Title
a. Approve and authorize the Executive Director of the Monterey County Workforce Development Board to execute an agreement with Turning Point of Central California, Inc., effective January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021, for provision of workforce services to formerly incarcerated and justice-involved adults;
b. Authorize the Executive Director to execute, subject to prior County Counsel review, future amendments to the agreement, provided the amendments do not substantially change the terms of the agreement approved by the Board, and that any increase or decrease in funding levels is not greater than 25% ($97,985); and
c. Approve non-standard terms and conditions based on the recommendation of the Executive Director.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve and authorize the Executive Director of the Monterey County Workforce Development Board to execute an agreement with Turning Point of Central California, Inc., effective January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021, for provision of workforce services to formerly incarcerated and justice-involved adults;
b. Authorize the Executive Director to execute, subject to prior County Counsel review, future amendments to the agreement, provided the amendments do not substantially change the terms of the agreement approved by the Board, and that any increase or decrease in funding levels is not greater than 25% ($97,985); and
c. Approve non-standard terms and conditions based on the recommendation of the Executive Director.
SUMMARY:
Background
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 mandated the identification of planning and service delivery within defined geographical regions. In 2016, the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) designated the local workforce development boards (WDBs) of Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties as the Coastal Region Planning Unit (Coastal RPU), one of the 14 regional planning units within California.
The Monterey County Workforce Development Board (MCWDB), in collaboration with key partners including the State Department of Corrections, submitted an application for Prison to Employment grant funding to the CWDB on behalf of the Coastal RPU in February 2019. The CWDB notified the MCWDB of two regional Prison to Employment (P2E) grant awards in September and October 2019. The P2E Implementation Direct Services grant in the amount of $647,983 will provide direct services to low to moderate risk, formerly incarcerated and justice-involved adults needing eligibility, assessment, access to employment training resources, supportive services, career coaching (case management), and follow-up services. The scope of services for the second grant, the P2E Supportive Services Earn and Learn grant in the amount of $478,992, differs from the Implementation Direct Services grant only in the numbers of participants to be served.
Request for Qualifications Process
The CWDB allocated a total of $391,940 from both P2E grants to the MCWDB to provide services within Monterey County. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was released on May 3, 2019 to procure one or more service providers with substantial experience serving justice-involved and formerly incarcerated individuals. Two proposals were received by the submittal deadline of May 17, 2019 - one from Turning Point of Central California, Inc. and one from Second Chance Success, Inc. The selection panel determined that the founder of Second Chance Success had significant management experience, but the organization itself had been incorporated less than a year prior to the procurement and lacked sufficient experience with the target population and local resources. Turning Point of Central California has a 40-year history of providing workforce services to justice-involved and formerly incarcerated individuals.
DISCUSSION:
Prison to Employment services are targeted to individuals reentering our communities from local jails and state prisons and are intended to reduce recidivism and improve employment outcomes for the supervised population through the creative and effective alignment of training, education, and other services for this population with the industries and employers driving regional employment.
The MCWDB is the designated fiscal agent for the Coastal RPU and as such is responsible for disbursement of grant funds, regional procurement, regional fiscal management, and grant reporting activities as well as delivery of workforce development services. For the P2E grants, the MCWDB will also be responsible to perform the following activities:
• Develop agreements/MOU;
• Convene Regional Partners for information and best practice exchange;
• Develop Employer Outreach materials to be used across the RPU by all partners;
• Provide specialized partner/America’s Job Centers of California (AJCC) staff training;
• Designate staff to administer the grants;
• Retain a total of $92,117 to administer the grants;
• Assess enrollment and expenditure goals; and
• Review all invoices and reports received, verify compliance with the grant requirements and provider contract, and process invoices for reimbursement.
Provider specifics:
• Provider will recruit and enroll 27 eligible individuals into the Implementation Direct Services grant and 20 eligible individuals into the Supportive Services Earn and Learn grant;
• Ensure that participants receive both ACT WorkKeys Career Ready 101 and pre-assessments;
• Provide Intensive, Supportive, and Retention services to participants;
• Participate in data collection and reporting necessary for project evaluation;
• Maintain financial accounts and records; and
• Designate a Project Navigator who will:
o Coordinate reentry services with community-based organizations, education and training providers, parole and correctional agencies, and judicial system officials before each P2E client is released;
o Coordinate referrals and warm handoffs to service providers, especially during the critical 72 hours post-release;
o Work collaboratively with case manager to interpret assessment findings, develop an Individual Employment Plan (IEP) and identify community-based supports that coincide with client goals; and
o Provide intensive support to P2E participants upon release to ensure that each client’s IEP is followed and that participants are connected to all wrap-around services outlined in his or her IEP (e.g., substance abuse treatment, housing, etc.).
The Board is asked to authorize the Executive Director of the MCWDB to execute amendments to the Agreement in the event that additional funds are allocated by the CWDB, or
if funding is decreased, in an amount not to exceed 25% per grant fund, subject to review by County Counsel. This will allow for more timely expenditure of funds.
On December 4, 2019, the MCWDB approved the agreement with Turning Point of Central California and voted to submit it to the Board of Supervisors for approval, acting as CEO of the Monterey County local workforce area.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The parties to the provider contract were involved in its development. County Counsel has reviewed the proposed contract as to form.
FINANCING:
The Board’s approval of the proposed provider contract with Turning Point of Central California will have no impact on the Monterey County General Fund. Prison to Employment funds awarded by the CWDB underwrite the contemplated activities and services. These grant funds identified in the agreement are budgeted in Fund 021, Appropriations Unit CAO030, Department 1050, Unit 8478.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
Approval of a provider contract with Turning Point of Central California will foster regional efficiencies and alignment in service delivery and industry engagement among the local boards of the Coastal RPU.
√ Economic Development - Through collaboration, strengthen economic development to ensure a diversified and healthy economy.
√ Administration - Promote an organization that practices efficient and effective resource management and is recognized for responsiveness, strong customer orientation, accountability and transparency.
√ Health & Human Services - Improve health and quality of life through County supported policies, programs, and services; promoting access to equitable opportunities for healthy choices and healthy environments in collaboration with communities.
Prepared by: Recommended by:
__________________________ ________________________
Elizabeth Kaylor Chris Donnelly
Management Analyst Executive Director
(831) 755-5385 (831) 759-6644
Attachment:
Agreement between the MCWDB and Turning Point of Central California, Inc.