HomeMy WebLinkAboutHUMAN OPTIONS, INC. AND THE CITY OF IRVINE Return FULLY EXECUTED N-2025-165
INSURANCE NOT REQUIRED Copy to City Clerk, M-30
WORK MAY PROCEED HVMANOPTIONS
CITY CLERK
DATE. J U N 1 8 2025
PREVENT. PROTECT. EMPOWER. TRANSFORM.
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Memorandum of Understanding
WHEREAS, Human Options, Inc. (Human Options) and the City of Santa Ana, a
California Municipal Corporation (the City of Santa Ana), and the City of Irvine (The
City of Irvine) have come together to collaborate and to submit an application for the OVW
Fiscal Year 2025 Grant to Improve the Criminal Justice Response Program; and
WHEREAS, the partners listed below have agreed to enter into a collaborative agreement in
which Human Options will be the lead agency and the City of Santa Ana and the City of
Irvine will be partners in this application; and
WHEREAS, the partners herein desire to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding
setting forth the services to be provided by the collaborative agreement; and
WHEREAS, the application prepared and approved by the collaborative agreement through its
partners will be submitted to the Office on Violence Against Women on or before June 18,
2025;
I) Description of Partner Agencies
Human Options (Applicant) is a private nonprofit organization specializing in domestic violence
victim services. Incorporated in 1981, Human Options provides domestic violence services
throughout Orange County, California. Human Options' mission statement is as follows:
We ignite social change by educating Orange County to recognize relationship violence as
an issue that threatens everyone, advocating for those affected by abuse, extending a safe
place for victims, and empowering survivors on their journey of healing.
Human Options has evolved from a small grassroots effort into a large nonprofit organization
that provides comprehensive domestic violence prevention and victim services, including 24-
hour bilingual domestic violence hotline, a continuum of housing options for victims of domestic
violence and their children, legal advocacy, mental health counseling, children's therapeutic
services, and prevention education. Human Options is well-regarded in Orange County and
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California as a leader in the domestic violence movement and a catalyst for collaborative and
empowering services that improve the safety and well-being of victims and their families.
Human Options is dedicated to serving unserved and underserved victims of domestic violence.
To increase access to its services, Human Options has established a network of community-
based services offered in multiple locations, including eight family resource centers and two
family justice centers throughout Orange County. Each year, Human Options responds to more
than 5,000 calls for assistance through its hotline and walk-in centers and serves 350 domestic
violence survivors through its shelter and transitional housing programs, 1,000 people through
its community-based programs, and 10,000 community members through community education
and outreach.
City of Santa Ana was incorporated in 1886 and is the County's third largest city with a
population of over 316,000 residents, which increases by 50 percent during business hours. The
City of Santa Ana located in Southern California, 10 miles from the California coast, covering an
area of 27.1 square miles in central Orange County. Santa Ana has a Council-Manager system
of government to govern its residents and community. Santa Ana serves as the County Seat;
the Civic Center houses state and federal court complexes, the majority of the County's local,
state, and federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement
Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. anta Ana is home to several
social service providers and most county government offices, critical to the delivery of services
to Santa Ana residents, businesses, and county residents.
City of Santa Ana's mission is:
To deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community, which ensures public
safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high quality
of life for residents.
Santa Ana's 5-year vision is as follows:
Santa Ana honors its rich cultural history as it becomes a thriving urban center with
welcoming green spaces and world-class amenities, services, and infrastructure. The
efficient and financially stable City government will further diversify Santa Ana's housing and
economy, increase the community's safety, and support programs and services that
enhance residents'quality of life.
Santa Ana Police Department(SAPD) is a community-oriented police department committed
to high-quality services, innovative leadership, and problem prevention through highly trained
and professional employees in modern facilities using the latest technology. Their values act as
the guideline for the discretionary use of police powers and are the basis by which employee
actions are evaluated.
Officers from Santa Ana Police Department respond to over 5,000 domestic violence related
calls each year-20% of which result in criminal cases, 40% of which are related to domestic
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incidents where no crime occurred, with the remaining calls resolved as various other types of
conflicts. Santa Ana Police Department values community partnerships with entities, like
Human Options, to deliver the highest quality service. Through this partnership, victims of
domestic violence in Santa Ana have received in-person advocacy and services at the time of
reporting and through investigative follow-up by detectives, investigators, and officers.
