or starting a business in, the auto mechanics, oil and lube, or auto body work trades. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 35 Prepare My Sheep will train, certify, and assist with the employment placement of men and women who successfully complete their training. They will either employ men and women with their own companies, or with one of their many affiliate partners. They will work with Brighter Beginnings and the Kennedy initiative to assist those men and women who successfully complete training and desire to have their own business. This is yet another viable and impactful opportunity for returned citizens in the context of a broad networked system of services. 6. Women’s Services Post-‐Release Gender Specific Services for Women Experts recognize that post-‐release gender specific services are important. Yet, although there are programs designed to meet the needs of women throughout the county, there is not a singularly focused broad-‐based county effort to identify and accommodate the subtleties associated with the needs of female returned citizens and the differences between the family reunification process for men and women. In fact, Tamisha Walker, Contra Costa Project Safe Return said that “other than REACH Fellowship, there are no post-‐release reentry services specifically for women,” and a representative from Contra Costa County Mental Health remarked that “though there are a number of women’s alcohol and drug programs, there are no women’s re-‐entry focused services in the county other than REACH Fellowship.” Yet, Edward J. Latessa, PhD, School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati remarked at a presentation to the Contra Costa County CCP that “when developing co-‐ed programs, the interventions for men and women should be separate.” In our early fact-‐finding meetings we were encouraged to reach out to Edwina Santiago of REACH Fellowship. After meeting with Edwina and eventually touring her Richmond facility and program, we realized that Edwina had a passion and commitment to the female returned citizen population that is impactful and effective. Therefore, after many explorative meetings and discussions with Edwina individually, and with other Network partners, we broached the idea of her leading an effort to build the female specific service subset for the Network in East and Central County. She enthusiastically agreed and we began the process of matching her with Network partners that could help her with the housing needs of women returning to the area, and office space for her team. Both Pastor Marrone and Pastor Gee have offered to help her with housing and Pastor Marrone has provided rental office space in the same complex where Brighter Beginnings is located. Barbara Bloom, Professor at Sonoma State University said last year at a forum on re-‐ entry in Oakland, “gender specific services should include child care to accommodate women with children.” This is an area that will need to be developed as Edwina grows and develops service options in East and Central county with the assistance of the Network Manager and Field Operations Coordinators. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 36 7. Services for Returned Citizens with Children Currently, under a PAPPAS Grant, Rubicon, in partnership with Centerforce, serves clients who have children. Centerforce is a California-‐based nonprofit organization that strives to improve the lives and strengthen the families of returned citizens. Through this partnership, Rubicon is able to offer returned citizens four weeks of parenting specific training, two weeks of job readiness coaching, and training in a host of other areas, such as anger management workshops, domestic violence programs with STAND, career coaching, and legal services, critical to removing barriers to employment and increasing successful family reunification and stability when children are in the home. These areas include: child support payment negotiation assistance while the returned citizen is looking for work; assistance with record expungement that provides the returned citizen with a broader range of life changing choices and helps eliminate the embarrassment and anger that often accompanies the stigma attached to having a record; assistance with getting a drivers license, facilitating greater opportunities to participate in caring for children and more employment options; and financial literacy assistance including debt, savings and understanding the credit score. Field Operations Working our way up from the ground floor Collaboration Network, the next level in the No Wrong Door Networked System of Services is Field Operations. Field Operations is made up of Field Mobility, Triage Coordination, and Communications. Field Mobility The topic of field mobility arose for a number of reasons. First there was the issue of managing services and collaboration over two thirds of the county’s geography, and the next was keeping in contact with returned citizens coming back to such a large geographic area. In conversations with Probation Department management, we realized that we had some opportunity to re-‐think issues such as Probation visits and meetings with clients, service provider oversight and quality control, and redefining the relationship between returned citizens and law enforcement. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 37 We also realized that management of ground activity including the recruitment of volunteers and training and community engagement activities would be more effective if localized. Therefore we met with the four Police Chiefs who represent the areas where the majority of returned citizens will reside (Antioch, Pittsburg/Bay Point, Concord, and Martinez) and discussed the possibility of working with them to house a cost-‐ effective field operations management and coordination system. The Police Chiefs have been open and willing to partner with the County in the building of a Networked System of Services and saw the logic of housing operations management with them. Therefore, the Pittsburg, Antioch and Concord Police Departments, all with AB 109 Officers, will house a Field Operations Coordinator at each of their sites. Further, they have agreed to make space available so that Probation Officers can be in the field 2 days out of each week to meet with probationers at NWD (No Wrong Door) sites throughout East and Central, making reporting easier for returned citizens with transportation challenges and giving Probation officers a central location when in the field. Other benefits of the Field Mobility plan is that now there can be convenient space for service provider group meetings and training and optional meeting space for Probation meetings in the field with high risk returned citizens when necessary. An important added bonus related to Field Operation housed at the Police Departments is that it creates partnership opportunities between law enforcement, service providers, the faith community, and returned citizens. It is an opportunity to begin to change the narrative. This is important because having law enforcement involved in the process of helping returning citizens successfully reenter is critical to reducing recidivism. Experts in the field of re-‐entry have confirmed this, with some of their comments and perspectives included below: Caneel Fraser, Esq., Senior Policy Analyst, Urban Peace of the Advancement Project said: “changing the paradigm between law enforcement and reentrants is a priority,” and “in Los Angeles, the police department has been a real partner in providing services to reentrants.” Wendy Still, San Francisco Chief Probation Officer, said: “community policing and partnership with law enforcement has had an impact on successful reduction of San Francisco’s recidivism rate.” Adam Christianson, Stanislaus County Sheriff-‐Coroner, said: “law enforcement realizes we must work together in collaboration to remove historic barriers to police and community partnering.” Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 38 Ron Davis, East Palo Alto Chief of Police, said: “the role of the police department has got to change.” He noted that police must be seen as partners and must be involved in and seen as a part of the solution. “Doing so has impacted recidivism in East Palo Alto and we have seen recidivism reduced from 70% to 14%.” Edward J. Latessa, PhD, School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, said that law enforcement “trained in positive interaction and partnership with community-‐ based organizations helps reduce recidivism.” We find the opinions of these experts compelling and are excited about the possibilities. We also believe that having law enforcement involved with the Network will increase confidence in communities where citizens continue to be concerned about public safety. Triage Coordination A key element of Network Field Operations is the ability to provide a triage between law enforcement, the Network, and the returning citizen as a means to increase the success of the returning citizen in accessing services, to find possible alternatives to re-‐incarceration if a returning citizen reoffends, and to facilitate positive communication between local police and returning citizens. Triage will be coordinated from Field Operations under several important sets of circumstances: 1. During monthly pre-‐release meetings, designed to begin to break down barriers between returning citizens and police. 2. During a routine stop or visit, when an AB 109 returned citizen violates the terms of his/her probation, in lieu of arrest, the role of the triage team is to discuss and whenever possible find alternatives to re-‐incarceration. Effective triage is possible with the right training and partnerships. As an example, during a routine stop, an officer can check ARIES, then contact can be diverted to the nearest Field Operations Coordinator for intervention. 3. As part of regularly scheduled, facilitated, community services orientations for returned citizens that did not have the advantage of pre-‐release engagement. Chiefs may want to attend these orientations and introduce themselves. Orientations can be held at multiple sites and can be single or multiple topic sessions. 