Proposed
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORY COUNCIL (DVAC)
California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA)
Public Safety & Victims Services Division
Friday, February 25, 2011 10:30 AM
1130 K Street, Lower Level Conference Room, Sacramento, CA 95814
Meeting Minutes
Members Present: Beth Hassett, Alva Moreno, Cherie Norvell-Allison, Maxine Oliver-
Benson, Ben Schirmer (Co-Chair), Lynda Smallenberger, Debra Suh, Mary Walton,
Christine Ward (Chair) and John Welter.
Ex-Officio Members Present: Allison Merrilees (for Senator Ellen Corbett) and Gina
Frisby (for Assemblywoman Fiona Ma).
Cal EMA Staff Present: Sonia Banales, Leigh Bills, Gwen Durling and Michelle Mahon.
Absent: Senator Ellen M. Corbett, Assemblywoman Fiona Ma and Nancy O’Malley.
I. CALL TO ORDER
Christine Ward called the meeting to order at 10:40 a.m.
II. INTRODUCTIONS
Members and Cal EMA staff introduced themselves and two new members, Beth
Hassett and John Welter were welcomed.
III. REVIEW AND APPROVE MINUTES FROM 11/19/11 DVAC MEETING
DVAC members reviewed the proposed minutes from the November 19, 2010 DVAC
meeting. A motion was made to approve the minutes.
Motion: Ben Schrimer
Second: Maxine Oliver-Benson
Discussion: None
Motion Passed (Aye: 7, Nay: 0, Abstain: 2 – Beth Hassett and John Welter)
IV. CAL EMA UPDATES
Leigh Bills, Cal EMA Domestic Violence Section Chief reported the following:
The Request for Proposals (RFPs) to expand the Domestic Violence Assistance
(DV) Program by four additional projects has been released and is posted on the Cal
EMA website. The proposal is due March 15, 2011 and the rating team will include
someone from the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV).
Cal EMA is partnering with the CPEDV to conduct statewide training for the
domestic violence field and other victim service providers. The training includes two
workshops on fundraising (one north, one south) and four-seven regional workshops
on self wellness and trauma stewardship.
The Domestic Violence Section is conducting seven Regional Trainings on
managing a Cal EMA grant. Four remaining trainings include: Santa Ana; Clovis;
Redding and San Bernardino).
For fiscal year (FY) 2011/12 and forward transitional housing has been added as an
optional objective. Cal EMA allowed recipients to fund transitional housing for FY
2009/10 and 2010/11 on a case by case basis. Now it is written into the program
description in the RFA.
The RFA will contain several updated forms which recipients must use. Old forms
will not be accepted.
Recipients will now be meeting their federal match with state funds. The process for
reporting this is complicated and is explained in detail at the Regional Trainings.
Cal EMA and the CPEDV are partnering to conduct a webinar on the changes the
DV Program and RFA. The time and date will be determined once the RFA has
been released.
V. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RESPONSE TEAM PROGRAM
Ms. Bills provided a brief overview of previous discussions regarding the Domestic
Violence Response Team (VA) Program which included the following information:
Program was originally funded with VAWA funds only but when VAWA cut funds
Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) funds were used to fill the
gap;
Program currently is funded with $350,000 of VAWA and $350,000 of FVPSA for a
total of $700,000 for four projects;
Program has changed from the original intent over the years and each project is
currently implementing the objectives differently; and
DVAC has discussed this at multiple meeting but time has been limited so this
meeting has been dedicated primarily to tackling any proposed revisions to the VA
Program.
The DVAC discussed the following at length:
The similarities and differences between the VA Program, the Children Exposed to
Domestic Violence Response Team (EV) Program and the Law Enforcement
Specialized Units (LE) Program;
The three funding sources used to support the three programs;
The possibility of combining the three programs;
The various methods the current VA Program projects are using to implement the
program; and
Suggestions for revising the VA Program for the upcoming competitive Request for
Proposals.
The following recommendations were made:
DVAC Minutes – February 25, 2011 2
Change verbiage to state “ensure” rather than provide with current objectives;
Include the verbiage “create” along with coordinate when referring to
multidisciplinary team meetings for those areas which don’t have established
meetings;
Allow projects to have the choice of objectives (capacity building, services, training
and immediate response);
Reduce funding to $100,000 per project; and
Rotate funding by limiting eligibility to new projects only (for a prescribed period of
time) after the next three year cycle.
VI. PUBLIC COMMENT
Public comment was received from three callers. Comments included:
Reiterating the importance of the relationship between shelter programs and law
enforcement;
Differing amounts of funding depending on the capacity of the agency; and
Smaller communities having the ability to offer law enforcement funding to
participate might enhance response within the community.
VII. OFFICERS TERMS
The DVAC discussed the two-year term limits for officers and agreed to continue with
the predetermined limits. Elections will be held in November 2011 for calendar years
2012-2013.
VIII. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
Leigh Bills reiterated that the DV Program RFA now has language identifying
transitional housing as an optional objective of the DV Program. Although this was not
previously part of the DV Program it was part of the California Department of Public
Health’s program when they administered the state funds Cal EMA now administers.
Ms. Bills asked members to discuss and recommend a cap for the amount of funding a
recipient should be allowed to budget for transitional housing. The Council discussed a
cap and decided on twenty percent of the total grant.
IX. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Ms. Bills suggested the DVAC begin looking at the definitions of the direct services
identified in the Request for Application and make revisions/updates as needed.
X. MISCELLANEOUS
Allison Merrilees gave legislative updates on:
SB 534 – VAWA Compliance;
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SB 636 – At home privacy protection; and
SB 622 – Out-of-State sex offender registration.
Maxine Oliver-Benson provided the DVAC with a copy of the book, “52 Weeks” written
by domestic violence survivor Darla Brown.
Future meetings were set for:
Friday, May 20, 2011;
Friday, August 26, 2011;
Friday, November 18, 2011; and
Friday, February 27, 2012.
XI. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 2:07 p.m.
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