Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-12-19 City Commission Packet Materials - C4. Agreements with the SACC, HAVEN, GAL and BH for Services and Grant Funds Commission Memorandum REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission FROM: Jim Veltkamp, Deputy Chief of Police SUBJECT: Agreements with Sub Recipients of OVW Grant Funding MEETING DATE: August 12, 2019 AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Consent RECOMMENDATION: Authorize signature of City Manager to sign agreements with the Sexual Assault Counseling Center, HAVEN, CASA/GAL, and Bozeman Deaconess Health Services to receive funding and provide services related to a grant award from the Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women. BACKGROUND: For over 20 years, the City of Bozeman has partnered with other government and non-government organizations in a collaborative approach to providing assistance to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence. As part of this approach, a team was formed called the Gallatin Project. This team has worked closely with OVW to secure funding and to work together to identify and close gaps in services regarding these victims. The Gallatin Project includes representatives from all Gallatin County law enforcement, the Sexual Assault Counseling Center (SACC), HAVEN, Gallatin County Court Appointed Special Advocates-Guardians Ad-Litem (CASA/GAL), Gallatin County victim services advocates, prosecutors for both Gallatin County and City of Bozeman, Bozeman Deaconess Health Services (BH), Montana State University (MSU) and others to improve our protocols, training, and public education. Additionally, we provide direct services to victims in the form of emergency and transitional housing, counseling, emergency transportation, language services and other direct forms of advocacy or assistance that help provide a victim the help they need to remain safe. In November of 2018, the City Commission ratified the City Manager’s acceptance of a $523,712, three-year grant to continue our successful program. Separately from this award acceptance, the City enters into sub-recipient agreements with SACC, HAVEN, CASA/GAL and BH to ensure all requirements of the grant are satisfied. ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by the City Commission. 28 FISCAL EFFECTS: Agreements with these non-government sub-recipients of the grant help ensure full compliance in how they provide services to victims of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault and dating violence. These agreements help ensure this grant money is used properly and help protect the Cities financial status for future audits or grant applications. Sub-recipient Budget Summary: HAVEN Services $176,994 SACC Services $145,773 GAL Services $ 20,625 BH Sex Assault Nurse Examiner Services $ 33,696 UNRESOLVED ISSUES: None Attachments: 2018-WR-AX-0002 Grant award and special conditions signed Project Narrative Budget Narrative SACC Sub Recipient Agreement HAVEN Sub Recipient Agreement CASA/GAL Sub Recipient Agreement Bozeman Deaconess Health Services Sub Recipient Agreement Report compiled on: August 1, 2019 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 1 | Page PROJECT NARRATIVE PURPOSE OF APPLICATION: The “Gallatin Project” is a group of criminal justice agencies, local victim advocacy organizations and community partners that provide and work to enhance services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking throughout Gallatin County. Communities to be Served Gallatin County is a rapidly growing rural county in the State of Montana that includes Montana’s largest university and a main entrance to Yellowstone National Park. At the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, 89,513 people resided in Gallatin County, with 37,280 of the population residing in Bozeman, Montana, the county’s largest city. The 2015 U.S. Census Bureau population estimate for Gallatin County is 100,700, with 45,250 residents within the city limits of Bozeman. In addition to this 3% to 4% annual growth rate, Bozeman is home to Montana State University with approximately 16,000 students. The total geographical area of the county is 2,600 square miles. The next largest population centers within Gallatin County include Belgrade (pop. 10,300; 8 miles west of Bozeman), Manhattan (pop. 2,000; 20 miles west of Bozeman) Three Forks (pop. 2,400; 30 miles west of Bozeman), Big Sky (pop. 2,300; 45 miles south of Bozeman);and West Yellowstone (pop. 1,800; 91 miles south of Bozeman). We will provide services countywide with all grant partners based in Bozeman, MT. The underserved populations for this proposal include Native American and members of the LGBTQ+ community Census estimates from 2016 report that 1% of the Gallatin County population is Native American, though that number increases when the university is in session. Montana is home to seven Native American reservations, and while these reservations are not within the boundaries of Gallatin County, tribal members from Montana and surrounding states 49 2 | Page come to Bozeman to attend the university and access services, including those outlined in this proposal. A report by the Williams Institute puts the percentage of Montana’s workforce who identifies as LGBTQ+ at 3.2%. In Gallatin County, with the presence of Montana State University, that number is estimated to be slightly higher. Current Services: The problems to be addressed are 1) the need for wraparound services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking; 2) the need for collaboration among community-based and system-based partners to protect survivors and engage our community in ending violence. Currently the primary community-based services are provided through HAVEN, which provides emergency shelter space, a 24 hour support line, legal advocacy and counseling and support groups for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking. HAVEN’s current shelter space has four bedrooms and uses a playroom for overflow as needed. Other community resources include SACC, the Sexual Assault Counseling Center. SACC provides a 24-hour helpline and counseling services to survivors. Within the criminal justice system, our system-based advocates at Gallatin County Victim Services provide information and advocacy to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking victims throughout the criminal justice process. Our partners in law enforcement and prosecution have expertise in related fields and continue to learn and train based on best practices for the investigation and prosecution of crimes involving abuse and stalking. Together our community based and system based teams coordinate and meet regularly with SART (Sexual Assault Response Team), DVRT (Domestic Violence Response Team), and a high- risk DV meeting. 