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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 06251991 - 1.61 TO• BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO: Contra FROM: James A. Rydingsword, Director Costa Social Service Department County DATE: June 12 , 1991 Subject: APPROVAL OF COUNTY PLAN FOR REFUGEE SERVICES PROGRAMS SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)i BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I. RECOMMENDATIONS: Approve the 1991 County Plan for Refugee Services. Authorize the Director of Social Service to a cept Federal Refugee Program funding and execute State agreements as ollows: program Approximate Amount operations of funding Program period For Projects 1 ) Refugee Employment Social Services (RESS) 7/1/91 - 3/31/92 $136,784 2) Targeted Assistance 7/1/91 - 9/30/92 $232,427 Program (TA 191 ) 3) Mutual Assistance 7/1/91-9/30/92 $19,093 Association Grant Authorize the Director to sign contract extensions with current provid- ers of refugee services who are willing to accept the new guidelines and funding levels contained in the County Plan. These contracts are: 1) With Superintendent of Schools, Regional Occupation Program-- Extent contract for Central Intake Unit From 7/1/91 to 3/31/92 in the amount of $36,812 2) With Superintendent of Schools, Regional Occupation Program Extend contract for Employment Services From 7/1/91 to 9/30/92 in the amount of $98,606 CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: _ YES SIGNATURE. RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF D COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): / ACTION OF BOARD ON June 25 , 19 91 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER ✓✓✓ VOTE OF SUPERVISORS X --- IN EREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ASSENT + AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ASSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Cc via Social Services ATTESTED June 25 , 1991 PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ,M382 .(10/B8) BY ,DEPUTY 3) With Catholic Charities Extend contract for English -as-a-Second Language (ESL) From 7/1/91 to 3/31/92 in the amount of $51,183 4) With Lao Family Community Development, Inc./vietnamese Family, Extend contract for Social Adjustment Services From 7/1/91 to 9/30/92 in the amount of $53 ,957 Authorize the Director to issue Request for Proposals •(RFPs) for any balance of funds in the event that a contractor is unwilling to accept a contract extension under these conditions. II. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The source of these funds is from the Federal Office of Refugee Reset- tlement (ORR) . No County funds are involved. III. BACKGROUND: The Board, on March 20, 1984 , designated the Social Service Department as the agency responsible for planning and writing County Plans for Refugee Targeted Assistance (TA) services. Additionally, the Board resolved on November 10, 1987 that the Department would be responsible for administering the Refugee Employment Social Services Program and the Mutual Assistance Association Grant when RESS management responsibili- ties were transferred from the State to the County effective July 1, 1988. To receive funds for the programs shown above, Contra Costa County is submitting the present County Plan to the (State) Refugee and Immigra- tion Program Bureau (RIPB) for their final approval. This County Plan was prepared with input from the Refugee Services Advisory Council and from a Public Hearing conducted on May 7, 1991. Because (State) RIPB did not release estimated grant amounts until May 8, 1991 , there was not enough time to complete the RFP process before current contracts expire on June 30, 1991. In order to avoid a gap in services, with (State) RIPB approval, we are recommending that contract extensions be negotiated with current service providers wherever possi- ble. Attached is the Executive Summary of the 1991 Refugee Services County Plan. j EXECUTIVE SUMMARY COUNTY PLAN FOR REFUGEE SERVICES - JUNE 1991 REFUGEE EMPLOYMENT SOCIAL SERVICES (RESS) TARGETED ASSISTANCE (TA) MUTUAL ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION GRANT (MAA) Contra Costa County, by virtue of its refugee population of approximately 8,000 persons, is one of 13 California counties designated as impacted by the Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) . As an impacte :county, Contra Costa is the recipient of three federal funding sources to -1vide servi c�s to refugees who are recipients of public assistance. These services include as a Second Language, Employment Services, Vocational Training, and Social Adjustment ces. The goal of these programs is to facilitate refugee achievement of economic self- -..,ticiency as soon as possible after their arrival in the United States. The Social Services Department was designated by the Board in 1984 as the agency responsible for planning and administering- these grants. All funds received except the amount set aside for county administration expenses and for GAIN Case Management are contracted out to private or .public nonprofit service providers through the RFP process. The Social Service Department Director assures the Board that the planning process specified in federal guidelines was followed in developing this County Plan. These guidelines specify that an Advisory Council be organized consisting of representatives from refugee organizations, public and private agencies dealing with refugee resettlement, .EDD, PIC, and the Social Service Department. The Advisory Council 's duties are as follows: 1. Conduct a tabor Market Analysis 2. Identify target groups most needful of services 3. Analyze needs of the target population 4. Review existing community resources 5. Identify gaps in services 6. Hold a Public Hearing to receive community input 7. Design a system for integrating Refugee Service Programs with the AFDC/GAIN Program 8. Recommend programs to be funded The 9 member Refugee Advisory Council met on April 9, 23, and May 29, 1991. The Public Hearing took place in Richmond on May 7, 1990. The advisory council members, including two representatives from refugee mutual assistance .organizations, voted unanimously to submit this funding plan to the Director of Social Services. The Social Service Director approves the Advisory Council 's recommendations for expenditure of these funds as follows: COUNTY PLAN FOR REFUGEE SERVICES Page 2 . EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Anticipated Amounts I. TARGETED ASSISTANCE (7/1/91 - 9/30/92) $232,427 County Admin. (15%) 34,864 Employment Services 98,606 Social Adjustment 34,864 Supportive Services 45,000 GAIN Case Management 19,093 II. REFUGEE EMPLOYMENT SOCIAL SERVICES $136,784 6 (7/1/91 - 3/31/92) County Admin. (15%) 20,518 English as a Second Language (West County) 51,183 Central Intake Unit 36,812 GAIN Case Management 28,271 III. MUTUAL ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION GRANT $ 19,093 County Admin. 0 Social Adjustment 19,093 The Social Service Director requests 'that the Board approve acceptance of these three federal funding levels, approve the County Plan for expenditure of the funds, authorize the Social Service Department to extend contracts of those contractors who are already providing these services whose contracts are expiring June 30, 1991. Contracts for Targeted Assistance services will be extended 15 months. The contract for the Mutual Assistance Grant will be extended 15 months. Contracts for Refugee Employment Social Services will be extended 9 months. In the event that a contractor declines a contract extension, an RFP will be issued. Note: This County Plan was developed on the basis of anticipated amounts. The final allocations will be published in late September. In order to avoid a gap in services (all .present contracts expired 6/30/91), the Advisory Council had to use these preliminary figures for planning purposes.