City of Irvine, incorporated in 1971, is the 13th largest city in California. With a growing resident
population of over 314,000, the city's daytime population more than doubles due to businesses,
commuters, and visitors. Located in central Orange County, Irvine is intersected by seven
freeways and is home to several prominent universities. Notable attractions include the Irvine
Spectrum Center and the Orange County Great Park, which draw approximately 17 million and
6 million visitors annually. Celebrated for its rich diversity, Irvine is recognized as one of the
nation's most diverse and integrated cities. More than half of all households speak a language
other than English at home.
Irvine Police Department (IPD) is a full-service police department committed to working in
partnership with our community. It fosters strong and long-lasting relationships with its diverse
residents, schools, youth, and business community. With a victim-centered approach at its core,
the IPD strives to ensure that those affected by crime receive timely support, guidance, and
access to resources.
II) History of Relationship
Human Options has a long and productive history of collaboration with the Santa Ana city
government and the SAPD on various domestic violence-related projects. From 2009 to 2012,
the City of Santa Ana provided Emergency Service funding for Human Options' domestic
violence shelter. Human Options has also received numerous Santa Ana Community
Development Block Grants for emergency housing for victims of domestic violence. In the fiscal
year 2015-2016, the City of Santa Ana granted Human Options funding to educate youth and
parents about teen dating violence and healthy relationships. Human Options also has a
standing MOU with the City of Santa Ana and SAPD, established in 2001, to provide services to
victims of domestic violence.
Through this MOU, SAPD links domestic violence victims to Human Options' 24-hour
emergency hotline so that hotline advocates can assess victims' needs and assist in providing
immediate shelter or referrals to victims. Human Options and SAPD have also historically cross-
referred victims and participated in community-based projects through two family resource
centers located in Santa Ana—the Corbin Family Resource Center and Minnie Street. In 2020,
Human Options was one of the first agencies to partner with SAPD to provide services at the
then-new Santa Ana Family Justice Center(located onsite at SAPD). Human Options regularly
briefs officers on current programmatic offerings to ensure warm handoffs from officers to
Human Options staff.
In 2014, Santa Ana adopted a five-year Strategic Plan, which included addressing community
needs related to domestic violence and sexual assault. In support of the strategic plan, the
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SAPD developed several initiatives to promote education and services to domestic violence and
sexual assault victims. Each initiative involved a partnership with nonprofit, community, or
government agencies. In 2016, Santa Ana, SAPD, and Human Options collaborated to prepare
an application for an Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) FY 2016 Improving Criminal
Justice Response (ICJR) Grant to launch the Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT). The
application was awarded a three-year grant, beginning on October 1, 2016, and ending on
September 30, 2019. In 2019, Human Options, Santa Ana/SAPD applied for renewal funding
for this project. They were again awarded a three-year grant, beginning on October 1, 2019, and
ending on September 30, 2022. In 2022, Human Options, Santa Ana/SAPD applied for renewal
funding for this project. They were again awarded a three-year grant, beginning on October 1,
2022, and ending on September 30, 2025. Over the nine years that the DVRT has been active,
SAPD and Human Options have continued to meet on at least a quarterly basis to ensure
alignment on grant goals and objectives as well as to explore opportunities to deepen our
partnership. In 2024, Human Options and the Santa Ana /SAPD) hosted the city's first Domestic
Violence Walking Vigil in October to bring awareness to the community about the issue of
domestic violence.
Human Options has a long and productive history of collaboration with Irvine city government
and IPD on various domestic violence-related projects. Since Human Options Emergency
Shelter's opening in 1995, Human Options has partnered closely with IPD to transport survivors
and their children to our program. Human Options has also received numerous Irvine
Community Development Block Grants for emergency housing for victims of domestic violence.
Human Options also has a standing MOU with Irvine and IPD, established in 2001, to provide
services to victims of domestic violence. Through this MOU, the IPD links domestic violence
victims to Human Options' 24-hour emergency hotline so that hotline advocates can assess
victims' needs and assist in providing immediate shelter or referrals to victims. Human Options
regularly briefs officers on current programmatic offerings to ensure warm handoffs from officers
to Human Options staff. IPD has been instrumental in supporting Human Options with security
walk-throughs and recommendations about ongoing safety enhancements to the property, as
well as providing active shooter and safety training for staff. Human Options and IPD have also
historically cross-referred victims. Each holiday season, IPD raises money to bring gifts to
children and their survivor parents living in the Human Options Emergency Shelter.