50 3 | Page With renewed support from OVW, our goal is to continue to build upon and expand our programs. Every year, we have added partners to our program, including our local hospital, other cities, and partnership with our local housing program. Our victims vary from children to the single mother, to the homeless to non-US citizens. Students account for a high percentage of our survivors, with their victimization occurring both on and away from campus. Our advocacy services help whether a victim is seeking criminal prosecution or simply validation and support. Gaps in Services: Our Gallatin Project addresses specific needs of each survivor through solid working relationships with all partners. Each partner brings matching financial contributions beyond any OVW funding. We are requesting OVW funding to help the Gallatin Project fill identified gaps in services to help solve the problems addressed in this proposal. • Emergency shelter and sustainable housing HAVEN is Gallatin County’s only designated emergency shelter for victims of intimate partner violence. HAVEN’s shelter has four bedrooms, though the children’s playroom has regularly served as a fifth bedroom to meet the ever-growing need for shelter. Last fiscal year, HAVEN provided shelter to 162 survivors, a 16% increase from the previous year. In addition to the nights victims spent at HAVEN’s shelter during the last fiscal year, the project partners also provided 627 nights in hotels to 187 victims. Hotel stays are necessary when HAVEN’s shelter is at capacity or if the survivor is an adult male. HAVEN is in the process of a capital campaign to fund and build a new facility with 40 beds in the next three to four years. In the interim, hotel stays are lifesaving. The impressive growth rate in our county fuels an increasingly expensive housing market. Transitional and affordable housing is rare which affects a large number of our citizens, but serves as an insurmountable barrier sometimes for victims 51 4 | Page trying to leave an abuser. Grant funding to assist with putting down a security deposit or first and last months’ rent is vital if we want to ensure long-lasting change for victims ready to take their first step towards a life free of abuse. As part of all of these shelter and hotel stays, HAVEN advocates will meet with survivors to provide safety planning, action planning, community resources and basic domestic violence education. • Transportation and communication In our rural and expansive county, public transportation is very limited. We have to provide transportation for victims to get to and from court and advocate meetings; to get advocates to and from hearings outside of Bozeman; to provide gas cards for victims in need of relocating or fleeing their abuser; and to provide travel funds for trials. While the project partners use technology as much as possible for meetings and court appearances, it cannot replace the importance of being physically present in a courtroom with a victim or meeting with them one-on-one. Oftentimes in stalking cases, perpetrators take, damage, or download Spyware to the victim’s phone. To ensure victims have an uncompromised, safe form of communication, we have historically provided TracFones and phone cards to victims when funds allow. Having the ability to speak to an advocate for support or call law enforcement for help is another way we can promote victim safety and decrease the sense of isolation victims feel. • Underserved populations: Our goal is to expand our efforts and services in order to support segments of our population that we have identified as underserved. Populations we see as underserved in Gallatin County include the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, queer or questioning (LGTBQ+) population, 52 5 | Page particularly those attending Montana State University and Native American populations (both MSU students and residents). Within the last five years, our legislature has revised state statutes to include same sex partners in domestic violence cases. With this change and training of law enforcement, we have seen criminal charges filed in same sex relationships. We need to provide continued training and education to both our criminal justice field and to members of the public regarding exploitation of the LGTBQ+ community. WHAT WILL BE DONE: This project will provide a multifaceted approach to responding to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking through enhanced partnerships between law enforcement, prosecution, community-based advocacy programs, systems-based advocacy programs, and healthcare providers. Our vision of the Gallatin Project is to establish goals and objectives that build a community in which all members are free from fear of violence and intimidation. Below are the project goals, objectives and activities. Goal 1: Protect all victims from further harm by dealing directly, effectively and immediately with every reported occurrence of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking throughout Gallatin County. Objectives/Activities Responsible Party(ies) Month to be Completed Indicator(s) Products Objective 1: To protect all victims from further harm by collaboratively dealing directly, effectively and immediately with a minimum of 1,500 cases of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or All project partners Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 (full grant period) # of survivors who receive services 53 6 | Page stalking throughout Gallatin County. Activities: 1.1 Maintain a high risk offender team to review calls for service weekly and identify high risk offenders Bozeman Police Department, Gallatin County Sheriff, Bozeman Prosecution, Gallatin Co. Attorney advocates and prosecution Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 # of team meetings held # of high risk offenders identified 1.2 Connect victims of high risk offenders to systems- based and community-based advocacy and services Crime Victim Advocates, HAVEN (Domestic Violence Advocacy), Sex Assault Counseling Center (SACC) Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 # of victims referred Objective 2: To increase accessibility for LGBTQ+ survivors and Native American survivors, the two identified underserved populations in this project, by providing services that are proportionate to the Gallatin County percentages of these underserved populations (3% and 1% respectively) HAVEN, SACC, MSU VOICE Center Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 (full grant period) % of LGBTQ+ survivors served % of Native American survivors served Activities: 2.1 Help facilitate a minimum of one outreach event annual in partnership with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women organization SACC, HAVEN, MSU VOICE Center Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 # of outreach events held 2.2 Attend a minimum of three LGBTQ+ activist group meetings annually SACC CCRS Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 # of meetings attended 54 7 | Page 2.3 Provide training to advocates on cultural competency and violence in LGBTQ+ relationships HAVEN, SACC, GAL Oct. 2018-Sept. 2021 # of advocates trained 2.4 Provide training on legal advocacy and awareness