2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997
Members Present Staff Present
President Angela Williams Executive Director Emily Murase, Ph.D.
Commissioner Andrea Evans Grants Administrator Richard Eijima
Commissioner Dorka Keehn ( 5:40) Policy Analyst Kim-Shree Maufas
Commissioner Jing Xu Lee Justice & Courage Policy Analyst Colleen Montoya
Commissioner Carolene Marks Graduate Intern Laura Marshall
Commissioner Katherine Munter
Commissioner Andrea Shorter
I. CALL TO ORDER/AGENDA CHANGES
Vice President Munter called the meeting to order at 5:12 pm.
Commissioners requested cooperation in ensuring a timely adjournment so that they could participate in the Chinese New Year festivities that coincided with the meeting.
Vice President Munter requested that purely commendatory resolutions be added to the agenda, as allowed by public meeting laws.
Action: To add resolutions recognizing the 12 honorees for Women Making History Month to the consent agenda. m/s/c (Shorter/Evans/Unanimous).
Vice President Munter acknowledged special guests at the meeting and welcomed the State Department delegation with representatives from the following countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
President Williams arrived at 5:15 pm.
Action: Approved amended agenda.
m/s/c (Munter/Marks/Unanimous).
No public comment.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes were not available at this time. They will be included for approval at the March meeting.
No public comment.
III. PRESIDENT’S REPORT
President Williams reported that she will be meeting with the Friends of the Commission to discuss a celebratory event to mark the 30th anniversary of the Commission. She acknowledged Commissioner Marks and Executive Director Murase who also attended the Bayview/Hunter’s Point Town Hall Meeting.
IV. EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS REPORT
A. Executive Director Report
In the interest of time, Dr. Murase directed Commissioners to her written report and explained that she has also submitted a trip report on the San Francisco-Osaka Sister City visit. Commissioners had no questions.
B. Violence Against Women Prevention & Intervention Grants Program Agency Profile –
WOMAN, Inc. (Women Organized to Make Abuse Non Existent, Inc.)
Executive Director Roberta Toomer introduced herself to the Commission. A former board member, Ms. Toomer became Executive Director 1.5 years ago. She has a background in computer science. WOMAN, Inc. focuses on 3 main service areas: 1) the 24-hour crisis line, 2) mental health services (e.g., support groups, counseling), 3) public education and outreach (including a 40-hour training for community volunteers).
With the 2005-2006 supplemental appropriation, WOMAN, Inc. was able to upgrade its telephone system and now operates like a call center, with the ability to generate service reports easily. Currently, during evening hours, an answering service connects to volunteers and staff. However, in future, the answering service will be phased out and callers will be connected directly to volunteers and staff. Regarding mental health services, there is a 30-minute intake process. Therapy services are available. Last year, 144 individuals were served with 1,600 hours of service. Latina services are available and Ms. Toomer reported that 40% of clients are Latina.
Commissioner Marks asked about WOMAN, Inc’s capacity to provide domestic violence counseling. Ms. Toomer reported that her agency is the only one to provide domestic violence-specific counseling to anyone who comes through the door. Other agencies provide similar services, but only to their pre-identified clients.
President Williams asked about funding sources. Ms. Toomer reported on new fundraising strategies that her agency has pursued. She invited Commissioners to attend one of the monthly sessions the agency hosts to cultivate new donors. At the agency’s first fundraising event, $50,000 was raised. Ms. Toomer explained that the board includes many new members who have contributed to the new fundraising strategies.
Commissioner Shorter asked about current data related to domestic violence. Ms. Toomer stated that the number of calls has been on the rise. Last year, the agency received 14,000 calls. In the previous year, the agency received 12,000 calls. She expected that the new telephone upgrade may result in additional call volume.
V. CONSENT AGENDA
All matters listed hereunder constitute a Consent Agenda and are considered to be routine by the Commission on the Status of Women. They will be acted upon by a single roll call vote of the Commission. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the Commission so requests, in which event the matter shall be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered as a separate item. Members of the public may speak on each item listed on the Consent Agenda.