In 2023, Human Options and Irvine/IPD) hosted the city's first Domestic Violence Walking Vigil
in October to bring awareness to the community about the issue of domestic violence.
The critical and long-range goals of the collaboration continue to be to address community
needs related to domestic violence through the DVRT, as well as community-based and
residential wrap-around services to support victims and their families.
Ill) Development of Application
Building on the success of three previous cycles of OVW-ICJR funding, Human Options, Santa
Ana/SAPD, Irvine/IPD prepared this application in May 2025 to sustain and enhance the
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existing ICJR project. As the lead on the project, Human Options took the lead on drafting all
application materials, with substantive collaboration and contribution from Santa Ana/SAPD,
Irvine/ IPD on the application that address the nature of our partnership, as well as specific
responsibilities for Santa Ana/SAPD, Irvine/IPD. All parties have reviewed and approved the
complete submission package.
IV) Roles and Responsibilities
NOW,THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed by and between the partners as follows:
As the lead agency, Human Options, Inc., will receive grant funding of up to $524,960 over the
three-year grant period and commit to the following roles and responsibilities to ensure the
success of the project:
• Serve as fiscal and project lead.
• With leveraged funds, allocate the Chief Operations Officer to oversee Grant and budget
management, project reporting, and adherence to state, federal, and funder policies,
facilitate project meetings, liaise with SAPD and IPD, ensure excellence in client
services, ensure tracking of project activities for reports and progress evaluation,
coordinate participation in required training and technical assistance (TAT), attend
required program orientation; assist with streamlining shelter intake to expedite victim
access to shelter during a police response.
• With leveraged funds, allocate a Legal Advocacy Program Supervisor to supervise the
Legal Advocate and Domestic Violence Response Advocate (DVA).
• Allocate a non-attorney Legal Advocate (1 FTE)to provide bilingual legal advocacy
services, including legal needs assessments, application assistance, court
accompaniment, safety planning, education, and referrals to victims of domestic violence
in Orange County.
• Allocate a DVA (.5 FTE)to provide bilingual victim services in collaboration with SAPD
(including in-person advocacy during DVRT (Domestic Violence Response Team)
response, advocacy for walk-in clients at SAPD, and follow-up advocacy), participate in
project meetings, and document services as required for reports.
• Allocate a DVA (.5 FTE)to provide bilingual victim services in collaboration with IPD
(including in-person advocacy during DVRT (Domestic Violence Response Team)
response, advocacy for walk-in clients at IPD, and follow-up advocacy), participate in
project meetings, and document services as required for reports.
• Allocate a Clinical Supervisor with leveraged funds to provide clinical and administrative
supervision to the Staff Therapist.
9.�
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• Allocate a Staff Therapist (.25 FTE) to provide bilingual, trauma-informed, and culturally
competent mental health counseling to victims in Orange County.
• With leveraged funds, provide emergency shelter and/or safety net for victims of
domestic violence and their children in Orange County.
• Comply with OVW and VAWA(Violence Against Women Act) safety standards to ensure
that project staff do not engage in activities that compromise victim safety.
As a collaborating, funded agency, City of Santa Ana will receive grant funding from this grant
up to $260,020 over the three-year grant period (based on timely billing and spend-down).
Funds not expended by Santa Ana will be re-allocated to the project based on project needs.
Santa Ana commits to the following roles and responsibilities to ensure the success of this
project:
• Assign one Domestic Violence Corporal or Sergeant to serve on the project oversight
team, attend project oversight meetings. The Corporal or Sergeant will oversee SAPD
personnel on attendance to required OW/ training and project orientation, collaboration
to address obstacles preventing victim access to the criminal justice system,
investigation of domestic violence cases, personnel assigned to the DV(Domestic
Violence) Car, and participation in data collection and progress reporting as required by
OVW (no designated FTE will utilize overtime funds for meetings).
• Assign a Police Investigative Specialist (.5 FTE)to work collaboratively to address
obstacles preventing victim access to the criminal justice system, investigate domestic
violence cases, and participate in data collection and progress reporting as required by
OVW. The Domestic Violence Specialist shall be assigned to the DV Car to team up
with an advocate from Human Options to respond to domestic violence calls, and to
investigate domestic violence cases.
• Provide space at SAPD's facility to outstation a DVA at the SAPD to assist domestic
violence-related walk-ins and complete follow-up calls with victims encountered during
ride-alongs.