in programs such as UVISA for immigrant populations annually HAVEN, SACC, GAL, Law Enforcement Oct 2018 – Sept 2021 # of advocates and officers trained Objective 3: To increase the accessibility to resources outside of the criminal justice system by providing community-based services to a minimum of 2,500 survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and/or stalking. HAVEN, GAL and SACC Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 (full grant period) # of survivors served Activities: 3.1 Provide advocacy, shelter, counseling, and/or support groups to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking HAVEN Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 # of survivors who access services 3.2 Provide advocates at community events for those who are impacted by the material being discussed for Sexual Assault concerns SACC Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 # of survivors who meet with an advocate 3.3 Provide digital camera and recording system to new Child Advocacy Center to ensure recordings of child forensic interviews are of high quality for use in court hearings SACC Jan. 2019 Completion of purchase and installation 3.4 Strengthen Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) expertise and availability by providing training to existing or new SANEs and providing on-call pay for more immediate and timely response. Bozeman Health Services Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 # of SANEs trained and percentage of time available 55 8 | Page 3.5 Support children who have been affected by domestic violence and sexual abuse CASA/GAL Oct. 2018-Sept. 2021 # of children supported Objective 4: To develop and enhance relationships with a minimum of three local low- income housing organizations to find and provide immediately available, long-term housing for victims SACC and HAVEN Oct. 2018- Jan. 2021 (full grant period) Activities: 4.1 Sign onto the Gallatin County’s Coordinated Entry System’s agreements SACC and HAVEN Jan. 2019 4.2 Work with Montana State University to identify creative solutions to homelessness in Gallatin County SACC and HAVEN Jan. 2020 4.3 Participate as members of the Coordinated Entry System Committee to advocate for housing needs and the placement of survivors SACC and HAVEN Oct. 2018-Jan. 2021 4.4 Participate in the Greater Gallatin Homelessness Action Coalition’s homeless gaps and needs assessment SACC and HAVEN July 2019 56 9 | Page Goal 2: Expand capacities to identify, assess and appropriately respond to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, sex trafficking and stalking throughout Gallatin County. Objective 1: To increase and improve community awareness and involvement of the issues of domestic violence, sexual abuse, dating violence and stalking by providing education to a minimum of 2,500 community members. SACC CCRS Oct. 2018-Sept. 2021 (full grant period) # of community members educated Activities: 1.1 Hold quarterly panels with representatives from interdisciplinary teams on the subjects of DV, SA, stalking and dating violence SACC CCRS Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 # of panels held 1.2 Provide a minimum of two specialized trainings annually on problematic sexual behavior to organizations working with at-risk youth SACC CCRS Oct. 2018-Sept. 2021 # of trainings held PowerPoints, brochures, handouts 1.3 Provide a minimum of two educational events to rural communities (populations of <3,000) in Gallatin County annually SACC CCRS Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 # of events held PowerPoints, brochures, handouts 1.4 Educate a minimum of 100 community members annually on the link between domestic violence and child sexual abuse CASA/GAL Oct. 2018- Sept. 2021 # of community members educated Objective 2: To improve coordination and collaboration between project partners by ensuring best practices in victim response and on interdisciplinary teams are being followed. All project partners Oct. 2018-Jan. 2021 (full grant period) 57 10 | Page Activities: 2.1 Review the Sexual Assault Response Team, Domestic Violence Response Team, and Multidisciplinary Team policies and procedures and compare to current best practices All project partners April 2019 # of policies reviewed # of research articles reviewed 2.2 Make improvements to existing teams’ policies and procedures based on best practices All project partners July 2019 # of policies created 2.3 Develop policies and procedures for the Multidisciplinary Team for addressing child victims with problematic sexualized behavior SACC CCRS October 2019 # of policies created 2.4 Attend all OVW-mandated trainings to learn about best practices Project partners TBD Expected Outcomes Funding from OVW will allow the Gallatin Project to accomplish its goals of protecting all victims from further harm by dealing directly, effectively and immediately with every reported occurrence of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking throughout Gallatin County, and allow us to expand our capacities to identify, assess and appropriately respond to victims. One of our objectives is to increase and improve community awareness and involvement of the issues stated above. A lacking area of awareness is the prevalence of dating violence in our society. By engaging the community in a conversation about healthy relationships, we can create a space for learning and expanding ideas around interpersonal violence on all levels including dating violence, allowing victims to feel comfortable asking for help. Funding will help project members create a more engaged community in which more community members are educated 58 11 | Page about how to support survivors and identify the red flags of abusive relationships. Professionals working directly with survivors will have the training and systems in place to be effective. We will thoroughly train our advocates in culturally competent responses to Native American survivors, and outreach to Native American communities will result in an increase of survivors seeking partners’ support. Likewise, education and outreach efforts with the LGBTQ+ community will have similar results. Survivors will have access to wraparound services and a community that is dedicated to supporting them. Underserved Populations This proposal focuses on two underserved populations: Native American survivors of abuse and survivors who identify as LGBTQ+. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 1% of the Gallatin County population is Native American. However, as the rate of victimization among Native Americans is higher than the general population1, that 1% still reflects a high number of survivors in the service area. Additionally, as few surrounding areas and reservations have the same depth of programs of survivors as are present in the Bozeman area, many Native American survivors outside of Gallatin County call HAVEN and SACC for support. To ensure services provided are culturally appropriate, HAVEN, SACC and the VOICE Center all commit to providing their advocates with training on culturally relevant responses to intimate partner violence. Our organizations will collaborate with Native American clubs and organizations to learn from them and demonstrate the project’s commitment to authentic outreach and access to services. 