Okaloosa County BOCC — August 5, 2014 — Action Item Printout — reading text

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: August 5, 2014 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Dino J. Villani SUBJECT: Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program DEPARTMENT: Public Safety BCC DISTRICT: All STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Request approval of the grant application through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program for the Judge Ben Gordon, Jr., Visitation Center in the amount of $20,543. BACKGROUND: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program - JAG Countywide State Solicitation, has allocated $67,870 to Okaloosa County to be used by local units of government. The JAG funds may be used by local units of government for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice. The Crestview Police Department, Fort Walton Beach Police Department, Niceville Police Department, Shalimar Police Department, Valparaiso Police Department, and Judge Ben Gordon, Jr., Family Visitation Center were the agencies selected to receive funds from this grant. The applicants are required to submit their grant application online by August 15, 2014, and submit two original fully executed grant applications to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement by August 22, 2014. Request approval to submit the Judge Ben Gordon, Jr., Family Visitation Center grant application for $20,543. The Judge Ben Gordon, Jr., Family Visitation Center serves and protects child victims of abuse, as well as, serves adult and child victims of domestic violence. The Center offers victims a safe and neutral environment with flexible scheduling within which to conduct supervised visitation and monitored exchanges. Safety is provided for victims of domestic violence by facilitating court-ordered visitation and monitored exchanges for the victims, sparing them any contact with their victimizer. Children are served by the Center by giving them an advocate and by maintaining a safe and secure place to visit without fear of exposure to emotional and/or physical harm. In order to address the impacts of child physical and sexual abuse, child neglect and abandonment, and domestic violence, this program strives to have an understanding of the dynamics of child abuse and exposure to violence, as well as the factors that determine the severity of a child's response to this violence. Intervention and program services must be unique to the child's situation. It has been suggested that programs that support parenting and the parent-child relationship while addressing the safety of the non- abusing caregiver have positive effects on a child's ability to move forward after suffering the crises of family violence. Approved funding will be used to assist the Center in providing a safe, supervised visitation and monitored exchange services to children who have been the victim of or who have witnessed acts of violence. OPTIONS: Approve/Disapprove. RECOMMENDATIONS: Approve the Judge Ben Gordon, Jr. Family Visitation Center grant in the amount of $20,543.00; ratify and approve the Chairman's signature on the 51% letter of support for the distribution of grant funds and the Certificate of Participation. Authorize Contracts & Grants to submit the online grant applications and other necessary grant related documents as may be required during the term of the grant and authorize the Chairman, as the County's representative to sign the sub-grant application, amendments, or other grant related documents as may be required during the term of the grant. RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: Ernie Padgett, County Administrator