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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-01-1994 - VIII-I 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda Item No. vr=_x ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meting Date: February 1, 1994 SUBJECT: NC Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Grant Application ------------------------------ ---------------------------------- DEPARTMENT: Sheriff PUBLIC HEARING YES: NO: X ------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ATTACSMSNT(S) : INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheriff Dept. ext. 2900 TELEPHONE NUMBER- Hillsborough - 732-8181 Chapel Hill - 968-4501 Mebane - 227-2031 Durham - 688-7331 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To request permission to submit a grant application to the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, Governor's Crime Commission, Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Projects. This application will request funding to establish a "Crisis Team" in the Sheriff's Department. BACKGROUND: Orange County is very responsive in meeting the immediate needs and associated mandates of law enforcement cases involving domestic violence, juvenile court services, and children's protective services. However, limited staff resources, coupled with the high caseloads of the Sheriff's Department, Social Services Department, and Juvenile Services Division result in many citizens "falling through the cracks" . These individuals, unfortunately, are the youth of our county. The Sheriff' s Department investigates numerous non-custodial cases. These cases involve child sexual and physical abuse. The offenders are persons outside of the immediate family/home. The Sheriff's Department does not have the staff resources or the appropriate training to help families resolve these issues of conflict. The Domestic Violence Coordinator provides direct assistance to victims. Referrals are received from the Sheriff's Department, Carrboro Police Department, Hillsborough Police Department, and the UNC Police Department. The Domestic Violence Coordinator needs assistance in the follow-up of these cases. The victims can include anyone - but they are primarily females 12 years and older. 2 The Juvenile Services Division also receives reports of chronic undisciplined children. These children have not yet committed a crime, but they are at-risk and intervention is warranted. However, limited staff resources prohibit follow-up. The Department of Social Services' (DSS) mandate is to investigate referrals involving abuse/neglect perpetrated by caretakers of children. DSS also receives numerous case referrals from the Sheriff' s Department, other law enforcement agencies, Juvenile Services, and citizens within the community. These referrals include many requests for services that do not meet the statutory definition of child abuse/neglect from which DSS operates. Because a definite need exists between these agencies, we would like to develop a VOCA grant proposal to establish a family intervention focus. The grant would provide funding for a two year period. Two crisis counselors, if approved, will be located organizationally in the Sheriff 's Department. They will work cooperatively with the Domestic Violence Coordinator and law enforcement officers as members of a "Crisis Team" . This team will be able to respond 24 hours/day, 7 days/week to domestic related situations involving the Sheriff' s Department. The team will work in partnership with the Juvenile Services Division, DSS, and possibly, the schools to address these unmet community needs involving youth. At present, there are no other sheriff departments in North Carolina that staff crisis counselors. Similarly, the Chapel Hill Police Department is the only police unit in the state that maintains social workers as crisis counselors. (They were also one of the first in the country to do so. Their program was implemented in 1973 and is one of only three in the country today) . Staff is currently in the process of developing this proposal. It is to be submitted to the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, Governor' s Crime Commission by February 15, 1994. RECOOMNDATION(S) : Because of the time frame required for submitting an application to the NC Department of Crime Control and Public Safety for this above-referenced grant the Manager recommends that the Board approves submittal of the application. However, the manager also recommends that the Budget Director and Manager review the priorities of this proposal in the context of other long-term priorities of the Sheriff and Social Services Departments prior to the Board approving receipt of any grant funds. The reason for this recommendation is that final approval of this grant appears to commit the County after the first two years to continue funding the program with county funds. If that is true, then the expected outcome of this program should be evaluated in comparison to other priorities of these departments that will require future county funding.