1 Tjaden, P. & Thonennes. (2000). The Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women: findings from the National Violence Survey Against Women. National Institute of Justice & the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 59 12 | Page In order to more effectively serve survivors who are members of the LGBTQ+ community, a community that accounts for 3% of Gallatin County’s population, the project partners will take a similar approach as with serving Native American survivors. Partners will ensure their first responders complete trainings on serve survivors in the LGBTQ+ community in the best manner. We will work with local LGBTQ+ groups such as the Montana Pride Network to build trust within the community. While we have not identified immigrants as a primary underserved population in our area, we do have immigration issues at times and will provide services to them. For us to effectively serve survivors who are immigrants, we will work closely with our local employment agencies to help provide long-term sustainable employment for survivors. We will increase and improve education with all partners on legal advocacy and cultural awareness. We will also train several primary representatives on how to assist with the issuance of UVISAs to immigrant survivors. Victim Safety, Confidentiality and Autonomy Ensuring victim safety is the highest priority of all members of the Gallatin Project. Preserving confidentiality is a cornerstone of victim safety and the responsibility of everyone serving victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence or stalking. Many members of the Gallatin Project are signatories of the Sexual Assault Response Team and Domestic Violence Response Team protocols. We provide services to victims, regardless of whether they are requesting prosecution or not, helping to remove one of the barriers often confronting victims. We will preserve and maintain confidentiality and safety in many ways, such as providing emergency lodging at a local motel without attaching the victim’s name to the room. We will provide track phones to ensure victims can communicate and arrange for transportation for those victims in need. 60 13 | Page Other keys to safety include issuing and enforcing orders of protection. HAVEN’s advocates will provide all information about obtaining an order of protection, assist with the completion of the petition, assist in filing the order in the correct court, ensure the client knows the outcome of the petition, arrange for service of the order of protection, and prepare the petitioner for the hearing and attending the hearing for support. The process of obtaining orders of protection can be daunting, and it is crucial to have someone assisting the victim through each step. In addition to covering all of the steps from inception of the order to adjudication at the hearing, advocates will help meet survivors’ needs, such as housing, emergency income and childcare providers. All of HAVEN’s programs provide wraparound services necessary for living a life free from abuse. Gallatin Project Partners all recognize the importance of safety planning with survivors, especially when survivors are preparing to leave their abuser. In the past two years, Gallatin County has suffered five domestic violence-related fatalities, accounting for 30% of the DV fatalities across the state in that time period.2 To increase victims’ safety, advocates at HAVEN, SACC and Victim Services all practice safety planning with the victims they work with. All agencies share a safety planning guide that has been developed by advocates and covers safety planning while living with an abusive partner, safety planning with children, safety planning during pregnancy, emotional safety planning, safety planning with pets, and steps to consider when preparing to leave the relationship. All signatories to the Project’s Memorandum of Understanding have policies in place for the protection of victims including physical safety within their facilities. Services provided by MSU VOICE, SACC and HAVEN emphasize victim choice and autonomy. We will provide 2 Montana Department of Justice, Montana Domestic Violence Review Commission. Retrieved 1/12/2018. 61 14 | Page victims with counseling and education regarding the legal system, and many receive support services such as emergency shelter and childcare that give them the space they need to consider options. Funding of this proposal will expand these opportunities for victims and enhance the autonomy of all women and men served through this project. Instruments of local government, especially law enforcement, prosecution and courts are determined to protect the safety of victims while holding offenders accountable. Persuasive arguments are made that the safety and autonomy of victim’s increases in direct proportion to the degree to which offenders are held accountable. The City of Bozeman and Gallatin County accept the immense responsibility of protecting victims by holding offenders accountable. Training All training attended by project staff will be OVW-sponsored. After receiving OVW training, project staff will incorporate what they have learned into their individual organization trainings, practices and briefings. Members attending these training opportunities will include: • HAVEN; • The Help Center’s Sexual Assault Counseling Center and Child Advocacy Center; • Law enforcement officials from the Bozeman Police Department, Montana State University Police Department, and the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office; • City of Bozeman prosecutor; • Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners from the Bozeman Health Center; • Gallatin County Attorney’s Office, including victim advocates. As soon as funding is available, the Project Director will identify specific training opportunities available through OVW for the grant cycle. The Gallatin Project has prioritized the following areas for additional training: 62 15 | Page • Sexual assault investigative techniques that protect victim safety while ensuring accountability for offenders; • Advanced training for prosecutors, especially for stalking, domestic violence and sexual assault; • Community outreach, advocacy and education designed to overcome barriers to reporting and enhance community awareness regarding victim safety and confidentiality and the need for offender accountability; • Methodology for establishing collaboration with courts without threatening court autonomy; • Enhancement of existing or future Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners; • Continuing and accessible technical assistance from OVW on all of the above. Products Products developed through this project include response team policies, brochures, posters and social-media/web-site postings. Victim safety will be the primary focus during the design and distribution of all products. When appropriate, we will develop multi-lingual products. We will design separate brochures for target populations including: • General community to increase awareness and generate advocacy; • Actual and potential victims of abuse; • Members of the LGTBQ community at risk for domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or sexual assault; and • Native American populations at risk for domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or sexual assault. 