See Something, Say Something: January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Staff Contact: Maja Marjanovic
Maja.Marjanovic@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-6418
To view the Santa Clara County Human Trafficking training video and brochure, please visit:
http://tinyurl.com/SCC-HT-Training-Video (video)
http://tinyurl.com/SCC-Know-the-Red-Flags (brochure)
Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery and it is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that takes freedom away from over 20 million people globally. Around the world and in the U.S., traffickers use force, fraud, coercion, violence, threats, deception, debt bondage and other manipulative strategies to force people into commercial sex or labor against their will. They target women, children and men, especially those who are the most vulnerable—in particular, those with a history of socioeconomic struggle, sexual abuse and/or displacement (ex. runaway and homeless youth and refugees).
Human trafficking is happening in our County. Support the fight against modern day slavery and help us raise awareness. Learn the red flags and if you see something, say something!
If you see something, say something.
Jail Diversion and Behavioral Health Subcommittee of the Re-Entry Network Established
Staff Contact: Maja Marjanovic
Maja.Marjanovic@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-6418
On December 15, 2015, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the creation of a Jail Diversion and Behavioral Health Subcommittee of the Re-Entry Network to consider and recommend alternatives to incarceration for individuals with mental illness and substance use issues. I will co-chair the Subcommittee with Santa Clara County Mental Health Treatment Court Judge Stephen Manley.
While the Blue Ribbon Commission on Improving Custody Operations has decided to examine the complaint process, discipline of correctional officers, the Inmate Welfare Fund and other issues as they arise in the scope of its work, the Subcommittee will:
- Identify strategies for preventing individuals with mental health needs from becoming offenders;
- Identify gaps and strategies for community based treatment solutions for individuals with mental health and substance use problems who have a history of or are at risk of offending;
- Assess training needs of relevant personnel, such as law enforcement and first responders;
- Ensure cultural competency is included in community based solutions and discharge planning; and
- Be prepared to address any other relevant issues as they arise from the work of the Subcommittee.
On December 5, 2015, Judge Stephen Manley put forward, and the Blue Ribbon Commission on Improving Custody Operations unanimously approved, a recommendation that the Re-Entry Network form a subcommittee to receive public testimony and formulate policy recommendations related to diverting individuals from being detained at the County’s jails. The recommendation emphasized the need to fully examine Behavioral Health (Mental Health and Substance Use) by the subcommittee in its analysis of discharge planning and creation of diversion programs and strategies.
We are interested in exploring a “No-Entry” strategy whereby we would increase public safety by effectively diverting from incarceration individuals who could otherwise be helped by community-based treatments.
More details about the Subcommittee will become available in the upcoming weeks.
Blue Ribbon Commission on Improving Custody Operations Update
Staff Contact: Maja Marjanovic
Maja.Marjanovic@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-6418
To date, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Improving Custody Operations has met four times and held two study sessions on the Department of Corrections complaint process and Inmate Welfare Fund. At 11:00am this Saturday, January 9, 2016, the Blue Ribbon Commission will convene a study session on the discipline system of correctional officers. To view the live webcast of the meeting, access the following link when the meeting begins:
For additional information please visit the Commission’s website
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/scc/Pages/brc.aspx or email the Commission at
CustodyOpCommission@cob.sccgov.org .
For a comprehensive overview of all Board of Supervisors actions related to the Department of Corrections since 2011, please click on the following link:
http://sccgov.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=SplitView&MeetingID=6069&MediaPosition=6320.429&ID=79393&CssClass.
Holiday with the Hub
Staff Contact: Betty Duong
Betty.Duong@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5026
My staff and I had the great pleasure of celebrating the holidays with the County’s foster youth at the Hub’s Annual Holiday Party. Over one hundred current foster youth attended the annual holiday party where they enjoyed a buffet dinner (graciously donated by Bon Appétit), music and presents. Congratulations to Hub Staff and the Independent Living Program counselors of The Family and Children Services of Silicon Valley for organizing a very successful holiday event.
The Hub is a youth-led community resource center serving current and former foster youth and probation youth ages 15-24. The center is a “one-stop shop” offering a variety of services to prepare our foster youth for independent living such as employment, education, housing, legal consultation, counseling, health care, case management, food assistance and Medi-Cal. Furthermore, the Hub provides critical resources to meet the day-to-day needs of transition aged youth and former foster youth setting out on their own such as a clothing closet, laundry room, food, toiletries and use of a computer lab for schoolwork and job searches.
You can support the Hub at any time by donating gently used winter coats and professional clothing. There is also great need for donations of household supplies, toiletries, baby clothes and supplies and feminine hygiene products.
To donate and to learn more about how you can help the County’s foster youth please call (408) 792-1750 or contact Betty Duong in my office at 408-299-5026 or
Betty.Duong@bos.sccgov.org.
January 2016 NNN (Neighbor/Neighborhood/Neighborhood Association) Spotlight: Northside Neighborhood Association Celebrates its 50th Anniversary!