• Coordinate with Human Options to schedule DVRT ride-along shifts and ensure that
SAPD officers staffing the DV Car have received domestic violence training.
• Refer domestic violence victims to the DVA for follow-up victim advocacy services.
• Train the DVA on SAPD domestic violence response protocols, safety procedures, and
other relevant topics.
• Utilize the Domestic Violence Lethality Screen for First Responders to better identify and
respond to highly lethal cases.
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• Comply with OVW and VAWA safety standards to ensure that project staff does not
engage in activities that compromise victim safety.
• Maintain statistical records and expenses and provide Human Options with expenses in
grant funds in invoices and include all necessary supporting documents. The City of
Santa Ana shall submit invoices to Human Options not more often than monthly and
not less frequently than quarterly for allowable costs. Invoices shall be reimbursed within
forty-five (45) days upon receipt. Reimbursement of funds shall not exceed the allocated
grant amount, as indicated in the approved OVW ICJR Budget.
As a collaborating, funded agency, the City of Irvine will receive grant funding from this grant
up to $215,020 over the three-year grant period (based on timely billing and spend-down).
Funds not expended by Irvine will be re-allocated to the project based on project needs.
Irvine commits to the following roles and responsibilities to ensure the success of this project:
• Assign one Domestic Violence Sergeant to serve on the project oversight team, attend
project oversight meetings, attend required OVW training and project orientation, work
collaboratively to address obstacles preventing victim access to the criminal justice
system, investigate domestic violence cases, supervise the police officers, and
detectives assigned to the DV(Domestic Violence) Car, and participate in data collection
and progress reporting as required by OVW (no designated FTE will utilize overtime
funds for meetings).
• Assign IPD police officers and detectives to the DV Car on an overtime basis to team up
with an advocate from Human Options to respond to domestic violence calls and to
investigate domestic violence cases.
• Provide space at IPD's facility to outstation a DVA at the IPD to assist domestic
violence-related walk-ins and complete follow-up calls with victims encountered during
ride-alongs.
• Coordinate with Human Options to schedule DVRT ride-along shifts and ensure that IPD
officers staffing the DV Car have received domestic violence training.
• Refer domestic violence victims to the DVA for follow-up victim advocacy services.
• Train the DVA on IPD domestic violence response protocols, safety procedures, and
other relevant topics.
• Complete training and begin implementing the Domestic Violence Lethality Screen for
First Responders to better identify and respond to highly lethal cases.
• Comply with OVW and VAWA safety standards to ensure that project staff does not
engage in activities that compromise victim safety.
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• Maintain statistical records and expenses, provide Human Options with expenses in
grant funds in invoices, and include all necessary supporting documents. The City of
Irvine shall submit invoices to Human Options not more often than monthly and not
less frequently than quarterly for allowable costs. Invoices shall be reimbursed within
forty-five (45) days upon receipt. Reimbursement of funds shall not exceed the allocated
grant amount, as indicated in the approved OVW ICJR Budget.
All partners are committed to working together to achieve the goals stated in this MOU and to
sustaining the project once grant funds are no longer available.
V) Timeline
The roles and responsibilities described above are contingent on Human Options receiving
funds requested for the project described in the OVW grant application. Responsibilities under
this Memorandum of Understanding will coincide with the grant period, anticipated to be
10/1/2025 through 9/30/2028.
VI) Commitment to Partnership
1. The collaboration service area includes the County of Orange.
2.Partners agree to collaborate and strengthen legal advocacy service programs and other
victim services for domestic violence victims, including strengthening assistance to victims in
immigration matters pursuant to the program narrative of the grant application attached to
this agreement.
3.Compensation for[non-lead] partners' contribution to this project will be provided as outlined
in the attached OVW budget detail worksheet.
4.We, the undersigned, have read and agree with this MOU. We have also reviewed and
approved the proposed project.
By:
For Human Options, Inc.:
Sara Behmerwohld, Chief Operations Officer Date
For CITY OF IRVINE:
Sean Crumby, Interim City Manager Date
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For CITY OF SANTA ANA:
,
-,..riff - City Clerk 4.+>i'/' Date
# ___,/
varo Nunez, City anag- Data.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:iSo is R. Carvalho, City Attorney
LU1 / I—
Tam ra Bogosian, Senior Assistant City Attorney Date
RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL:
'2_. OA, (O- 1 g-2_E-
Robert Rodriguez, Chief of Polic} Date
cc: Agencies and Interested Patties
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