63 16 | Page We will design and distribute posters to announce community meetings and training. We will use a variety of means to disseminate these, including electronic and printed forms to maximize exposure. To the fullest extent possible, distribution will be through electronic media. Access to services for Deaf, disabled and LEP survivors HAVEN will provide advocacy via texting to connect Deaf and hard of hearing survivors to the services and resources they need. For those survivors who are physically disabled, all partners are committed to ensuring access to shelter, courts and advocacy through ADA-compliant spaces. HAVEN and SACC maintain language access plans with lists of trained interpreters who are available to provide in-person translation for the three most commonly spoken languages in the area. For all other languages, the project partners use Language Line Solutions, which provides interpreters over video and phone for over 240 languages. WHO WILL IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT: This project’s highest priority is to continue to provide and enhance the coordinated community response we have developed over the past two decades. CITY OF BOZEMAN: The City of Bozeman is the primary applicant and has overseen this project for the past 15 years. The City’s solid, ongoing and progressive approach to training, enforcement and prosecution of offenders equals the approach to working with other organizations, victims and the public to provide the best protection for victims. Our prosecution office has a prosecutor hired under a previous grant with six years of experience in handling domestic violence and sexual assault prosecution. The Assistant Police Chief has served as project director for the last 12 years and consistently ensures the project fulfills all of the intended objectives and goals and will continue to serve as the project director for this grant. This individual has over 25 years’ experience as a sworn officer, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology with a Criminology minor 64 17 | Page and has received over 3,000 hours of Peace officer Standards of Training instruction, of which no less than 200 of these hours are specific toward response to domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault and dating violence. He has also served for 12 years as an investigator, supervisor and Captain overseeing detectives who conduct similar investigations. Detectives from local law enforcement who handle these focused investigations have benefited directly from OVW training over the past three years and are able to fully understand how best to address and respect victims. For the City of Bozeman, these Detectives have more than 10 years sworn law enforcement experience and have received advanced training in forensic interview and sex assault investigation amongst others. HAVEN (Domestic Violence Advocacy): Since 1979, HAVEN has served victims of intimate partner violence in the rural county of Gallatin County, Montana. HAVEN provides a shelter, legal advocacy, 24-hour support line, individual counseling and support groups. Through an Office on Violence against Women – Legal Assistance for Victims grant, HAVEN is the only Department of Justice (DOJ)-recognized organization in Montana with the ability to provide limited scope legal services to immigrant survivors. HAVEN has the experience and understanding to provide quality intervention and prevention services for underserved populations, including Native American and LGBTQ+ survivors Last fiscal year, HAVEN worked with 980 survivors of intimate partner violence. For many victims, HAVEN’s support line is the first step they take in reaching out for help. HAVEN will maintain its 24-hour support line, staffed by trained advocates and volunteers, who safety plan with victims, provide referrals, and offer support and validation. Last fiscal year, HAVEN’s support line received 4,033 calls from both primary and secondary victims seeking support. HAVEN’s executive director and program director have a combined total of 16 years’ 65 18 | Page experience working with trauma victims and have a solid grasp of their role in this project. HAVEN’s executive director holds her Masters of Public Administration and HAVEN’s program director holds her Masters of Intercultural Youth and Family Development. Under HAVEN’s executive director’s tenure, the organization has doubled its programs to include more community- based programs implemented in response to focus groups held with survivors. These programs include a survivor speakers’ bureau, a community-based support network, and two teen dating violence prevention programs. GALLATIN COUNTY: The Victim Services office is a department of the Gallatin County Attorney’s Office. The Director has been in place for three years, having served as a victim’s advocate for three years prior to that, and has a fully trained staff of four advocates, two of which were partially OVW-funded in previous years. The Director and staff continue to advocate for victims with a great understanding of resources, the behavior dynamics of victims and the need to work collaboratively with other organizations. All employees participate in annual training and ongoing educational opportunities in order to remain current on best practices and evidence based advocacy. SACC: Our Sexual Assault Counseling Center is a program under the umbrella of Help Center, Inc. Help Center, Inc is a community-based organization founded in 1971 and has multiple programs providing services from suicide and crisis intervention to supervised visitation. Created in 1996, the Sexual Assault Counseling Center was the first trauma-based, trauma-informed, designated sexual assault center in the Northwest. It serves both children and adults and provides medical, legal and personal advocacy, trauma-based counseling and therapy, case management and information and referrals. Christina Powell has been the Program Director for over 21 years. Considered an expert in areas of sexual and interpersonal violence, Christina worked on issues 66 19 | Page affecting victims as a member of the Montana Board of Crime Control’s Violence against Women’s Act Subcommittee for over 20 years. She is the recipient of the 2015 Montana Outstanding Crime Victim Advocate Award. As one of the original founders of multiple teams and collaborations including the Gallatin County Sexual Assault Response