4. When the Mentor/Navigator, service provider, or Probation Officer feels that a dialogue related to a reentrant is prudent. Depending on what the purpose of the convening is, the triage teams should include at a minimum the Field Operations Coordinator, a Probation Officer, Mentor/Navigator, local AB 109 Officer, and when necessary a member of the Public Defender’s Office and District Attorney’s Office. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 39 Communications Specific roles and responsibility for communications is discussed in the Management section of this document. But for now, it is important to note that the Networked System offers an opportunity to streamline and simplify communications, pre and post release, between referring agencies, County departments, service providers, law enforcement, Probation, and returned citizens. The Field Operations Coordinator, discussed later in the plan, will be the central and single point of contact between referrals from Probation and the pre-‐and post Network Teams and the post-‐release service providers. Further, the Field Operations Coordinator is the point of communication for Probation and Triage Teams regarding field issues related to returned citizens, and the single point of contact for coordinating referrals coming from NWD sites and returned citizens on their own behalf. Communications systems will include cellular phone, email, and fax options. After-‐ hours emergency access to Field Operations Coordinators by Mentor/Navigators or AB 109 Officers is essential when triage and other emergency situations arise that require Field Operations support. Management System The Networked System of Service requires a comprehensive and cohesive management structure. The following is an outline of the structure including roles and responsibilities and where members of the Management Team are housed. The management structure consists of Governance, Network Management, Field Operations, Administrative/Operations Support, and Data Administration. We recommend that these roles be contracted for the first full year of implementation and that the Probation Chief and CCP make decisions to continue or replace persons in these roles before making them permanent positions. Governance Governance of the Network remains with the CCP and includes review of quarterly reports and outcomes data submitted by the Network Manager; annual comprehensive review of implementation, recidivism data, and employment data; and review of triage and field operations. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 40 Network Manager Comprehensive management and oversight of the Network will rest with a Network Manager, who will report to and be evaluated by the Chief Probation Officer. The Chief Probation Officer will determine whether or not the Network Manager will continue after the first full year of implementation and if the Network Manager will continue to be a contractor or a Probation Department Employee. The Network Manager will be responsible for: • Supervising the Field Operations Coordinators • Managing the Network partner memoranda of understanding (MOUs) • Manage training, supplies and reserve budget • Preparing progress reports for Chief Probation Office and CCP at intervals determined by the governance body • Working with IT administrator on appropriate data collection and on measuring outcomes for reporting • Overseeing the planning and scheduling of Network Team, Police, Mentor/Navigator and other Volunteer, and NWD Site Trainings • Work with Administrative support to design Network marketing materials • Management of low and moderate risk AB 109 referral process (discussed later in this document) • Managing communications and communications protocol so that it is standardized and there is a single line of communication for Probation officers and others who will be making referrals • Work with Probation to determine what information is to be shared with service providers and set up information coordination through Field Operations Coordinator • Work with Probation to set standards related to how long Probation carries responsibility for service referrals and coordination • High-‐level triage management • Other duties as determined by the Chief Probation Officer that are re-‐entry specific Network Manager Attributes, Skills, and Experience • Experience working in a law enforcement agency, or in a position where there was exposure to, and understanding of, the dynamics related to law enforcement • Experience working with community organizations, education systems, county departments, service providers, and faith organizations, or some significant combination of these groups • Open to and excited about an opportunity to innovate • Comfortable working with a diverse population • Familiar with the needs of returning citizens, and has had significant exposure to this population • Experience managing staff and systems • Comfortable with both written and oral communication and presentations • Familiarity with and commitment to reentry best practice • Resourceful and able to access agencies and key persons to support County re-‐entry efforts • Known and respected by key county stakeholders • Team builder with a dynamic, inclusive and affirming personality • High level management experience § Willingness to be trained in all training categories in order to have broad and extensive view of Network operations and opportunities for returned citizens Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 41 Note on Felony Forensics Case Management County Mental Health offers training for Probation Officers so they are able to identify when mental health professionals should be involved with advising and helping returned citizens. High-‐risk offenders are exclusively case-‐managed by the Forensics Division. Forensics Division’s primary mission is to utilize mental health care to help high risk probationers not reoffend and to engage pro-‐social systems when mental health is an issue. Probation is the only referring party to Felony Forensics case management. Therefore, Felony Forensics case management is not appropriate for Field Operations management. Field Operations Coordinators There will be three Field Operations Coordinators, and it has been agreed that they will be housed at the Antioch, Pittsburg, and Concord Police Departments. This position is key to maintaining, growing, and strengthening the Network System. County and Police Departments have expressed genuine support for Field Operations and have stated that a Field Operations Coordinator could be helpful in standardizing and strengthening communication between Probation and the field. Service Provider oversight and support is also important, and mandatory service provider reports can be added to the Network website to assist Field Coordinators. Field Operations Coordinators will also be a critical resource for helping Probation keep track of and support probationers. The Field Operations Coordinator is responsible for: • Coordination and additional development of NWD locations • Coordination of partner relationships • Point person for field communications between Probation and the field. Communications between NWD sites, service providers, and Probation will be coordinated and managed by the Field Coordinators so that Probation and County Departments will have single points of contact at the three Field Operations sites in Central and East for referrals and other critical communications • NWD referral coordination • Pre-‐release employment/education documentation and referral liaison • Community outreach and relations • Triage engagement and support • Volunteer recruitment Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 42 The ideal Field Operations Coordinator will be someone with the following attributes, skills and experience: § Management experience § Very organized § Experience engaging and working with the reentry population § Positive relationships with faith leaders or ability to develop them § Strong oral and written communication skills § Willingness to go the extra mile, and be an emergency resource for Mentor/Navigators and to support emergency triage § Experience working with collaborative efforts § Ability to make community presentations § Ability to do community outreach for volunteer recruitment § Ability to manage communication to/from Probation and to/from Network Manager § Engaging and supportive personality Network Administrative/Operations Assistant Day to day support for the clerical, operational and administrative demands of the Network is critical to the Network’s success. The Administrative/Operations Assistant will support the Network Manager, and work cooperatively with the half-‐ time Database Administrator. The Network Administrative/Operations Assistant will be responsible for: • Providing clerical support for the Network Manager • Working with the Network Manager to develop brochures, web content, and other marketing and outreach materials as needed • Coordinating and overseeing printing of training materials • Training logistics including scheduling of trainings, securing one of the designated training rooms, processing trainer agreements and payments, securing refreshments, overseeing room set-‐up etc. • Scheduling Network Meetings and preparing materials • Developing and managing a Network master calendar of pre and post-‐release activity • Managing monthly pre-‐release Triage Team jail visits • Maintain Network Management file system which will include copies of triage files, employment docs, service provider MOUs, service provider assessments, post-‐release re-‐entry case plans, and other files as systems are further developed • Respond to calls and inquiries related to the Network System • Attend meetings upon Network Manager’s request • Other duties as assigned by the Network Manager Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 43 The ideal Administrative/Operations Assistant will be someone with the following attributes, skills and experience: • Office Administration background • Proficient in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook • Strong written and oral communication skills • Team player • Joyful problem solver • Comfortable in new venture environments • Strong customer service skills • Patient • Willing to go the extra mile to help the Network accomplish its goals • Comfortable working with returned citizens • Strong attention to detail • Highly organized • Ability to work varying schedules if needed to assist with trainings or community outreach activity • Visionary Database Administrator The half-‐time Database Administrator will be housed with the County Health Services Homeless Program. Under the guidance of the Homeless Program MIS Administrator, the Database Administrator is responsible for the coordination, implementation, and technical support of the MIS system within the Networked System of Services including the partnership with LINC. The Database Administrator will be responsible for: • Manage the implementation and on-‐going operations of the MIS system on behalf of the County. Act as a single point of contact between the East and Central County Networked System of Services Network Manager Housed at Probation, LINC, service provider agencies, and the MIS application support teams. • Provide, facilitate, and/or coordinate technical resources needed to support the quality, accessibility and function of the system. • Provide the delivery of the necessary IT and application support services required for the setup, operations, and on-‐going maintenance of the MIS system. • Ensure the provision of technical assistance, data analysis and reporting as required by the community agencies. • Facilitate problem resolution in the event users within the community are having difficulty solving a problem with the software. • Under the guidance of the Homeless Program MIS Administrator, facilitate community-‐wide strategic IT planning around the MIS system. Determine roll out strategy and prioritization among agencies within a community. Monitor progress of system implementation process. • Facilitate technical assistance forums with agency administrators on MIS operations and policy development. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 44 • Coordinate establishment of policy and procedures governing MIS access, use and data dissemination; such as standardized intake forms, standardized client consent to release forms and standardized user agreement forms with the agencies. Review and monitor adherence across agencies to ensure security, confidentiality and quality of the information within the system. • Analyze information within MIS system, monitoring trends and identifying data gaps. Qualifications and Experience: • Bachelor’s degree with minimum three years of experience in information systems and technology (particularly in database design and management). • Strong organizational and leadership skills. Proven written and communication skills. Experience in IT strategic planning and managing complex projects. • Strong information systems analyst skills. Ability to translate and reconcile agency information needs, database structure and application functional requirements. • Strong technical aptitude. Ability to troubleshoot and resolve software and hardware problems. Experience with on-‐line applications deployed through an Internet browser interface. • Experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Knowledge of and experience with relational database management systems. • Experience working in non-‐profit or government setting with significant information reporting requirements Referral Process In order for the Networked System of Services to work, processes must be streamlined and that may require a shift in the way we have done things in the past. Moreover, even after many meetings and discussions with critical stakeholders representing key county departments, there are issues that we cannot anticipate. Therefore, portions of this process may need to be tweaked. However, we believe that this process reflects both best practice and what we have heard the planning team and stakeholders say would be helpful and effective. It is also important again here to note that we are clear that referrals related to high-‐ risk mental health forensics clients are outside the scope of the Networked System and this referral process. (See page 41.) Pre-‐Sentence Referrals As discussed earlier, the Networked System makes provision for returning citizens to be paired with a Mentor/Navigator at pre-‐sentencing if they so choose. The Mentor/Navigator will be trained in all of the pre-‐and post release opportunities and services offered through the Network. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 45 The Mentor/Navigator will have an opportunity to talk with his/her mentee prior to sentencing and set up an initial plan for pre-‐release in-‐jail engagement with one or more of the Network teams. The Mentor/Navigator will then document those initial referrals and submit them to the supervising agency for Mentor/Navigators. The supervising agency point person for Mentor/Navigator supervision will then review the referral document to make sure all required information was properly gathered. The referral is then forwarded to the Field Operations Coordinator in the appropriate region to coordinate with the right Service Team(s). Once the referral is set up with the Service Team, a copy of the fully executed referral is forwarded to the Network Manager who will follow the appropriate process for documenting the referral within the Probation system. It should be noted that the Network Manager would work with Probation regarding the case management system that is being developed, how the system relates to the database intended to be housed at Behavioral Health/ Homeless Division, and how the system is going to be managed. Pre-‐Release Referrals As discussed earlier there will be Service Teams in the jails working with returning citizens in a number of different ways, and creating post-‐release opportunities for them. Those pre-‐release referrals will now be made directly to the Field Operations Coordinator in the region where the returning citizen will reside upon release. Additionally, Probation and other departmental referrals will also be made directly to the Field Operations Coordinator. The Field Operations Coordinator will then process the referral to make sure that all requirements are met for a successful referral. They will then either approve the referral, sending a copy to the service provider, or contact the referring party, and or the returning citizen in order to obtain any necessary missing information or documents. Once the referral requirements are complete, then the referral will be processed and a copy sent to the service provider and the Network Manager for processing into the Probation system. In Jail Presentation Sign-‐ups When programs, both in and outside of the Networked System, make in-‐jail presentations to returning citizens, and returning citizens to East or Central County sign up for the service, an engagement form must be completed and forwarded to the Field Operations Coordinator where the returning citizen will reside after release. The Field Operations Coordinator will process the form and forward it to the Network Manager for Probation processing. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 46 Post-‐Release Referrals One of the most encouraging components of the Networked System of Services is the extensive NWD outreach and information dissemination strategy. Hopefully this, coupled with positive messaging on the street by returned citizens, will drive ground level referrals. These referrals will be forwarded to the Field Operations Coordinator using a widely distributed standardized referral form. The Field Operations Coordinator will then make direct contact with the returned citizens and set up appointments to meet with them at a NWD location if the returned citizen is reluctant to meet at the Field Coordinator’s office. Once contact has been made, and program/service requirement are met, the referral is forwarded to the provider with a copy to the Network Manager for processing at the Probation department. Triage Referrals In situations where the Triage Team is considering alternatives to re-‐arrest or re-‐ incarceration of a returned citizen, a plan will be developed and necessary, mandatory referrals will likely be made. Under these circumstances, the Network Manager will directly process the referrals and call a case management meeting with the service providers who will be involved and the Probation officer and Police officer involved in the case to discuss the service plan and consequences of non-‐compliance. It will be important for CCP to consider setting important countywide standards related to how long Probation carries responsibility for service referrals and coordination. Getting The Word Out Returning Citizens will learn how to access the Networked System of Services for East and Central through: • A guide to services that provides all access points and details about Service Team options, will be available pre-‐release and at all Service Provider sites, NWD sites, Field Operations Offices, other relevant County Departments, Elected Officials Offices in the community, and the Probation Department • Web Page on the County’s Site • Facebook Page • Community Forums • Pre-‐Release presentations Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 47 It will be the responsibility of the Admin/Operations Assistant to work with the Network Manager to develop the brochure, web page, and Facebook page, and disseminate the brochures to the distribution points. The Field Operations Coordinators will be responsible for organizing the Community Forums. The Network Manager in partnership with Pre-‐release Service Teams will conduct Pre-‐release presentations on the overall system. In addition, the Mentor/Navigators and returned citizens will be central to getting the word out about the Network, services and opportunities and increasing access to the Networked System of Services. In addition, the Network will make full use of the Contra Costa County Reentry Resource Guide developed in partnership with the Community Advisory Board of the Community Corrections Partnership and the Contra Costa Crisis Center (211). The Network will train teams and volunteers in using the two-‐page guide, which highlights the programs and services that target the needs of returning citizens, published in English and Spanish. Finally, it is also important that the Field Operations Coordinator, in conjunction with the Network Teams, provide and promote on-‐going messaging and community engagement through presentations to community groups and service clubs, as was done at the beginning of this planning process by the East and Central planning consultants, to reduce fear-‐based thinking, gain community buy in and support for reentry efforts, and attract community involvement and volunteers. Training, Training and More Training We realize that this plan calls upon just about everyone -‐ service providers, county agencies, service providers, new management team members, education institutions, law enforcement, faith community members, average citizens, and returning citizens – to rethink many things we’ve thought in the past related to engaging returning citizens and helping them reintegrate and become successful members of the communities to which they return. Therefore, training at all levels, and around a range of issues related to gender specific, cultural competence, LGBT, and trauma informed re-‐entry responsivity is going to be critical. We learned a lot from experts during the planning process and have included some of the more notable comments and observations below: Edward J. Latessa, PhD, School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati said that returning citizens and faith-‐based groups “may have credibility in community but the same best practice and research must be employed for them to be effective.” Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 48 He adds, “These individuals and groups must be trained so they are able to make impact. Budgets for service provision must include training for these groups. Law enforcement, trained in positive interaction and partnership with community based organizations, reduces recidivism.” Caneel Fraser, Esq., Senior Policy Analyst, Urban Peace of the Advancement Project said, “Officer training on how to work with reentrants is very important.” Representative from Contra Costa County Mental Health said, “Effective triage is possible with the right training and partnerships.” Adam Christianson, Sheriff-‐Coroner, Stanislaus County said that there should be “volunteer recruitment and training for volunteers and some of them should be from among reentrants.” Because of other work we have done over the years, we have been able to prevail upon some outstanding, nationally and internationally recognized trainers in several areas who are willing to drastically reduce their fees and help us out during the maiden year of implementation. We also are very lucky to have multiple amazing trainers who were involved in the planning process and playing key rolls in the Network who are willing to oversee and conduct critical areas of the training needed for the Network to be successful. Training is one of the highest priorities, and there will be multiple training opportunities for volunteers, partners, and Field Operations staff. Mentor/Navigator Training James Hyde and Lesia Bell will train and certify Mentor/Navigators in a 40-‐hour, internationally recognized mentorship and conflict resolution training, Dialogue for Peaceful Change (DPC), which includes scenario practice on working with difficult situations and training on issues related to gender specific, cultural competence, LGBT, and trauma informed re-‐entry responsivity, boundary setting, and communication strategies. In addition, Mentor/Navigators should be provided ongoing professional development in areas specific to the role, and the supervising agency must be prepared and trained in monitoring the mentor’s performance for quality and continuous improvement. Pre-‐Release Employment and Education Team The Workforce Development Board, Los Medanos College, and DPC trainers will provide training to members of the Employment/Education Team. The team will also be cross-‐trained on the REAL Leadership program, the Prepare My Sheep program, Goodwill Industries, the Kennedy Program, and other opportunities for returning citizens. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 49 Once trained, they will be able to prepare returning citizens during pre-‐release to take advantage of all of these powerful opportunities. They will also work with them to gather all qualifying documents, make referrals, transmit documents and referrals to the Field Operations Coordinator, and set up post-‐release appointments. As an added reminder, in the past 5 years we have involved more than 300 people in Contra Costa County in DPC training and found it to be the most powerful team building training we and any of the participants have ever experienced. Having service and volunteer teams go through this training will result in the added benefit of solidifying the Network team. On-‐Ongoing Pre-‐Release Training We also propose that in 2014-‐15, the County continue to support the Jail Etiquette Training that is currently being provided to pre-‐release teams countywide by Angela Hatter of CCCOE for all service providers offering pre release services. Police Training Retired Police Chief James Hyde and Colin Craig from Different Tracks Global in Northern Ireland will conduct this training of police officers. For many years, Colin has successfully trained police officers in social justice community policing strategies during violent paramilitary prison re-‐entry efforts in Northern Ireland and Jim has trained law enforcement and military professionals throughout US. Comprehensive Network Training All service providers, both pre and post release; relevant county departments; Network Teams; NWD and LINC locations and partners; Management; and administration contractors must be trained in great detail on the entire Network process. We recommend that, as a part of the implementation ramp-‐up process, our company, Emerald HPC International, conduct this initial training and assist the Network Team in developing its on-‐going, comprehensive training plan. A Final Thought on the Importance of Training Each community possesses critical sources of underutilized and underappreciated human capital. The Network approach allows us to not waste this great potential but instead to engage, develop, and unleash new possibilities, forge new relationships, and build real community. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 50 Assessment Service Provider Assessment Experts have said much about the issue of individual service provider assessment, and the number of returning citizens they each serve. Much of it is related to service provider accountability and broad recidivism numbers. However if we are on a mission to build an effective, collaboratively networked system of services designed to reduce recidivism and increase successful reintegration for returning citizens, simply measuring the number of referrals that are made to service providers falls far short of a results -‐ driven assessment process, which is what is needed. Measuring outcomes is better than measuring inputs. Measuring Network Outcomes Having an evaluation process that informs and benefits Network outcomes would mean establishing a set of indicators associated with successful reintegration and collecting data related to components of the Network that have a direct impact on each indicator and measuring the effectiveness of that component. Measuring Performance and Impact Therefore, using key indicators to measure impact and using performance measures to assess organizational effectiveness is a better approach. By doing this, we would be able to make adjustments to the system while continuing to support the collaborative effort. Interlocking responsibilities of the Network partners would have tangible impact on each other so that we would be able to measure collective success of recidivism reduction while also measuring specific aspects of the Network and how they impact the quality of the returning citizen reintegration process. The importance of this approach is that not only would we be assessing the impact of individual partners, but we would also be measuring the impact of the collaborative process so that we can make necessary adjustments and scale particular components to maximize the success of our most strategic processes. As the County continues to work with RDA, there will be more clarity around what data can be collected, what can be assessed, and what our capacity is for deriving actual indicators. Much work still needs to be done before we are there. It will be the role of the Network Manager working with the Network Database Administrator and CCP to determine the right process after RDA has completed their work. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 51 The Network Manager, working with the Database Administrator and CCP, will develop strategic indicators that may include these and other measures of: Overall Network Outcomes: • level and effectiveness of recidivism reduction • level and success of family reunification • level and effectiveness of returned citizen reintegration into community Collaboration Network Performance Outcomes: • responsivity to individual needs (client satisfaction) • level and effectiveness of data sharing across agencies • level and effectiveness of volunteers and staff • level and effectiveness of service coordination • level and effectiveness of service referral to community-‐based support • level and effectiveness of collaborative case management • access to and impact of transitional and permanent employment, vocational training and education, recovery services, mental health services, transitional and permanent housing, transportation, healthcare, childcare, etc. Appendices Index (Separate Documents) I. Implementation Budget 2013-‐14 and Budget Narrative (Includes Initial 2014-‐15 Recommendations) II. MOU Template III. Final Report on Meetings with Stakeholders/Planning Teams IV. Sole Source Justification A Final Thought on the Plan Even though the County decided to divide up planning for service provision and coordination into three regions, it is clear that the reentry system of service provision and coordination must be integrated and coherent across the County. As we assist the Central and East Network Management Team in their launch of the Network, we will strongly suggest that they continue to reach out and work with the backbone organization of the West County Resource Center to align efforts as much as possible. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved AB-‐109 Networked System of Services East and Central Contra Costa County Appendix I. A. Implementation Budget Categories and Budget Items 2013-‐14 Amount Comments 2014-‐15 Funding Recs Management and Admin Network Manager $90,000 1 FTE Contracted April 1, 2014 –March 30, 2015 and recommendation for remainder of 2014-‐15 $22,500 Pittsburg Field Operations Cord $70,000 1 FTE Contracted April 1, 2014 –March 30, 2015 and recommendation for remainder of 2014-‐15 $17,500 Concord Field Operations Cord $70,000 1 FTE Contracted April 1, 2014 –March 30, 2015 and recommendation for remainder of 2014-‐15 $17,500 Antioch Field Operations Cord $70,000 1 FTE Contracted April 1, 2014 –March 30, 2015 and recommendation for remainder of 2014-‐15 $17,500 Administrative Assistant $50,000 1 FTE Contracted April 1, 2014 –March 30, 2015 and recommendation for remainder of 2014-‐15 $12,500 Database Administrator $10,400 .5 FTE Contracted April 1 – June 30, 2014 and recommended 1 FTE Contracted July 1, 2014 –March 30, 2015 $83,200 Field Operations Cellular Costs $1,200 April 1 – June 30, 2014: Cellular service for 3 Field Operations Coordinators and recommended 2014-‐15 $3,600 Network Services Brighter Beginnings $43,202 April 1 – June 30, 2014 and recommended 2014-‐15 $123,180 John F. Kennedy University $14,126 April 1 – June 30, 2014 and recommended 2014-‐15 $52,130 Goodwill Industries $45,360 April 1 – June 30, 2014: then based on proven capacity and expanded role within network, recommend 14/15 budget increase to provide transitional employment services to East Goodwill will submit a budget Reach Fellowship $70,000 April 1, 2014 – March 30, 2015 and recommended 2014-‐15 $107,360 Men and Women of Purpose $40,000 April 1 – June 30, 2014 and recommended 2014-‐15 $80,000 Prepare My Sheep $32,654 April 1 – December 31, 2014 and recommended January 1, 2015 -‐ June 30, 2015 $32,654 Dream Center $30,000 April 1 – June 30, 2014 and recommended January 1, 2015 -‐ June 30, 2015 $85,000 Regnum Group $0 April 1 – June 30, 2014: Recommend awarding one -‐ time grant to increase the number of available AB-‐109 housing units in Antioch for men and women $174,000 Training $5,000 1 Training for Police: April 1 – June 30, 2014 and 4 Trainings for Volunteers recommended 2014-‐15 $30,000 Emerald HPC International $18,000 April 1 – June 30, 2014: Stabilize transition to full implementation with training of Network Management Team $0 Reserve $140, 058 April 1 – June 30, 2014: To be used at the discretion of the Network Manager for Implementation Total $800,000 $858,624 Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved AB-‐109 Networked System of Services East and Central Contra Costa County Appendix I. B. Implementation Budget Narrative The following describes the 2013-14 Budget plan for the $800,000 in funds allocated to East and Central for Networked System of Services implementation, with recommendations for 2014-15 where applicable. A. Management $361,600 for 2013-14 The Networked System of Services requires a comprehensive and cohesive management structure. We recommend that these roles be contracted for the first full year of implementation and that the Probation Chief and CCP make decisions to continue or replace persons in these roles before making them permanent positions. 1. Network Manager $90,000 Provides for full time contracted position reporting to Probation, for the period: April 1, 2014 –March 30, 2015. See page 40 of Proposed Plan for job description. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $22,500 To provide for remainder of the fiscal year for full time contracted position, for the period: April 1, 2015 –June 30, 2015 2. Pittsburg Field Operations Coordinator $70,000 Provides for full time contracted position reporting to Network Manager, for the period: April 1, 2014 – March 30, 2015. See page 41 of Proposed Plan for job description. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $17,500 To provide for remainder of the fiscal year for full time contracted position, for the period: April 1, 2015 –June 30, 2015 3. Concord Field Operations Coordinator $70,000 Provides for full time contracted position reporting to Network Manager, for the period: April 1, 2014 – March 30, 2015. See page 41 of Proposed Plan for job description. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $17,500 To provide for remainder of the fiscal year for full time contracted position, for the period: April 1, 2015 –June 30, 2015 4. Antioch Field Operations Coordinator $70,000 Provides for full time contracted position reporting to Network Manager, for the period: April 1, 2014 – March 30, 2015. See page 41 of Proposed Plan for job description. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $17,500 To provide for remainder of the fiscal year for full time contracted position, for the period: April 1, 2015 –June 30, 2015 Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 5. Administrative Assistant $50,000 Provides for full time contracted position reporting to Network Manager, for the period: April 1, 2014 – March 30, 2015. See page 42 of Proposed Plan for job description. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $12,500 To provide for remainder of the fiscal year for full time contracted position, for the period: April 1, 2015 –June 30, 2015 6. Database Administrator $10,400 Provides for 50% time contracted position reporting to Network Manager, for the period: April 1, 2014 – June 30, 2014. See page 43 of Proposed Plan for job description. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $83,200 To provide for full time contracted position, for the period: July 1, 2014 –March 30, 2015 7. Field Operations: Cellular Costs $1,200 Provides for cellular service for 3 Field Operations Coordinators, for the period: April 1 – June 30, 2014 * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $3,600 To provide for cellular service for 3 Field Operations Coordinators, for the period: July 1, 2014 –June 30, 2015 B. Network Services $275,342 for 2013-14 The Networked System of Services requires partnering with multiple sites and service providers in East and Central Contra Costa. We recommend funding for these collaborative partnerships that will provide multiple entry points and varied opportunities for engagement and access for returning citizens. 1. Brighter Beginnings $43,202 Provides for a portion of staff and operating costs related to the Leadership and Entrepreneurialism partnership with JFK University for the period: April 1, 2014 –June 30, 2014. See page 33 of Proposed Plan for more detailed information. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $123,180 To provide for all staff and operating costs related to the Leadership and Entrepreneurialism partnership with JFK University, for the period: July 1, 2014 –June 30, 2015. 2. John F. Kennedy University $14,126 Provides for scholarships for returning citizens and for program co-facilitator and adjunct faculty related to the Leadership and Entrepreneurialism partnership with Brighter Beginnings for the period: April 1, 2014 – June 30, 2014. See page 33 of Proposed Plan for more detailed information. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding $52,130 Provides for scholarships for returning citizens and for program co-facilitator and adjunct faculty related to the Leadership and Entrepreneurialism partnership with JFK University, for the period: July 1, 2014 –June 30, 2015. 3. Mentor Navigator Supervision - RFP Deleted Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved 4. Goodwill Industries $45,360 Provides for designated staff time for the development of transitional employment opportunities in East County for the long-term, while providing immediate transitional employment in East County for the period: April 1, 2014 –June 30, 2014. See page 31 of Proposed Plan for more detailed information. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding Goodwill will submit budget for 2014-15 Based on proven capacity and expanded role within Network, recommend 2014-15 funding to provide transitional employment services to East Contra Costa. 5. Reach Fellowship $70,000 Provides for staffing, operations, equipment, training, and administrative support for comprehensive women’s services for East and Central Contra Costa for the period: April 1, 2014 –March 30, 2015. See pages 35 and 32 of Proposed Plan for more detailed information. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $107,360 To provide for remainder of the fiscal year for continued staffing, operations, equipment, training, and administrative support and provide additional full time position to support comprehensive women’s services for East and Central Contra Costa for the period: July 1, 2014 –June 30, 2015. 6. Men and Women of Purpose $40,000 Provides for a redistribution of staff resources to accommodate the organization’s new and expanded role in pre release Education/Employment preparation: April 1, 2014 –June 30, 2014. See page 32 of Proposed Plan for more detailed information. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $80,000 To create an additional position to serve as point person for the Education/Employment Team and to cover additional operating expenses relating to pre and post release activity with the Network Education/Employment Team and with Reach Fellowship for the period: July 1, 2014 –June 30, 2015. 7. Prepare My Sheep $32,654 Provides designated trainers, materials, equipment, and operating expenses for the training, certification, and job placement of two cohorts of 12 returning citizens each: April 1, 2014 –December 31, 2014. See page 34 of Proposed Plan for more detailed information. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $32,654 To provide for remainder of the fiscal year for the training, certification, and job placement of two additional cohorts of 12 returning citizens each for the period: January 1, 2015 –June 30, 2015. 8. Dream Center $30,000 Provides for an initial supervisory staff position to work directly with Goodwill Industries, County Probation, and Brighter Beginnings to identify the first cohort of residents at the Dream Center for the period: April 1, 2014 –June 30, 2014. See page 27 of Proposed Plan for more detailed information. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $85,000 To provide for two additional residential staff members and housing costs for 50 AB109 residents at $500 per resident to cover all housing and food expenses for a minimum of one calendar year. 9. Regnum Group $0 * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $174,000 Provides for the cost of completing renovation and making available AB-109 housing for 50 men and 25 women for the period: July 1, 2014 –June 30, 2015. See page 28 of Proposed Plan for more information. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved C. Training $5,000 for 2013-14 Provides for the initial training of AB109 Officers and other officers designated by Police Chiefs on effective strategies for partnering with community and employing restorative justice best practice in the context of the East and Central County Network for the period: April 1, 2014 –June 30, 2014. See pages 48 and 49 of Proposed Plan for more detailed information. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $30,00 Provides a Jail Etiquette Training to pre-release teams countywide by Angela Hatter of CCCOE for all service providers offering pre release services and Three 40-hour Volunteer Trainings with Certification for Mentor/Navigators in addition to periodic content based training related to Network service delivery for the period: July 1, 2014 –June 30, 2015. D. Emerald HPC International $18,000 for 2013-14 Provides for Comprehensive Network Training and Consultation with Network Management, Service Teams, and relevant County departments to stabilize transition to full implementation of the Network for the period: March 1, 2014 –June 30, 2014 See page 49 of Proposed Plan for more information. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $0 E. Reserve $140,058 for 2013-14 Provides a reserve pool of funds to be used at the discretion of the Network Manager for unanticipated implementation expenses for the period: April 1, 2014 –June 30, 2014. * 2014-15 Recommended Funding: $0 Attachment A Appendix II. Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved East and Central Contra Costa County Networked System of Services Memorandum of Understanding (Draft Only) Contra Costa County Probation Department Representing The Community Corrections Partnership and (Service Partner) This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sets forth the terms and understanding between the (service partner) and the (service partner) to (insert activity). Background (Why partnership important) Purpose This MOU will define the specific role ____________will play as an important collaborative partner in a Networked System of Services designed to accomplish the following Mission and Vision for East and Central Contra Costa County AB-109 Returning Citizens: Mission Statement: Providing a “No Wrong Door” service mechanism to help AB-109 Returning Citizens succeed in reintegrating into the communities where they resided before incarceration, consequently leading to a significantly reduced recidivism rate, increased public safety, and healthy family reunification. Vision Statement: That Contra Costa County is widely recognized as having a highly professionalized and sustainable collaborative system of reentry service provision; resulting in an above-average reduction in recidivism, marked increase in public-safety, successful family reunification, and new pathways to living whole, healthy and productive lives for returning citizens. By signing this MOU, ___________________ agrees to be mutually accountability to other Network Partners, through interlocking roles designed to accomplish a single set of mutually agreed upon outcomes related to fulfilling the Mission and realizing the Vision of the Networked System of Services. The above goals will be accomplished by undertaking the following activities: (Here, upon plan approval, the Network Manager will list and describe the activities that have been agreed upon and are outlined in the plan) Attachment A Appendix II. Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved Reporting (Per the plan proposal, the Network Manager will evaluate effectiveness and adherence to the agreement and when evaluation will happen. The Network Manager will also, per the plan proposal, report performance and progress to the CCP) Funding This MOU is not a commitment of funds and does not constitute a contract for services. Duration This MOU is at-will and may be modified by mutual consent of authorized officials from the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP), and _________________). This MOU shall become effective upon signature by the authorized officials from the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP), and _________________) and will remain in effect until modified or terminated by any one of the partners by mutual consent. In the absence of mutual agreement by the authorized officials from Contra Costa County Probation Department, and the Community Corrections Partnership (CCP), and _________________) this MOU shall end on April 1, 2015 with an option to renew as is or with mutually agreed upon amendments Contact Information Service Partner name Service Partner representative Position Address Telephone Fax E-mail Service Partner name Service Partner representative Position Address Telephone Fax E-mail _______________________ Date: (Partner signature) (Partner name, organization, position) _______________________ Date: (Partner signature) (Partner name, organization, position) (Note that Phil Kader as Chief Probation Officer and Chair of the CCP, should sign) Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC 1 Appendix III. AB109 Re-‐Entry Resource Planning for East and Central County Final Report on One on One, Small Group, and Joint Planning Meetings Completed: June 2013 through January 2014 January 31, 2014 Meetings Completed in January Organization Names if One-on-One or Small Group Grouping Status Supervisor Federal Glover’s Office Federal Glover, Ed Diokno, David Fraser Steering Committee Input on Plan Design Supervisor Candace Anderson’s Office Donna Maxwell Steering Committee Input on Plan Design Supervisor Mary Piepho’s Office Tomi Riley, Karyn Cornell, Lea Castleberry Steering Committee Input on Plan Design Supervisor Karen Mitchoff’s Office Mara Gold Steering Committee Input on Plan Design Contra Costa County Lara DeLaney, Senior Deputy Steering Committee Input on Plan Design Buchanan Road Ctr - Antioch Pastor Israel Marrone, Regnum Group Housing Input on Plan Design New Life Dream Center, Brentwood Pastor Jonathan Gee Service Teams/NWD Input on Plan Design Training and Program Best Practices Jim Hyde, Matt Powers US & CA Initiatives Input on Plan Design Local Integrated Networks of Care (LINC) Pamela Singh Central County Input on Plan Design County Housing Lavonna Martin Housing Input on Plan Design Behavioral Health Homeless Arturo Castillo Housing Input on Plan Design Rubicon Jane Fischberg, Rob Hope, Rhody McCoy Employment Input on Plan Design Men and Women of Purpose Rick Fortenberry, Brian Hancock Pre-Release Education/Employment Input on Plan Design CCISCO Clergy Caucus and Antioch Mayor’s Fellowship Breakfast Rev. Eugene Jackson, Rev. Will McGarvey, Pastor Whitlaw McGee, Pastor Jonathan Gee, Pastor Linda Vogelgesang, Fr. Robert Rien, Fr. Roberto Corral, Rev. Fran Gardner Smith, Pastor Shaun Nepstad, Rev. Craig Dale, Rev. Wilson Network System of Services, Volunteers, NWD Sites Planning Update City of Antioch PD Allan Cantando, Chief Field Operations Input on Plan Design City of Concord PD Guy Swanger, Chief Field Operations Input on Plan Design City of Pittsburg PD Brian Addington, Chief Field Operations Input on Plan Design CC Probation Chief Phil Kader, Melvin Rusell, Todd Billeci, Elvin Baddley Network Management Input on Plan Design CC Public Defender Robin Lipetzky Core Planning Team Input on Plan Design CCCOE Angela Hatter Mentoring Input on Plan Design Prepare My Sheep Rudy and Stacie Hernandez Employment Input on Plan Design The Williams Group Vernon Williams III Network System Input on Plan Design Different Tracks Global Colin Craig DPC Training Input on Plan Design CC Sheriff’s Office Chrystine Zermeño - Robbins Core Planning Team Input on Plan Design CC DA’s Office Steve Bolen Core Planning Team Input on Plan Design County Mental Health David Seidner Operations Team Input on Plan Design Employment and Education Team David Wahl – LMC, Donna Van Wert - WDB Operations Team Input on Plan Design Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC 2 Meetings Completed in December Organization Names if One-on-One or Small Group Grouping Status Supervisor Federal Glover’s Office Federal Glover, Ed Diokno, David Fraser Steering Committee Operations Planning Supervisor Candace Anderson’s Office Donna Maxwell Steering Committee Operations Planning Supervisor Mary Piepho’s Office Karyn Cornell, Lea Castleberry Steering Committee Operations Planning Supervisor Karen Mitchoff’s Office Mara Gold, Kristin Connelly Steering Committee Operations Planning Contra Costa County Lara DeLaney, Senior Deputy Steering Committee Operations Planning Independent Living Resources Danielle Roundtree Employment Operations Planning Employment and Training Meeting and Discussion David Wahl, Donna Van Wert, Lynette Nutting, Garry Grady, DeVonn Tjader Employment and Training Operations Planning New Life Dream Center Pastor Jonathan Gee Mentoring and Housing Operations Planning Folsom New Start and Texas Project RIO Meeting and Discussion Ed Johnson, Warren Murphy, Matt Powers, Rick Fortenberry, Antwon Cloird, Bryan Hancock, Israel Marrone, David Murray, Edwina Perez-Santiago, Vernon Williams, David Wall, Devonne Tjader, Rudy Hernandez Mentoring and Employment Operations Planning Concord Integrated Services Pamela Singh Central County Operations Planning Brighter Beginnings Barbara McCullough, Clyde Wayne, and Ignacio Ferry- REAL Training Input on Plan Design SHELTER Inc. Jennifer Baja Housing Operations Planning County Housing Lavonna Martin, County Homeless Housing Operations Planning Behavioral Health Homeless Arturo Castillo – County Homeless Housing Operations Planning Rubicon Rob Hope, Rhody McCoy Employment Operations Planning Men and Women of Purpose Rick Fortenberry Pre and Post Release Mentoring Operations Planning CHD Paul Taylor, Barbara Proctor Mentoring Supervision Operations Planning CCISCO East County Clergy Caucus Rev. Eugene Jackson, Pastor Tuma Johnson, Pastor Felix Golden, Rev. Will McGarvey, Pasto James Jones, Pastor Jonathan Gee, Pastor Christine Liddell East County Planning Update Data RDA, Lara DeLaney Data Operations Planning CCCOE Angela Hatter Mentoring Operations Planning Impact of Returning Citizens on Juveniles Michael Pitts – Former Director of Byron Boys Ranch Family Reunification Input on Plan Design Prepare My Sheep Rudy and Stacie Hernandez Employment Operations Planning CC Public Defender Robin Lipetzky Core Planning Team Input on Plan Design JFKU/Brighter Beginnings Partnership Barbara, Wayne, Ignacio - BB, Diana, Joyce, Marcy - JFK REAL and IEL Input on Plan Design Planning