February 10, 2021 Planning and Grants Committee Meeting

Audience

Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission Planning and Grants Members and Staff. The public is welcome to attend.

Date/Time

February 10, 2021, 10:30am - 12:00pm

Location

Video Conference Information

Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/91375004379?pwd=WFVHZzlvcXZXRzNyMXVxWG5rZlFJZz09 

Agenda

1. Welcome & Roll Call
2. Approval of Minutes
   April Committee Meeting 
3. Illinois Juvenile Officers Association Conference Grant
4. Title II NOFO Process
5. Three Year Planning
6. Public Comment
7. Adjourn

Minutes

1. Welcome & Roll Call
   Lisa Jacobs welcomed commissioners and invited Andrea Hall to do roll call. A quorum was not declared.
   Commissioners: Julie Biehl, Vice Chair Lisa Jacobs, Keyria Rodgers, Chairman Rick Velasquez.
   Staff & Guests: Katy Culleeny, Executive Director Andrea Hall, Sosina Tesema.
2. Approval of April P&G Committee Meeting Minutes
   Minutes were not approved at this time because quorum was not met.
3. Illinois Juvenile Officers Association Conference Grant
   Rick Velasquez explained that due to the pandemic, the funds previously approved for the Juvenile Officers Association Annual Conference had not yet been spent as the conference was postponed. The plenary session of the conference will focus on the work of the IJJC and any policy or practice issue areas of interest. The Commission may want to take this opportunity to lift up the work of the Juvenile Justice Council in Kane County, specifically the Aurora police department and how they are reporting an 80% deflection rate and utilizing local service providers. In response to a question from Ms. Jacobs, Mr. Velasquez explained that the conference was scheduled to occur in person and that he would follow up with them to see what the cost differences would be if it were to occur virtually.
4. Title II NOFO Process
   Ms. Jacobs explained how the Commission provides funding for two components, juvenile justice councils and direct service providers. Juvenile Justice Councils provide an avenue for promoting systemic change at the local level and collaboration between local and state stakeholders. In funding direct service, the commission should be strategic and focus funding on those services that fill gaps, provide a proof of concept, use new evidence-based practices, and/or provide services to youth and families who have been deemed "challenging."
   Ms. Hall let Commissioners know that unlike last year, this year would be competitive and that Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) was currently reviewing and writing the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). There are typically four NOFO's: Juvenile Justice Councils (JJC's), Juvenile Justice Service Providers (JJYSP's), Systems Improvement, and Training & Technical Assistance (TTAS). Ms. Hall noted that due to fiscal allocations internally, systems improvement and TTAS are separate and that unlike the other two grants, which are yearly, these two are bid every three years. Last year, $650,000 was available for JJC's and JJYSP's, with ten awards available for each grant. A potential change for this year's NOFO includes priority consideration for those applicants who meet the desired qualities as specified and agreed upon by this committee.
   Ms. Hall and Ms. Jacobs explained the NOFO process in more detail. Once the NOFO is released, ICOY will support in hosting an informational TA session for potential applicants, applicants will have 30 days to respond, and then this committee will have two weeks to review applications and make recommendations to the full commission. Grantees will be notified of their award in June. Ms. Jacobs reminded the committee that to meet federal requirements, at least two-thirds of the federal award needs to be dispersed at the local level. Additionally, the group would soon have to decide how much money to allocate to each pot and for how many potential grantees. Mr. Velasquez added they should be sure to consider any funding that will roll over from recent years to which Ms. Hall noted that there is some remaining funding from 2018, 2019, and 2020.
   Julie Biehl and Keyria Rodgers raised questions regarding what technical assistance would be made available to potential applications and asked what could be done to make sure more organizations apply. Ms. Jacobs explained some of the barriers for JJ Council applicants, including the fact that it is challenging for some to reasonably propose they can bring together a diverse group of stakeholders. Mr. Velasquez added that state budget cuts in recent years may also be discouraging to potential applicants and that they have concerns about not getting paid as a result. That said, he anticipates an increase in applicants this year. Ms. Jacobs explained to 1 on 1 technical assistance is not provided as the Commission is not looking to fund those who do not have prior experience in that regard. Technical assistance does include an informational session open to the public, with support from or hosted by ICOY.
   Ms. Rodgers asked if the Commission could potentially fund expungement efforts. After the further discussion, committee members decided they would not be pursuing that at this time but that they could potentially discuss the matter further with the Juvenile Officer's Association.
   Committee members discussed the proposed funding amounts and agreed that the same amounts as last year are an appropriate starting place. An official vote was not made. Members agreed to the proposed changes to the NOFO's, and that priority consideration would be given to those applicants who would be addressing challenging issues or serving special populations, as described in the NOFO. Mr. Velasquez suggested that the NOFO's make clear what is expected from existing councils as compared to new councils, and that there are distinguishable and relevant criteria to establish those different expectations.
5. Three Year Planning
   Ms. Hall provided a recap of their strategic planning efforts over the last fiscal year. Currently, the commission has drafted goals, objectives, and action steps. Once OJJDP releases the funding notice, the timeline will become clearer. Ms. Jacobs and Ms. Biehl discussed how best to operationalize the three-year plan as it is currently drafted and agreed further prioritization is needed.
6. Public Comment
   There was no public comment.
7. Adjourn
   Meeting adjourned at 12:01.