Team, her expertise in creating trauma-informed community/system collaborations resulted in being awarded the National Sexual Violence Recourse Center’s 2016 Visionary Voice Award. In her capacity as Program Director of both the SACC adult and children's programming, Christina provides direct oversight and supervision to the Community Coordinated Resource Specialist (CCRS) position requested through this grant. CASA/GUARDIAN AD LITEM: The CASA/GAL Executive Director, in place for over 18 months, spends approximately 10% of her time providing much needed training to volunteer advocates regarding domestic violence, child abuse and child sexual abuse. As a therapeutic foster parent as well as serving as the Director, she participates in 50+ hours of ongoing training in related areas annually. In addition, the Director provides educational opportunities to community groups, Foster Care agencies/parents, and other related agencies regarding these topics, the role of CASA/GAL in supporting traumatized children, and how attendees can identify, report, and assist those impacted by or subjected to domestic violence and child sexual abuse. OTHER PARTNERS: Other agencies have at least one representative serving in a liaison role, including the Bozeman Health Services (BHS), MSU Police Department and MSU Voice Center. BHS has improved dramatically with a single, lead Sex Assault Nurse Examiner working with the grant partners. She has led the charge in getting all the BHS SANEs fully trained and on a paid, on-call system supplemented by OVW funds to ensure a SANE is available 24/7. MSU Voice Center is a model program for advocacy efforts at the University level. Their director has 67 20 | Page been in place for over seven years and leads a diverse program of advocacy and education to college students. Much of our underserved populations of Native Americans and LGBTQ individuals are served by her, even though little funding is provided direct by this project. 68 Page | 1 BUDGET NARRATIVE The City of Bozeman is requesting $523,712 from the Department of Justice for a three- year project in response to the Office on Violence Against Women Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Assistance Program notice of funding availability. This request is for CONTINUATION funding. We will use the funds primarily to provide and enhance direct services to victims of violence throughout Gallatin County. Line-item justification is as follows: --A. Personnel: As indicated in the project narrative, the applicant is the City of Bozeman. Through the last two grant awards from OVW, local government has absorbed an increasing percentage of salaries for prosecution, law enforcement and system-based advocates. Today, 100% of those salaries are covered by local governments, and there will not be any personnel costs requested by the applicant directly. There are personnel costs requested by subgrantees/contractors. Total Personnel: $0 --B. Fringe: With no direct personnel costs for the applicant, there is also no fringe requested. Total Fringe: $0 --C. Training/Technical Assistance: Funds for training are requested in the amount of $10,000 for the three-year project. This funding is exclusively for attending OVW-sponsored training directly related to this project. Training includes sending a domestic violence advocate and a sexual assault advocate in 2019 and a law enforcement officer and prosecutor in 2021 to OVW 69 Page | 2 sponsored Crimes Against Women conference. It is anticipated the project director and one of the partner executive directors will need to attend a technical assistance seminar in 2019. --D. Equipment: Total Equipment $0 --E. Supplies: The majority of supplies are listed and included separately in contracted services, as they are purchased directly and specifically by sub-recipients of this grant and Gallatin Project. For the City of Bozeman, supplies include a need to pay for a matching share of Westlaw license fees, which provide necessary legal information for effective prosecution. Each Westlaw license fees is paid monthly at a rate $164, for a total of $1,968 per year, per user. With two prosecutors Travel: OVW-mandated Training and Technical Assistance (Crime Against Women Conference, 2 trips – 2 persons each trip) Location TBD Airfare $800 (average) X 4 people X 1 trip $3,200 Lodging $220 (average) X 4 people X 4 nights X 1 trip $3,520 OVW-mandated technical assistance seminar 2019 Airfare $800 (average) X 2 persons Lodging $220 (average) X 2 person X 3 nights Per Diem $50 (average) X 2 person X 4 days $1,600 $1,320 $ 360 Total Travel: $10,000 70 Page | 3 assigned to work half time on domestic violence cases, the Westlaw fees associated with these types of cases is equivalent to this amount. “TracFones” with minute cards are provided to victims who have their phone destroyed or do not have one, with an estimated 30 phones/cards @ $50 each per year. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Westlaw Fees $1,968 $1,968 $1,968 Emergency phones and phone cards $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 Total Supplies $10,404 --F. Construction: No funds for construction are requested and no construction activities are included in the project. Construction: Total Construction: $0 --G. Consultant/Contract: A number of areas of consultant/contract services are used and shared by all members of our Project. LANGUAGE AND HEARING TRANSLATION: This includes the availability and use of language translator telephonic and direct services and hearing impairment services. The rates vary on these costs, ranging from $20-$25 per hour. Some of the language services come from the use of a telephonic service called LanguageLine Solutions. The remaining language services come from several local interpreters as well as the use of instructors from the foreign language department at our local university. We have not needed the use of hearing interpreters, but have made agreements with several to assist us if needed. We anticipate no more than $1,200 per year in these services. VICTIM TRANSPORTATION: We provide taxi or ridesharing transportation for victims for varying reasons. Reasons typically include a way to 71 Page | 4 get to court or advocacy services or to get them to a safe location away from their abuser. Based on prior needs, we anticipate needing to provide rides to 15 victims per year, at an average cost of $25 per trip, resulting in an average cost of $375 per year. A portion of this funding is also used to bring victims who have moved to another state back to Montana for testimony. We anticipate purchasing airfare for an average of three victims per year. With an average airfare cost of $600 per flight and an average of $55 per day for per diem for an average of 5 days each, this bring this portion to $2,625per year. All of these costs are based both on former and projected annual costs. VICTIM BASIC NEEDS: We have had several situations where a victim has no funds for food or basic living needs, primarily because of their victimization. We