Team Meeting 12/5/13 19 in attendance Operations Team Operations Planning Meeting Planning Team Meeting 12/19/13 60 in attendance Core Planning Team Planning Update Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC 3 Meetings Completed in November Organization Names if One-on-One or Small Group Grouping Status Planning Team Meeting 11/7/13 25 in attendance Operations Team Planning Meeting Supervisor Federal Glover’s Office Federal Glover, Ed Diokno, David Fraser Steering Committee Operations Planning Meeting Supervisor Candace Anderson’s Office Donna Maxwell Steering Committee Operations Planning Meeting Supervisor Mary Piepho’s Office Karyn Cornell Steering Committee Operations Planning Meeting Contra Costa County Lara DeLaney, Interim Senior Deputy Steering Committee Operations Planning Meeting Antioch Probation Elvin Baddley Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting Antioch Probation Melvin Russell Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting City of Antioch PD Allan Cantando, Chief Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting City of Antioch PD Gary Lowther, AB 109 Officer Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting City of Pittsburg PD Tom Kessler, AB 109 Officer Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting CC Sheriff’s Office Chrystine Zermeño - Robbins, AB109 Admin Analyst Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting CC DA’s Office Steve Bolen Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting County Behavioral Health Homeless Arturo Castillo Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting CCC Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence Devorah Levine Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting Los Medanos College David Wahl Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting CC Workforce Development Board Donna Van Wert Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting The Williams Group Vernon Williams Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting CCISCO East County Clergy Caucus Rev. Eugene Jackson, Pastor Tuma Johnson, Pastor Felix Golden, Rev. Pamela Abbey, Pastor Paul Taylor, Mohammad Chaudry, Pastor Linda Vogelgesang, Pastor Mario Howell, Rev. Will McGarvey Broad Stakeholders Operations Planning Update and Feedback Former Juvenile Probation Officer Michael Pitt Broad Stakeholders Operations Planning Meeting Business Owner, Entrepreneur, Trainer Rudy Hernandez Broad Stakeholders Operations Planning Meeting Goodwill Industries Garry Grady, DeVonn Tjader Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting New Life Dream Center - Brentwood Pastor Jonathan Gee Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting Buchanan Road Ctr - Antioch Pastor Israel Marrone Core Planning Team Operations Planning Meeting Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC 4 Meetings Completed in October Organization Names if One-on-One/Small Group Grouping Status New Life Dream Center - Brentwood Pastor Jonathan Gee Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Center for Human Development Paul Taylor, Pastor Antioch Christian Center Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Supervisor Federal Glover’s Office Federal Glover, Ed Diokno, David Fraser Steering Committee Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Intentional Integration Team Pamela Singh Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Reach Fellowship Edwina Perez-Santiago Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Antioch Probation Elvin Baddley Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework County Mental Health David Seidner Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Reentry and Reintegration Forum Chrisfino Kenyatta Leal, returning citizen Community Input on roles of police & returning citizens, mentors Supervisor Karen Mitchoff’s Office Karen Mitchoff, Mara Gold Steering Committee Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework East County African Am Health Nav. Anthony Benjamin Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Folsom re-entry best practices Jim Hyde, Matt Powers, Ed Johnson, Warren Murphy, Jim and Peggy Davis Community Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework County Probation Paula Hernandez, Chief Deputy Broad Stakeholders Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework CCISCO East County Clergy Caucus Rev. Eugene Jackson Broad Stakeholders Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Planning Team Meeting 10/17/13 45 in attendance Core planning Team Input on Conceptual Framework in Small Groups Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC 5 Meetings Completed in September Organization Names if One-on-One/Small Group Grouping Status Planning Team Meeting 9/5/13 38 in attendance Core planning Team Share Conceptual Framework Planning Team Meeting 9/19/13 45 in attendance Core planning Team In-depth Discussion of Conceptual Framework City of Concord PD Guy Swanger, Chief Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework City of Pittsburg PD Brian Addington, Chief Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework City of Antioch PD Allan Cantando, Chief Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework City of Brentwood PD Mark Everson, Chief Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework City of Martinez, PD Gary D. Peterson, Chief Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework CC Sheriff’s Office Chrystine Zermeño, AB109 Admin Analyst Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Contra Costa County Lara DeLaney, Interim Senior Deputy Steering Committee Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework County Probation Jesse Warner, Reentry Coordinator Steering Committee Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework New Life Dream Center - Brentwood Pastor Jonathan Gee Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Center for Human Development Paul Taylor, Pastor Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Supervisor Federal Glover’s Office Federal Glover, Ed Diokno, David Fraser Steering Committee Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Supervisor Mary Piepho’s Office Mary Piepho Steering Committee Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Goodwill Industries Garry Grady, DeVonn Tjader Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Anka Karen Wise, Shayne Kaleo, Adeel Ahmad Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Intentional Integration Team Pamela Singh Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Reach Fellowship Edwina Perez-Santiago Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Los Medanos College David Wahl Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Rubicon Industries Jennifer Costa Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Shelter Inc. Jennifer Baha Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Brighter Beginnings Barbara McCullough Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework CC Workforce Development Board Donna Van Wert Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework CC Probation Chief Phil Kader, Melvin Russell, Todd Billeci Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Antioch Probation Elvin Baddley Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework CC Public Defender Robin Lipetzky Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework CC DA’s Office Tom Kensok Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework CC DA’s Office Steve Bolen Core Planning Team Review and Provide Input on Conceptual Framework Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC 6 Meetings Completed in August Organization Names if One-on-One Grouping Status New Life Dream Center - Brentwood Pastor Jonathan Gee Core Planning Team On board with planning in East Buchanan Road Ctr - Antioch Pastor Israel Marrone, Willie Moffett Core Planning Team On board with planning in East Interfaith Council of CC County Rev. Will McGarvey Core Planning Team On board with planning in East Contra Costa County Lara DeLaney Steering Committee County Coordination County Probation Jesse Warner Steering Committee County Coordination Antioch Econ Dev Commission Rhoda Parham Core Planning Team On board with planning in East Antioch City Council Monica Wilson Core Planning Team On board with planning in East Supervisor Federal Glover’s Office David Fraser Steering Committee County Coordination Antioch PD Allan Cantando Core Planning Team Update on planning in East HPC Training 8/9/13 44 in attendance Core planning Team Team Building and Training on Planning Process Meetings Completed in July Organization Names if One-on-One Grouping Status LMC David Wahl Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central Los Medanos College Bob Kratochvil, President Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central The Williams Group Vernon Williams Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central The Williams Group Jeffrey Terry Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central One Day At A Time Johnny Rodriguez Broad Stakeholders On board with process in East & Central One Day At A Time Dee Reyes Broad Stakeholders On board with process in East & Central Compass Mentoring Alphonso Guerrero Broad Stakeholders On board with process in East & Central Further The Work Rebecca Brown West County Planner Sharing Information and Learning City of Pittsburg Brian Addington, Police Chief Core Planning Team On board with planning in East City of Pittsburg Joe Sbranti, City Manager Broad Stakeholders On board with process in East City of Pittsburg Pete Longmire, City Council Broad Stakeholders On board with process in East Antioch Crime Prev Commission Over 120 in attendance Broad Stakeholders Clarity on AB109 and process in East City of Brentwood Paul Eldredge, City Manager Broad Stakeholders On board with process in East City of Brentwood Mark Everson, Police Chief Core Planning Team On board with planning in East City of Brentwood Casey McCann, Community Dev Dir Broad Stakeholders On board with process in East CCISCO EC Clergy Caucus Approx. 15 in attendance Broad Stakeholders Update on planning in East County Supervisor Federal Glover Core Planning Team On board with planning in East and Central City of Antioch Wade Harper Core Planning Team On board with planning in East Antioch Rotary Approx. 30 in attendance Broad Stakeholders Clarity on AB109 and process in East Antioch City Council Approx. 