THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE BROWARD ADDICTION RECOVERY DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTIONS.
This item supports the Board's vision of "Social Safety Net: An Accessible Collaborative Approach to Health and Human Services" and the goal to "Coordinate and maintain quality accessible health and human services in collaboration with public and private partners."
This is an agreement with the Office of the State Court Administrator (OSCA) to continue substance abuse treatment services provided to non-violent offenders sentenced to the Adult Post-Adjudicatory Drug Court Expansion Program. This agreement in the amount of $1,225,000 shall commence on July 1, 2014 and continue through June 30, 2015. Originally, this program was funded through an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Grant. The current agreement with OSCA is funded directly by State of Florida legislative appropriation. As the contracted recipient of State funds, Broward County is responsible to serve as fiscal agent and to enter into an agreement with a licensed substance abuse provider for drug court treatment services. The Broward Sheriff’s Office, Department of Community Control, Drug Court Treatment Division (DCTD) has been the contracted provider for drug court treatment since 2009. The Broward County Purchasing Division approved DCTD as the most reasonable source to provide substance abuse services for the expansion grant because of their role as sole provider of drug court treatment services for the 17th Judicial Circuit Court and their capacity to meet the requirements of the expansion program. It is expected that an item will come before the Board to approve BSO's continuing provision of substance abuse services under this grant, prior to the close of this fiscal year (September 30, 2014).
The 17th Judicial Circuit Court is responsible for referring appropriate offenders to drug court expansion services. The Court Administrator is required by OSCA to monitor the expenditure of funds allocated to the County and to provide written approval each month certifying to OSCA and the County that all charges submitted by BSO for reimbursement are allowable, necessary and in accordance with all contractual requirements, thereby authorizing the County to make payment from appropriated funds.
Performance measures for the drug court expansion project are reported by OSCA as a cumulative, statewide total including figures from all eight participating counties. BSO provides service data to the Court Administrator, who compiles and reports required data to OSCA. According to the most recent report published in January 2014 by the State of Florida’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), the current success rate for offenders participating in the Broward County expansion program is 67%, which is well above the current statewide average success rate of 53%. As of June 2013 the statewide number of offenders served was 2,268, of which 639 are from the Broward program. As of August 2013, expanded drug courts had saved the State more than $22.3 million in prison costs.
The Agreement is in OSCA's standard form, and OSCA will sign last following approval by the Board of County Commissioners.
The County Attorney's Office has reviewed and approved the Agreement as to form. |