have found through prior experience that $200 per victim is typically appropriate until they are connected to other services. Based on the need to provide this amount to an average of 20 victim per year, we anticipate a need for $4,000 per year for this support. VICTIM COUNSELING: Counseling is available and provided for primary and secondary victims at $75 per hour rate. We anticipate providing no less than 4 hours per/month counseling from this grant funds, with local or other funding sources paying for any counseling beyond the 4 hours. This counseling is to help victims understand and address their concerns with victimization. These counseling sessions are those either not funded through our state services or because the victim is not working with a prosecutor, do not have counseling available through victim services. We generally use Ms. Ania Bartkowiak, LCPC, as our contracted counselor. She provides over 600 total hours of counseling for victims of domestic violence per month, so this grant request only pays a small portion of that. CHILDCARE: Occasionally emergency childcare is necessary for a victim either at the time of abuse or related advocacy and court procedures afterward. We anticipate 30 days of childcare will be necessary per year, with a cost of approximately $30 per 72 Page | 5 day per child, resulting in yearly expenses of $900. EMERGENCY LODGING: Emergency lodging has become an enormous need. An agreement is in place with a local motel to maintain confidentiality while providing rooms. Our local shelter has either been full or not suitable for victims based on their circumstances or the gender of their children. In the past 3 years, we have averaged over 100 nights lodging need per year. With the growth of this city and continued limitations with our current shelter, we estimate needing 104 nights per year for the next 3 years based on $100/night cost. DRUG FACILITATED DRUG TESTING: We have conducted expedited testing for those suspected victims of drug facilitated sexual assault. We anticipate needing to analyze six tests/year, costing $800/test. The ability to have expedited testing is not possible with our current State Crime Lab and would have to be our-resourced to a private vendor. Our current State Crime Lab will continue to handle normal sex-kit forensic analysis. In this grant application we are adding some long-term housing assistance. One or two nights has been provided for immediate safety, but doesn’t help with longer term safety. VICTIM TRANSITIONAL HOUSING: Our community, as demonstrated in project narrative, has extremely limited and expensive housing. When a victim is left stranded or her partner that abused her was paying the rent, the victim needs some assistance. This rate is based on twelve victims @ $500 per victim per year, increasing to fourteen victims in year 3. ACCOUNTING SERVICES: We intend to contract with an accountant to consolidate all of the contracted service invoices to ensure we are complying with all requirements on accepting the grant. We estimate this to be 8 hours per month at $40/hour, or $3,840/year. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Hearing/Language services $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 Victim Emergency or court Transportation $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 73 Page | 6 Victim basic needs $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 Victim Counseling $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 Victim Emergency Child care $900 $900 $980 Victim Emergency Lodging $10,400 $10,400 $10,400 DFSA Expedited Testing $4,800 $4,800 $4,800 Housing Assistance $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 Accounting services $3,840 $3,840 $3,840 Total all-partners shared contracted services $111,500 Each sub-recipient has costs as follows: HAVEN (Domestic Violence Advocacy) HAVEN requests a total of $178,314 in funds to cover advocate salaries and fringe, transportation costs and printing costs, which will all reduce the unique barriers survivors in rural areas face, and more quickly connect them with life-saving resources. A total of $143,727 in salaries is requested to fund a portion of the survivor advocacy program at HAVEN. The salaries requested will cover 30% of two advocate salaries at HAVEN, based on an average of $40,000 annual salary and 3% annual cost of living increases. HAVEN will provide the 70% match for these two advocates. Additionally, HAVEN requests funding to support 50% of the Lead Advocate position at HAVEN. This position has an annual salary of $45,000 with 3% annual cost of living increases. A corresponding portion of fringe benefits, totaling $28,267, has been included for all three advocate’s salaries. Details are outlined in the following table: DESCRIPTION COMPUTATION COST Payroll taxes for survivor advocates 7.5% of salary x budgeted salary total ($74,182) $5,564 Payroll taxes for lead advocate 7.5% of salary x budgeted salary total ($69,635) $5,223 Health insurance for survivor advocates 30% of two monthly insurance premiums of $400 x 36 months $8,640 Health insurance for lead advocate 50% of monthly insurance premium of $400 x 36 months $7,200 74 Page | 7 Worker’s compensation insurance for survivor advocates 0.35% of salary x budget salary total ($74,182) $260 Worker’s compensation insurance for lead advocate 0.35% of salary x budget salary total ($69,635) $244 Unemployment insurance for survivor advocates 0.79% of salary x budget salary total ($74,182) $586 Unemployment insurance for lead advocate 0.79% of salary x budget salary total ($69,635) $550 In addition to staff salaries and benefits, HAVEN requests $1,320 funding for transportation costs to cover fuel for the HAVEN staff car. By providing transportation, HAVEN will reduce one more barrier for survivors who are attempting to connect with other resources throughout the sparsely populated county. The $1,320 amount was calculated based on $.55/mile federal reimbursement rate for 800 miles in travel each year. As part of the collaborative efforts under this proposal, HAVEN provides law enforcement with informative brochures which officers then give to victims when they respond to domestic violence calls. A portion of these brochures will be translated and printed in Spanish. HAVEN requests $5,000 in printing funds to cover the cost of these brochures. This amount is based on previous years’ actual costs. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Advocacy program salaries $46,500 $47,895 $49,332 Advocate fringe benefits $9,422 $9,422 $9,423 Brochures, printing costs $1,500 $1,700 $1,800 Transportation $ 440 $ 440 $ 440 Annual Contracted Services – HAVEN $57,862 $59,457 $60,995 Total Contracted Services – HAVEN $178,314 SEXUAL ASSAULT COUNSELING CENTER (SACC) – The Sexual Assault Counseling Center (SACC) will fund 1 full-time Coordinated Community Response Specialist. The Coordinated Community Response Specialist (CCRS) is fully funded by this grant application. Pay is based on comparable pay to similar positions of ability and responsibility in 75 Page | 8 the state and reflects the ongoing costs of an existing position. This specialist will work full time at 40 hours per week. Salary is $14.42/hour with 5% increase in years two and three of the grant. Fringe is based on total of FICA (7.65%), Health Insurance (12.78%), Worker’s Compensation (2.18%) and Unemployment (1.2%). Executive Director is contributing 4 hours a week to this grant purpose, with that based on an overall salary of $60,000 with a fringe of 23.81% requested. The Executive Director serves as a liaison and coordinating role with other users, providing oversight for the development and administration of new polices and protocols, and is responsible for the supervision for CCRS. This equates to 208 hours/year dedicated to this role, with any additional hours provided by in-kind contribution. Considering the Executive Director is a full time position working 40 hours per week, this equates to a .10 FTE, with 10% of the director’s time being dedicated to these duties. An anticipated three percent increase has been added in for years two and three respectively. The CCRS will be traveling to outlying areas of the county including West Yellowstone two times per year (400 miles) and throughout the remaining of Gallatin County (400 miles per year) to conduct training and education based on $.55/mile. $1,500 per year includes creation and distribution of new brochures and educational materials, with 10% of these produced in Spanish. In addition, SACC has identified a need for a video and audio recording system at the Multi- Disciplinary Team Child Advocacy Center. This center is the location for forensic interviews of child victims of physical and sexual abuse. Approximately 80% of the interviews conducted are focused on child sexual assault cases. The current video system is analog and lacks the quality, reliability and ease of recording, exploring and searching necessary for prosecution of sexual abuse crimes. The costs described below are for the uncommitted costs ($4,400) of a 1 Room Encore Package Dell Optiplex 9020 Mini Tower and 23" wide screen Monitor valued at $5,595 as part of 76 Page | 9 the "Encore Interview Solution.” The equipment described above is for the exclusive use of the Encore Interview System and is not for regular computer data, word processing and internet use. A mix of in-kind support for this purchase includes some matching local funds and donations from area foundations that have expressed interest in supporting this need. In addition, two laptop computers are necessary at this center to support computer needs related to child sexual abuse investigations. The laptop cost shown is for two 13" Macbook Pros. The laptops are for the standard computer use of data, word processing and internet use. These laptops will both be accessing and inputting into multiple victim databases (including AVID, NCA TRACK, and iCarol) which hold very sensitive identifying information. These Macintosh computers were chosen for a variety of reasons. They offer superior security features and virus protection compared to PCs, especially as it relates to the victim databases described above. Their maintenance costs are also anticipated to be lower than PCs. In addition, they are replacements for existing old laptops that are Macbook Pros. Changing to PCs would require not only additional time for staff training, but also the cost of purchasing additional software products that would be compatible with the PCs. One is for use by the Coordinated Community Response Specialist (CCRS) and one is for use by staff at the Gallatin County Child Advocacy Center. All costs were competitive at the time of grant submission. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Salary $29,994 $31,491 $33,072 Hourly pay - Yr 1-$14.42 per hour / Yr 2 $15.14 per hour / Yr. 3 $15.90 per hour) Fringe – CCRA (23.81% X salary) $7,142 $7,498 $7,875 77 Page | 10 Executive Director Salary Hourly pay - Yr 1-$28.85 / Yr 2 $29.71/ Yr 3 $30.29 $6,001 $6,180 $6,300 Fringe – ED (23.81% X Salary) $1,429 $1,471 $1,500 Travel for CCRS (800 miles X .55 per year) $ 440 $ 440 $ 440 Brochures and educational materials $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 Encore Package Dell 9020 Minitower with 1TB hard drive, 23” wide-screen Monitor and supporting accessories $4,400 2 laptop computers $3,000 Total Budget for SACC for 3 years $153,173 GALLATIN COUNTY – As indicated in the personnel section of the Budget Narrative, Gallatin County has also absorbed the costs of their advocate positions. They are still in need of financing for some victim-centric brochures and educational materials, of which 10% will be printed in Spanish. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Brochures and community education material $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 Total Contracted Services - Gallatin County $6,000 CASA/GUARDIAN AD-LITEM – The CASA/Guardian Ad Litem Executive Director spends approximately 220 hours per year training volunteer advocates on sexual assault and domestic violence as it pertains to children, women and families. The Director is paid an annual salary of 78 Page | 11 $65,000 ($31.25/hour). The program does not wish to request reimbursement of fringe benefits as it uses community donations to cover these costs. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 GAL Director education/training (220 X $31.25) $6,875 $6,875 $6,875 Total Contracted Services – Guardian Ad Litem $20,625 BOZEMAN HEALTH SERVICES – The majority of costs for SANE nurse care for victims are handled through in-kind contributions by the hospital and costs that are reimbursed by individual insurance, victim compensation or restitution by offenders. As indicated in the project narrative, on-call pay is requested in this grant. This will ensure a SANE nurse is available 24 hours/day for the entire grant period. The most difficult days to ensure a SANE nurse is available are Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This computation involves paying $360/week on-call pay. The $360 calculation is based on $5/hour X 72 hours per week. Bozeman Health Services will pay $2 of this $5 per hour as an in-kind match, resulting in an anticipated need for $11,232 per year to cover $3 per hour. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 On-call for SANE nurses (365 days/year) $11,232 $11,232 $11,232 Total Contracted Services - Bozeman Health Services $33,696 Total of all Contracted Services - $503,308 79 Page | 12 --I. Indirect Costs: No indirect costs are claimed for this project. Indirect Costs: Total: $0 80 Page | 13 Budget Summary Budget Category Amount A. Personnel $ 0 B. Fringe Benefits $ 0 C. Travel $ 10,000 D. Equipment $ 10,404 E. Supplies $ 0 F. Construction $ 0 G. Consultants and Contracts $ 503,308 H. Other Costs $ 0 Total Direct Costs $ I. Indirect Costs $ 0 TOTAL PROJECT COSTS $ 523,712 Federal Share Requested $ Non-Federal (Match) amount $ 0 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126