Mendocino County Grand Jury • 2005-2006 • Agency Response
Response to: Mendocino County Sheriff's Coast Sector Sub-Station and Holding Cells in Fort Bragg

Stretched to the Limit: Non-Profit Social Service Providers in Mendocino County

Published: May 04, 2006 7 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 40 findings

F1
The Ford Street Project has been in existence for 33 years. It provides the following services: detox, residential treatment, housing, transitional housing, crisis resolution, First Offense (Driving under the Influence) training, employment for persons undergoing treatment for mental health conditions. FSP also manages the Buddy Eller Homeless Shelter that provides an average of 55 persons a night with shelter, showers, and an evening meal.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
During 2005, FSP provided multiple services for 954 individuals. The daily average was 20 persons in residential treatment, 24 in transitional housing, 30 receiving outpatient treatment, and 30 receiving First Offense training each month. At the time of this survey there were 18 people in permanent housing. Under contract with Caltrans, FSP provides part-time employment for 26 mental health clients.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
FSP receives funding from Mendocino and Lake Counties, the State of California, and Federal agencies. They also accept private-pay individuals as clients. Plowshares Mission Statement: That no one in our community go hungry.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
Plowshares has been preparing and serving meals to the hungry for 23 years. Presently they serve a noon meal in their 64-seat dining room. In January 2006, Plowshares served a daily average of 101 meals to adults and 5 to children. In the same month, their "Meals-on-Wheels" volunteers delivered a total of 1626 meals to the elderly and disabled in the Ukiah area.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
Plowshares volunteers receive no compensation or mileage for their services.
No recommendations for this finding
F6
Currently there is a Mental Health Department worker available during most meal times.
No recommendations for this finding
F7
Plowshares provides shower and laundry facilities on a limited basis. In January, they reported a daily average use of 17 showers and five persons doing laundry.
No recommendations for this finding
F8
Primary resources for Plowshares come from donations of food, money, and volunteer time. Volunteer cooks prepare and serve the meals; excess -6 donations are shared with other agencies. Plowshares is currently sharing a grant with the Buddy Eller Shelter. Other agencies have provided their services at Plowshares as funds permit. Project Sanctuary (PS) Mission Statement: To end domestic violence and sexual abuse in our community.
No recommendations for this finding
F9
Project Sanctuary has been providing crisis intervention, rape prevention education, shelter and counseling to women, children, and men for 27 years. They coordinate with 22 partner agencies that also work toward abuse prevention, including police departments, the District Attorney, hospitals, and social service agencies.
No recommendations for this finding
F10
In a nine month period, PS served 190 people with crisis intervention, 135 who had been sexually assaulted, and sheltered 450. In this same time period, they provided intervention counseling to 1625, and rape prevention education to 3703 through group presentations.
No recommendations for this finding
F11
PS has services for women, children, men, and the elderly. Sixteen beds are available on site for sheltering women and children. Men and those they cannot house on-site are placed at the Buddy Eller Shelter. Occasionally, local motels are also used for temporary shelter.
No recommendations for this finding
F12
PS receives most of its funding from state agencies. They also receive a portion of the fees collected from marriage license applications. As most of this funding is restricted, PS is particularly dependent upon local non- restricted donations. Ukiah Community Center (UCC) and Food Bank (FB) Mission Statement: Provide Community Assistance to meet urgent needs and promote self-sufficiency.
No recommendations for this finding
F13
The Ukiah Community Center and Food Bank have been providing food and services to people in Ukiah for 35 years; they now also provide homeless services in Fort Bragg. In addition to providing USDA food boxes, they provide emergency food from the Food Bank in Ukiah and to food pantries in other areas of the county. They supervise the crisis line and also provide housing services, case management, a day shelter with breakfast, life skill classes, limited ($800 maximum) interest-free housing crisis loans.
No recommendations for this finding
F14
The FB provides Prescription Food Boxes, the contents of which are defined for the recipient by government-formulated specifications. Supplies for these Boxes come from the Second Harvest and USDA Commodities programs through the Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa.
No recommendations for this finding
F15
Each of the Prescription Food Boxes distributed requires monitoring and registration of compliance to Federal regulations.
No recommendations for this finding
F16
There are currently 323 Food Bank clients that qualify for food commodities. Recent cutbacks of Federal funds now allow for only 249. FB must choose which 74 clients will no longer receive these commodity foods.
No recommendations for this finding
F17
Local donations of food and money supply much of the non-Prescription -6 that is made available.
No recommendations for this finding
F18