A. Res. 2007-004: Resolution in Honor of La Casa de las Madres' 30th Anniversary Celebration
B. Res. 2007-005: Resolution Recognizing February as Black History Month
C. Res. 2007-006: Resolution Recognizing the UCSF Women's Global Health Imperative
D. Res. 2007-007: Resolution Honoring the Life's Work of Margaret Cruz
Executive Director Murase explained that since the fall 2006 event had been postponed to March 2007, an updated resolution was created.
Action: Approved Consent Agenda.
m/s/c (Marks/Shorter/Unanimous)
VI. REPORTS
A. Health
Commissioner Marks reported on a successful meeting with key community leaders and practitioners to address the issue of the high rates of mortality among African Americans experiencing breast cancer. She has secured Ms. Tangerine Brigham, the Department of Public Health official dedicated to implementing the Health Access Program in San Francisco, for a May 10 health conference. Commissioner Marks reported that program has a new name: Healthy San Francisco Health Access Program. She thanked President Williams for suggesting possible funding sources to support the health work.
B. Justice & Courage
Commissioner Keehn reported on the recent Oversight Panel meeting. The Oversight Panel is currently focused on a strategic planning process to determine the future work of the Justice & Courage project and the Oversight Panel. The strategic planning meeting is slated for June.
C. Violence Against Women Prevention & Intervention (VAW) Grants Program
Vice President Munter reported that Ms. Lisa Korwin has been engaged to conduct the VAW Needs Assessment.
The Department met with Ms. Korwin and her associate, Ms. Wendy Constantine, and convened a meeting between the consultants and Partner Agencies. The expected completion date for the needs assessment is August, with results available in September. Vice President Munter explained that this schedule will likely have an impact on the release of the Request for Proposal for the next 2-year grant cycle. Vice President Munter invited Commissioners to actively participate in the needs assessment.
D. Girls Committee
Commissioner Shorter reported that last month’s meeting was very well-attended and lively. Two new candidate members attended. There exists one vacancy on the committee. She further reported that the two organizers of GirlFest presented at the meeting about the scheduled July event. The committee also discussed a possible partnership with Assemblymember Mark Leno on his annual girls conference. Commissioner Shorter reported on progress related to girls services in the juvenile justice system. She requested that the Juvenile Probation Department be invited to the April meeting of the Commission for a progress update. A representative from Supervisor Bevan Dufty’s office and the Mayor’s office should also be invited.
E. Family Violence Council
Commissioner Evans stated that the planning group is very close to a final draft of the legislation. However, based on the advice of the City Attorney’s Office, there are a few items left to be resolved. The next meeting is scheduled for March 13. She also reported on a meeting with Supervisor Sophie Maxwell who has agreed to sponsor the legislation which also enjoys the strong support of the Mayor. Commissioner Evans hopes to have a final draft of the legislation to present to the Commission at the March meeting. She explained that the planning group envisions the council to be composed of 15-18 people, with a 3-person executive committee.
Vice President Munter had a question about the statistics included in the draft legislation. Commissioner Evans responded that the child abuse statistics come from the San Francisco Child Abuse Council, the elder abuse statistics from the Consortium on Elder Abuse Prevention, and domestic violence statistics from the Department.
F. CEDAW
President Williams reported that the CEDAW Committee did not meet this month. The next meeting is scheduled for May 10, 2007
VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Justice & Courage – Safety Audit Presentation
Dr. Patricia Erwin provided a background on the Safety Audit, directing Commissioners to the written report for specific recommendations. She explained the composition of the Audit Team, which included criminal justice personnel and community advocates. The Audit focused on 3 specific processes:
· 911 through the arrest decision
· Felony investigation through prosecutor re-booking
· Motion to revoke (by Probation Department or District Attorney)
Data that formed the basis for the analysis included the following:
· 85 interviews & observations
· 50 DV calls
· 50 police patrol reports
· 63 probation supplemental reports.
Key findings of the report included the following:
· The criminal justice system is not organized to help practitioners identify key factors of safety and danger in domestic violence cases on a consistent basis, and therefore information is not available for practitioners to assess dangerousness in cases throughout the criminal justice system.
