City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JANUARY 22, 2020
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Grant Application to the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) to Support the City’s Trauma Informed Community Network Initiative.
BODY
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ISSUE: Consideration of a grant application to the Virginia Department of Social Services’ (VDSS) Family and Children’s Trust Fund (“FACT”) to promote efforts to become a more trauma-informed, resilient Alexandria.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1) Approve the submission of grant application to VDSS/FACT requesting funding in the amount of $50,000 to mitigate the impact of trauma and adversity in our City through building a more trauma-informed and resilient Alexandria; and
2) Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: The FACT Grant will fund emerging or existing Trauma-Informed Community Networks (TICNs) up to $50,000 for a 24-month period beginning July 1, 2020 and ending June 30, 2022. Successful applicants need to demonstrate innovative thinking in promoting awareness of and a coordinated response to the research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma and resiliency. Additionally, projects must focus on multi-agency, cross-sector collaboration toward changing the community conditions that contribute to family violence across the lifespan.
Alexandria’s TICN, Resilience Alexandria: Inform Support Elevate (“RAISE”), is one of 23 such networks throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. With members representing more than 60 public- and private-sector programs, RAISE has a governance structure that aligns FACT grant objectives, the statewide campaign to become a Trauma-Informed Virginia, and the City values. RAISE proposes to use awarded funding to launch community-wide “Trauma Summits” that will include educational experiences on integrating trauma-informed policies and practices, as well as opportunities for grant mini-stipends to organizations.
DISCUSSION: The grant application requests $50,000 to promote awareness of and responses in our community; to change the community conditions that contribute to family violence across the lifespan in our geographic area; and a plan for measuring the Alexandria TICN’s success. To that end, RAISE will coordinate Trauma Summits that will:
• Leverage the expertise of its members to address sources of trauma specific to Alexandria;
• Broaden awareness of state-of-the-art research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), trauma and resiliency across the lifespan by educating members of Alexandria’s workforce as well as community partners and residents;
• Train and expand our cohort of ACE/trauma presenters so that our efforts are sustainable after grant funding has ended;
• Build resilience through promoting Developmental Assets and the skills to be community “Asset Builders” for our children and youth.
The Trauma Summits will serve as incubators for long-term, application-focused outcomes fostering resilience in our community.
FISCAL IMPACT: The funding request in this grant application totals $50,000. TICNs are expected to contribute cash and/or in-kind match to support the project. RAISE and its diverse network of partners will provide 100% in-kind match by contributing meeting and event space; volunteer local professional trainers, facilitators and organizers; event/training materials and supplies; project administration and support services; and intern/extern and volunteer staffing hours. Grant awards will be monitored based on successful fiscal and programmatic grant management and the achievement of measurable outcomes.
These funds will primarily be used to host the Summits and to grant stipends to community-based organizations to expand their resilience-building efforts in their spaces and for their clients. RAISE will seek alternative private and foundation funding to support these activities in subsequent years.
STAFF:
Debra R. Collins, Deputy City Manager
Kate Garvey, Director, Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS)
Dr. Stacey D. Hardy-Chandler, Director, Center for Children and Families
Chelsea Eickert, Coordinator, Children and Youth Master Plan
Morgan Routt, Director, Office of Management and Budget
Raphael Obenwa, Fiscal Officer III, DCHS