FB provides food to approximately 3,000 individuals each month.
No recommendations for this finding
F19
UCC has an average backlog of 110 cases seeking housing at any one time and 25 new cases contacting them for this service each month. Although they are funded to serve only 79 cases, they currently have 180 active cases. Recent cuts in funds have resulted in reducing their housing case managers from four to two
No recommendations for this finding
F20
Although the need is great, UCC can accommodate only 15 persons at a time in their day shelter due to fire safety regulations.
No recommendations for this finding
F21
The crisis line received 1514 calls in the month of January 2006. This is an increase from a monthly average of 1359 in 2005 and 738 in 2004.
No recommendations for this finding
F22
UCC/FB receives most of their funding from contracts and grants. Local community support comes through donations of volunteer time, food and money.
No recommendations for this finding
F23
UCC has only enough funds to purchase 90 transportation vouchers from MTA for client emergencies. Insurance restrictions prevent them from transporting clients in their vehicles. Common Findings
No recommendations for this finding
F24
It is the policy of these four agencies to treat clients with dignity and respect.
No recommendations for this finding
F25
A high percentage of clients served are experiencing problems with mental illness, alcohol, and drug addiction. Many have a dual diagnosis (mental illness and substance addiction).
No recommendations for this finding
F26
All of these agencies make every effort to meet the urgent needs of those seeking assistance and to help each client reach a level of self-sufficiency. This includes one agency picking up essential services when another agency discontinues them.
No recommendations for this finding
F27
All of these agencies assist clients in obtaining appropriate services from city, County, State, and Federal agencies.
No recommendations for this finding
F28
These four agencies work diligently and successfully to respond to the concerns of their geographic neighbors. Response (Mendocino County Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.
No recommendations for this finding
F29
All the agencies are monitored by the County Health Department and meet sanitation standards.
No recommendations for this finding
F30
These four agencies work together with other non-profits, Mendocino County Health and Social Services, and California State Departments to meet the needs of their clients. Response (Mendocino County Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.
No recommendations for this finding
F31
All four agencies belong to The Homeless Services Planning Group, an association made up of Social Service departments and non-profit agencies concerned with homelessness for the purpose of coordinating service -6 and avoiding duplication of services. Response (Mendocino County Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.
No recommendations for this finding
F32
All four agencies receive their funding from multiple sources with different guidelines and regulations. Response (Mendocino County Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding, with the comment that the Board of Supervisors does not have the documentation to determine the specific accuracy of the stated percentages.
No recommendations for this finding
F33
Grants and contracts received by these agencies rarely provide more than 5- 6% for administrative costs and sometimes none. This is far below the actual administrative costs of 10-15%. Response (Mendocino County Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.
No recommendations for this finding
F34
All agencies acknowledge the need to allocate staff time to apply for grants and short-term financing for long-term needs. Response (Mendocino County Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.
No recommendations for this finding
F35
The lowest wage paid to an employee of any of these agencies is $8.39 per hour. Most staff members earned between $10 and $17 per hour. Compensation for Executive Directors ranged from $17.60 to $26.23 per hour.
No recommendations for this finding
F36
When possible these agencies provide health benefits to their employees; three provide no retirement benefits to employees, one matches employee contributions to an IRA.
No recommendations for this finding
F37
All agencies are hampered by income shortfalls and slow delivery of contracts and grant funds. Methods used to meet these shortfalls include reducing salaries, reduction of overtime for holidays, and encouragement of voluntary leaves of absence without pay. Agencies also borrow money to cover slow reimbursement from government contractors, cut staff hours, and even lay off employees. Board members have made personal contributions to carry their agency through a shortfall.
No recommendations for this finding
F38
All agencies have an all-volunteer Board of Directors; some of the directors are former clients. Response (Mendocino County Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.
No recommendations for this finding
F39
All agencies wish to increase membership on their Boards and to have memberships more representative of local demographics.
No recommendations for this finding
F40
The Buddy Eller Shelter is almost one mile from the UCC/FB, two miles from the Plowshares dining room, and two and a half miles from the proposed new dining room. Currently the Mendocino Health Clinic provides limited bus service between UCC and Plowshares. -6 Response (Mendocino County Board of Supervisors): The Board of Supervisors agrees with this finding.
No recommendations for this finding

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