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Home My WebLink About0531.091- November 27, 1991 rRE P-OKORABLE CITY COUNCIL Palo Alto, California Attention: Policy an4 Services Committee "people in crisis" _ city CO.!ol..n_~Jl 'Priority Update Members of the Council: Report in __ ~.Fi.~ <--""""--~- rhe purpose of this report is to summarize activities undertaken by the Human Services ~ivision with regard to one of the City Council's 1991 priorities, ~People in Crisis". This is an informa tional item and no Council action is required~ Background! On May 21, 1991, a Staff Report (CMR: 281:91) was submitted to the Policy and Services Committee listing the various recommendations to be und~rtaken by staff to assist nPeople in Crisis~. Moreover, the Human Relations Commission further explore~ this priority., defining nareas of focus" ..... ithtn the People in Crisis priority. The following three sub-headings ~ere identified: 1) Teens experiencing crisis 2) Victims of domestic violence J} Victims of homelesEness 'IVo focus groups '",'ere held last spring, and human service providers experienced in working 'Wit~ this populat.ion in crisis were invited to provide additional information. New funding was appropriated to target two of the three identified needs noted above. The Palo Al to unified School Di strict has developed an on-site counseling program at Gunn and Palo Alto High Schools. The City contract ($35,000) matches School District funds to s~pport two community counselors. Other new funding appropri ated went to the U:-ban Ministry for partial funding for a case W'or);;er position to work w-ith the homeless ($17,274). In the third sub-priority identified, :funding was continued to the Mid-Peninsula Support Network to enhance their efforts ir, 'Working with victims of domestic violence ($20,265). Additionally, $20,000 ir. CDBG funds were allocated for needed shelter renovations for t.he Mid-Peninsula Support Network. CHR:5J1:91 i I I Page Two with rega.l-d to the reco:m!':1endatio.1.s approved by the Policy and Services Committee at their Ma::,r 16 meeting, tl"le following activi ties have already taken place or are in process. l' Establishment of semi-annual meetings of human service orq&.1lizations: The first meeting is scheduled for Friday, Januar:t 17 at Lucie Stern community Center, from 10:00 a_m. to noon. A5 there are m~ny such local network allia.nces developing, i.e., PAAIRs-sponsored seminars, a new housing cC\alition network, etc .• staff .... ants to ensure productive results from these meetings_ To that end~ a mini-session has been scheduled on November 22 ~herein the meeting agend.as for the sessions are created ..,ith input from the human service agency representatives themselves. 2) An ~v.luatioD ~f the Information and ~eferral Aqency (P~IRS) serving the buman service community: A staff report was submitted to the Policy and Services committee tCMR 430: 91) en October 8~ 1991. Nine reco:::1::':'endations _"ere suggested in the report, and a follo.--up report is due to the Committee in late January of 1992. 3) ~ssist Ruman Servio8 organizations witb a ~blic Inrormalion Campaiqn to heighten the avareness of services and resources available to people in Crisis: Staff believes this proj ect ..... ill grow out of the semi-annual meeting scheduled ~i~h providers in t~e community for mid-January~ The Finance Committee's Appropriate 'Levels of Service hearing and brainstorming sessions have also led to a gr~ater awareness in the community vf " .. hat services are currently avai labl e. T:he PAAIRS evaluation staff report noted in recommendation #2 includes an action plan to heighten a<.."areness of hUITliln service organizations. 4} Explore provision of drop-in child care ,lots for U8~ ~y the homeless and/or near-homeless families who resicSe i:l Palo Alto: As no funding ~as allocated for this purpose, the progress to date has been slow. A meeting was held with interested parties {Palo Alto Community Child Care, Urban Ministry. Fa:r.ilie.s. in Transition Child Care Program, Sena'tor Rebecca Morgan' s Office) to brainstorm various options. A grant request ..,as submitted to the Womenrs Foundation in San Francisco to fund thi5 element, and a 1 etter of intent is being prepared for the Packard Foundation. ." fill Page Three Another-anticipated fund?ng cpticn includes applying to the State Depa~tment of Education fo~ a part of the federal Child Care Block Grant (CDBG) funding. That Re~~est tor Proposal process is due to commence in mid-December. with funds becoming ava.ilable by mid Feln·"Jary~ ·Staff \Jas able, in serving 011 the county Child Care Planning Committee, to earmark hQmeless child care as a Count)~ide priority for tt.is funding. All other priorities for spending the federal money available to Santa clara county ($1.4 million) were designated to programs serving mid or south County. This proposed homeless child care program would also be eligible fo:c CDBG funding from the public service component. and urban Ministry has :been encouraged to apply i.n the F.Y. 1992-93 funding cycle. Also, agencie.s could submit funding proposals for this element through the city's General Fund Allocation process, and the RFP applications have been sent to interested agencies. Conclusion Some progress has been made in the Council priority r.People in crisis·. Botte .... er. to establish long-lasting progress in the area of domestic violence, homeless child care provision and teens in crisis, requires time to develop and c~ltivate additjonal program services and funding avenues for this p~iority. Respectfully submitted l David Martin ~dministrator of Human services ~r:~~IC; -""; Paul Thiltgen Director of Community Services , Fleo..ming Assistant City Manager CMR:531:91 •