Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Human Services
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): All
Domestic Violence Intervention & Advocacy contract between DeKalb County, Georgia and Women Moving On, Inc.- Transfer funds from the Victim Assistance Fund to the Grant Fund for a State-Certified Victim Assistance Agency-at a Cost to the County of $150,000.
Body
Information Contact: Damon Scott, Director, Human Services Department
Phone Number: (404) 687-2385
PURPOSE:
To consider approval of a contract between DeKalb County and the non-profit, Women Moving On, Inc. to provide domestic violence intervention and advocacy services for women and children living in DeKalb. The contract would be in effect from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022 at a cost to the County of $150,000.
NEED/IMPACT:
In the County’s 2021 Adopted Budget, $289,644 was approved for state-certified victim assistance to non-profit agencies and $150,000 of this amount has been designated for a contract with Women Moving On, Inc. The transfer of funds from the Victim Assistance Fund to the Human Services Grant Fund will allow for the continuation of domestic violence intervention services for vulnerable citizens.
Women Moving On, Inc. operates a Safe House for domestic violence victims living in DeKalb County. In addition, the agency manages a 24-Hour telephone hotline which provides crisis counseling, assists families with supervised visitation of children and provides legal assistance to victims of domestic violence. For over 30 years, Women Moving On, Inc has provided services to meet the immediate and long-term needs of women and children who experience domestic violence.
During the 2020-2021 contract, Women Moving On modified its service delivery model in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Guest rooms were limited to one family per guest room and emergency hotel rooms were used as a supplementary solution to the demands for emergency shelter. In addition, Women Moving On switched from in person to counseling sessions to virtual sessions and added safety protocols to supervised visitation. Women Moving On provided safe shelter to 156 women and children, answered more than 4,728 phone calls to the crisis line and coordinated 178 supervised visits for DeKalb families. Women Moving On is the only authorized non-profit in DeKalb County to provide secure supervised visitation. Additionally, the agency was established in 1985 as the first entity in DeKalb to provide family domestic violence services, which they have been successfully doing for the last 36 years.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact, as this action only transfers already appropriated funds. The transfer, once approved, will move funds from the Victim Assistance Fund-Accounting String 03101-611250-206 to the Grant Fund in Cost Center 67510 Human Services-Fund 250.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
Approve the contract between DeKalb County and Women Moving On, Inc. for the provision of domestic violence intervention and advocacy services in an amount not to exceed $150,000; Approve the transfer of funds from the Victim Assistance Fund to the Grant Fund; and Authorize the Chief Executive Officer to execute all necessary documents.