150 in attendance Broad Stakeholders Clarity on AB109 and process in East Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC 7 Meetings Completed in June Organization Names if One-on-One Grouping Status City of Antioch Police Chief Allan Cantando Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central Brentwood Rotary Approx. 40 in attendance Broad Stakeholders On board w/process & possible volunteers in East Pittsburg Rotary Approx. 24 in attendance Broad Stakeholders On board w/process & possible volunteers in East Antioch/Delta Rotary Approx. 25 in attendance Broad Stakeholders Generally skeptical WDB Chuck Carpenter Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central CCISCO EC Clergy Caucus Approx. 12 in attendance Core Planning Team Planning, possible volunteers, programs in East City of Oakley Mayor Kevin Romick Core Planning Team On board with planning in East City of Oakley Chief Bani Kollo Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central City of Oakley City Mgr. Brian Montgomery Core Planning Team On board with Planning in East City of Oakley Asst. to City Mgr. Nancy Marquez On board with Planning in East REACH Dr. Edwina Perez-Santiago Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central Rubicon Programs Rhody Mc Coy Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central Rubicon Industries Jennifer Costa Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central Rubicon Industries Graham Thomas Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central CCC Courts Sara Felicia Moore-Jordan Core Planning from SF Will stay connected & exchange ideas CCC Courts - Re-entry Coord Vanessa Balinton-White Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central JFK Community Center Lori Hill Core Planning Team Services, space, & planning in East & Central Intentional Integration Team Pamela Singh Core Planning Team Planning in Central & Int Intg Team Coordination First Hope Mental Health Richard Hanzy TBD Extremely skeptical Antioch Kiwanis Approx. 25 in attendance Broad Stakeholders On board and enthusiastic in East City of Martinez City Mgr. Philip A. Vance Core Planning Team On board with planning in Central City of Martinez Chief Gary D. Peterson Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central City of Concord PD Chief Guy Swanger Core Planning Team On board with planning in East & Central City of Concord City Mgr. Valerie Barone Core Planning Team On board with planning in Central City of Concord Econ Dev. Victoria Walker Core Planning Team On board with planning in Central City of Concord Mayor Dan Helix Core Planning Team On board with planning in Central Opportunity Junction Alissa Friedman Not sure yet Considering what is best role for Op Junction Retired PD Comilas Robertson Broad Stakeholders On board w/process & possible volunteers in East Retired PD Ron Bennett Broad Stakeholders On board w process & possible volunteers in East Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved Appendix IV. Sole Source Justification East & Central Networked System of Services for Returning Citizens 1. Why were the particular product and/or vendors selected? In a 2007 webinar, the National Institute of Corrections reported: “Collaboration between faith-‐based organizations, community organizations, and corrections has proven to be a cost-‐effective way to meet agency needs and bring much needed services to offenders. This unique partnership also helps to promote social justice, reduce recidivism, and increase public safety.” In our efforts to design a plan for reducing recidivism within the county’s AB 109 population, we have reached out to organizations that we have identified through best practice research as well as through input from a broad-‐based planning team. We then brought groups to the table that have been willing to engage in the process of designing a unique service delivery model. In order to do so, in every case, we have had to innovate processes associated with services and create interlocking relationships that had not yet existed. We further had to work with these groups to make service delivery sustainable within very tight budget parameters. Each of these providers have added newly designed services and restructured their service delivery models to accommodate this specific initiative. What we have created is so uniquely packaged, that it is unimaginable that another vendor or provider would have a matching service model. Further, it is very unlikely that another vendor would be able to deliver our service model within the budget we must operate under. Moreover, there is no other vendor or service provider that has utilized the specific and necessary collaborative building process and in-‐depth collective planning approach that has resulted in this interlocking service delivery model. 2. What are the unique performance factors of the selected product/services? We have built a detailed and tiered system of engaging AB-‐109 returning citizens at pre-‐ sentencing, and ending after a period of successful reintegration. The engagement and handoff process has been uniquely designed by interlocking providing roles. Some components, like the mentor/navigator training, and Kennedy’s IEL Program are based on proprietary methodological frameworks. But, more important, the system design, with the providers named in the Network is a result of more than 100 meetings and hundreds of hours of research and design time. 3. Why are the specific factors required? AB 109 Realignment is a response to overcrowded prisons, primarily caused by a statewide failure to reduce recidivism. Contra Costa County chooses to aggressively use national and global best practice to inform a process of successful reentry and to be widely recognized as having a highly professionalized and sustainable collaborative system of reentry service provision; resulting in an above-‐average reduction in recidivism, marked increase in public-‐safety, successful family reunification, and new pathways to living whole, healthy and productive lives for returning citizens. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved Attainment of this vision mandates innovation. Innovation is a willful act, and not one that comes from the typical process of gathering random or disconnected providers to offer segmented services in an atmosphere that has not been developed through extensive collective thinking and collaborative commitment. Innovation would have been impossible without a very specifically crafted approach that utilizes the right mix of best practice, service delivery, and service providers who have been willing to participate in an extensive design process which has included, in most cases, a willingness on the part of each provider to come up with independent resources necessary to develop and sustain new and additional capacity. 4. What other products and services have been examined and rejected? The County went though an extensive RFP process in 2013 that resulted in the selection of service providers in the areas of Housing, Mentoring, and Employment. It was a recent and competitive process, where many proposals were evaluated. The challenge this RFP process presented is that it was conducted, and service providers were awarded contracts, without the structure or context of a service provision plan. The planning consultants were brought on board at the same time as the service providers. Further, the new service providers were required to be engaged in a referral system planning process led by the county’s Reentry Coordinator that was completely separate from the service delivery planning process. For example, the County Office of Education was the agency selected to provide mentoring services. They in turn contracted with Men and Women of Purpose, Brighter Beginnings, Center for Human Development, and REACH Fellowship to deliver the services. It became very apparent after a while that the process of bringing in providers outside of the context of a comprehensive plan for the County minimized the ability of the contractors and sub-‐contractors to operate within their particular areas of brilliance. It became clear that there was a need to make adjustments and supplement the efforts of current contractors with other untapped community partners including the faith community. Therefore, most of the original intent with respect to how service providers and sub-‐ contractors would be used has been rejected and restructured with the inclusion of newly crafted relationships discussed in the plan. 5. Why are other sources providing like goods or services unacceptable? Because we have created an interlocking system of services that is unique in its design and completely interdependent, it is impossible to find a “like” collaborative system to import. This is not simply a set of service providers. We have built a system and no one part could be removed and replaced without seriously compromising the effectiveness of the whole. Attachment A Emerald HPC International, LLC © 2014 • All Rights Reserved Identified No Wrong Door Sites All Love Faith Church of God in Christ Anka Behavioral Health Centers in Antioch and Concord Antioch Church Family Antioch Police Department BASN Brighter Beginnings Church of God Holy Community Health for Asian Americans (CHAA) Community Presbyterian Church of Pittsburg Concord Police Department. Dream Center EASTBAY Works One-‐Stops in Concord, Antioch, and Brentwood Family Worship Center First Congregational Church of Antioch Golden Hills Community Outreach Center Goodwill Industries Grace Bible Fellowship His Presence Worship Center Holy Rosary Catholic Church Independent Living Resource Center Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County International Christian Ministries Islamic Center of East Bay LINC Partner Organizations, including: Central County Homeless Outreach Program Concord Chamber of Commerce County Health Services Homeless Program Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano JFK University Community Counseling Centers Michael Chavez Center Monument Crisis Center Planting for the Future Foundation SHELTER, Inc. Wellness City Challenge, among others New Birth Church Opportunity Junction Pittsburg Police Department Reach Fellowship Regnum Group Saint George’s Episcopal Church SparkPoint Center in Bay Point St. Ignatius Catholic Church St. John's Lutheran Church Additional sites will be identified by the Network Manager. Attachment B