· Interveners throughout the criminal justice system response do not adequately understand the crime of stalking, and therefore do not sufficiently investigate, document, or respond to stalking cases.
· Limited English Proficient speakers who are victims of battering fact multiple barriers at each stage of intervention, including limited access to interpretation, translated materials, pertinent information about criminal justice system processes, and culturally competent workers.
· Criminal justice efforts to hold batterers accountable to complying with court orders are lacking and therefore compromise victim safety.
· Criminal justice system responses to domestic violence incidents do not account for the complexity of risk encountered by victims of battering from various social and cultural positions.
Dr. Erwin reported that the presiding judge is aware of the deficiencies of the Departments 13 facilities, but is limited by the age of the Hall of Justice.
Commissioner Shorter expressed grave concern at the language capacity gap and expressed the hope that the Commission and other city officials would address this issue. She further asked about the technology deficiencies in the criminal justice system in San Francisco and whether better models existed. Dr. Erwin discussed the San Francisco context and stated that 26% of the population does not speak English well. Patrol officers do not have voicemail or e-mail, making communication difficult. She indicated that the fact that the Police Department relies on 20-year old technology, including handwritten telephone messages, creates a communication flow that is largely dysfunctional.
Commissioner Keehn explained the Audit was conceptualized as an evaluation tool to assess the progress of the Justice & Courage Project. Future work will be determined at the strategic planning meeting. However, she stated that there is agreement that oversight is essential to ensure the continued progress in domestic violence policy reform.
Commissioner Evans asked about the lack of budget for interpretation services at the District Attorney’s Office. Dr. Erwin explained that while some staff members in the office speak languages other than English, there is no budget to provide interpretation services separate from the language capacity of existing staff.
Commissioner Shorter requested information about a cost-benefit analysis of domestic violence policy reforms.
In public comment, Daisy Anarchy expressed her wish that similar audits be conducted on other segments of the criminal justice system, including the Child Abduction Unit. She referred to safeguards that should be taken to ensure that victims are protected from their batterers.
Molly Petit discussed federal resources that were available to her when she was assaulted. A federal agent did have voicemail and provided meaningful assistance. She expressed concern over the raiding of women in the adult entertainment industry.
Beverly Upton of the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium expressed her appreciation for the leadership of the Commission and Department in supporting the Safety Audit. She underlined the risk factors identified in the Safety Audit: victims of stalking and limited English proficiency victims. She offered her assistance in future work to address these issues.
Commissioner Munter informed the Commission about the requirements to qualify as a government-certified translator, which are daunting.
B. Girls in the Foster Care System
Dan Kelly, Director of Planning, and Liz Crudo, Redesign Coordinator for Family Child Services, presented an overview of the issue.
1. Racial & Ethnic Disproportionality
· While African American only compose 11% of the San Francisco population, they constitute 70% of children in the child welfare system.
· One of the reasons for this disproportionality was the policy of removing children from drug-addicted parents.
· On a positive note, this policy was changed and the number of first entries into foster care has dropped from 595 African American children in 1988, to 169 in 2006.
2. Gender Differences
· There are more child abuse reports for girls than for boys (300 more in 2005).
· Of all children removed from the home who were subjected to sexual abuse, girls constituted 70% in 2006.
President Williams asked what outreach efforts are being conducted within the African American community to address this issue. Mr. Kelly reported that what is different about African American foster children is that information about abuse comes primarily from extended family and community members. Therefore, effective solutions to the disproportionality issue must include strategies that account for the importance of extended family and community members.
3. Reform Efforts
Ms. Crudo reported on system reform efforts. Jurisdictions like San Francisco are now subject to outcome-based performance measures, which is a change from the prior focus on processes. She stated that the agency is developing a mandated strategic plan.
Goals of strategic plan:
· Reducing incidence of abuse of children staying at home.
· Reducing rate of re-entry within a year of returning home (currently 25%).
· Improving wellness of children.
Key strategies:
· Implement team decision-making at 3 points:
- When looking at removing child from family.
- While in care, moving to another placement.
- When returning child home.
· Standardized risk assessment at different points in process.
· Differential response focused on prevention (moving from investigative mode to providing prevention services).
· Grant-making to culturally competent organizations.
While he was not aware of statistics related to domestic violence among individuals who had engaged in the foster care system, Mr. Kelly stated that 80% of incarcerated individuals are or have been involved in the foster care system at some point.
Ms. Crudo explained that 80% of foster care children in San Francisco are eligible for federal dollars, that is, their family income is so low that federal dollars kick in.
Mr. Kelly reported that, in San Francisco, there is a dedicated effort to place children with relatives. Only a small number of kids are placed in group homes.
Commissioner Keehn asked about housing options for young people aging out of the foster care system. Ms. Crudo reported that there is an agency based in the East Bay, First Place Housing, which provides transitional housing for these young people. She stated that work is underway to seek funding for caregivers in a transitional housing context. The Stuart Foundation is providing resources through the Connect 25 program.
Vice President Munter asked about the number of kids who age out of the system. Mr. Kelly reported that there were 240 total kids coming into care and roughly 150 kids aged out of the system last year.
Ms. Crudo discussed the Connect 25 program which focuses on transitioning former foster children into mainstream society. Connect 25 assists former foster youth up until the age of 25. Mr. Kelly suggested the Commission participate as mentors to former foster youth as well as provide information on employment opportunities. Ms. Crudo recommended working with the Independent Living Skills program which administers a mentoring program.
Ms. Crudo reported on the licensing requirements for placements. She pointed to the scarcity of placements in San Francisco, particularly for older children.
Kristal McCoy, Communications Coordinator of the California Youth Connection, reported that 50% of foster care youth become involved in the juvenile justice system, primarily for status offense (i.e., offenses that are defined by the age of the youth). She explained that, nationally, 57% of all foster care children are African American.
C. California Youth Connection
Shade Daniels presented on the work of California Youth Connection, an advocacy agency of current and former foster youth between the ages of 14-24, which has chapters in 26 different counties. The CYC convenes 2 major conferences: a Summer Leadership & Policy Conference and a Day at the Capital Conference. Ms. Daniels, a former foster youth herself, discussed the fact that basic needs of foster youth, such as sanitary napkins, are not met in their placements. Ms. Daniels' personal experience was that there were many problems with her group home placements, but at a minimum, she was removed from a physically abusive home environment.
Ms. McCoy reported that the CYC collaborates with the Youth Law Centers and the Independent Living Skills Programs agency partners of the San Francisco Human Services Agency. Funding for the agency comes from the private sector, including the Orangewood Foundation and the Wellness Foundation. An estimated 80% of the agency’s budget ($1.2 million in 2008) comes from grants. Services are available to anyone who has engaged the foster care or juvenile justice systems. However, it is not a direct service organization.
Ms. Daniels invited the Commission to support the San Francisco Chapter of the California Youth Connection, become a mentor, and support the agency’s policy recommendations. Commissioner Shorter invited the presenters to come to a meeting of the Girls Committee.
VIII. PUBLIC COMMENT
Molly Petit thanked the presenters for their courage and work in advocating for the needs of foster youth. She expressed concern about underserved communities and requested to be placed on an upcoming agenda.
President Williams asked Ms. Petit to write a letter to the Department requesting to be placed on the agenda.
IX. ADJOURNMENT
Action: To Adjourn meeting
m/s/c (Marks/Shorter/Unanimous).
The meeting was at 7:50 pm.
The ringing of and use of cell phones, pagers, and similar sound producing electronic devices are prohibited at this meeting. Please be advised that the Chair may order the removal from the meeting room of any person(s) responsible for the ringing or use of a cell phone, pager or other similar sound-producing electronic devices.
Explanatory documents: For copies of explanatory documents listed in this agenda, and other related materials received by COSW, please contact the Department on the Status of Women at 25 Van Ness Ave, Suite 130, San Francisco, CA 94102; phone: 415-252-2570, fax: 415-252-2575. Also, to the extent possible, documents will be available on the COSW website at http://www.sfgov.org/cosw.
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