Staff Contact: Alexander Lin
Alexander.Lin@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5027
Beginning this month, I will be highlighting a particular neighbor, neighborhood or neighborhood association in my monthly NNNS (Neighbor / Neighborhood / Neighborhood Association Spotlight). Please feel free to reach out to Alexander of my staff to suggest a neighbor (including yourself!), neighborhood or neighborhood association for my monthly NNNS. This month, I am highlighting the Northside Neighborhood Association (NNA), which just celebrated its 50th Anniversary!
On Sunday, December 6, The Northside Neighborhood Association held its 50
th Anniversary Celebration in conjunction with its annual Holiday Potluck at the Northside Community Center. Over 100 neighborhood residents turned out to join in the celebration. The event included a display of NNA history and newsletters dating back to 1965, live music provided by the San Jose High Academy String Ensemble, 50
th anniversary commemorative t-shirts and the always delicious potluck. Carmen Cautiverio, director of the Downtown Enrichment Program at Backesto Park, was presented with the Northside Neighborhood Association’s 2015 Live Oak Award.
The Northside Neighborhood Association has been continuously and actively involved throughout the downtown area bounded by Julian, 6
th Street, Hedding, and Coyote Creek. Since its founding in 1965 with its first projects to have street lights installed and the “Clean Up-Fix Up” campaign to improve properties and reduce blight, the NNA has helped maintain and improve parks, libraries, public and private properties, and served neighborhood residents, sharing information from city and county offices, organizing meetings and hosting celebrations like the Holiday Potluck. The NNA also hosts an annual Backesto Flea Market in August to fundraise and bring residents together.
County Year-Round Shelter Beds, Cold Weather Shelters and Warming Centers
Staff Contact: Alexander Lin
Alexander.Lin@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5027
In September, the Board of Supervisors voted to increase our County year-round shelter beds from 130 to 755. The County also provides over 300 County cold weather season shelter beds. In addition, the County inclement weather surge capacity can provide another 224 shelter beds along with the warming center capacity for at least 500 more. Our County shelter bed capacity is currently over 1200 beds, not including the inclement weather warming station capacity. For information on Boccardo Reception Center (San Jose), the National Guard Armory (Gilroy) and the Onizuka Air Force Base (Sunnyvale), view
http://tinyurl.com/SCC-Shelter-Info.
Can you volunteer or donate goods? Thank you!
Please email volunteer@homefirstscc.org to learn about volunteer opportunities in the shelters (18 years and older only) or email
donategoods@homefirstscc.org to inquire about making a donation of blankets, towels, toiletries, socks and underwear, or other items.
Click here for a list of shelter needs and
click here for locations and drop-off times.
Cold Weather Tips for Older Adults
Staff Contact: Alexander Lin
Alexander.Lin@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5027
During this especially cold winter season, be sure to check on elderly family members, friends and neighbors frequently to make sure they are safe. According to the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health, people 65 years of age and older should take cold weather precautions:
Flood Prevention and Precautionary Tips
Staff Contact: Alexander Lin
Alexander.Lin@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5027
According to the U.S. National Weather Service – SF Bay Area (NWS), many Bay Area cities are forecast to pick up more than a few inches of rain throughout the season. Yesterday, NWS issued a flood advisory stating that heavy rain throughout the Bay Area would likely result in localized urban and small strea
m flooding. Today, NWS did not repeat the advisory. The risk of heavy rain and subsequent flooding from El Niño and other storm fronts is still there until at least the end of the season, however.
Precautionary Tips from the National Weather Service:
- Most flood deaths occur in automobiles
- Never drive your vehicle into areas where the water covers the roadway
- Flood waters are usually deeper than they appear
- Just one foot of flowing water is powerful enough to sweep vehicles off the road
- Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause ponding of water in urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage areas and low lying spots
- Do not attempt to travel across flooded roads. Find alternate routes
Check to make sure your rain gutters, drainage system, roof and storm drains near your home are free of leaves and other debris to help prevent flooding around your home and in your neighborhood.
For flood prevention tips, a wet weather checklist and sandbag locations in Santa Clara County, visit:
http://tinyurl.com/SCCfloodpreventiontips.
Flood Protection Resources:
http://tinyurl.com/SCCFloodProtectionResources
Deputy District Attorneys Alisha Schoen and Johnny Gogo Presented with the 2015 Friends of Job Corps Award!
Staff Contact: Alexander Lin
Alexander.Lin@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5027
On Friday, December 18, San Jose Job Corps (SJJC) awarded Deputy District Attorneys Alisha Schoen and Johnny Gogo the 2015 Friends of Job Corps Award at its annual Service to Youth Awards Luncheon. The Deputy District Attorneys received the award in recognition of their efforts in helping collect clothing for the SJJC “Career Closet” program. The program empowers students to enter the workplace equipped with the right attire and the right attitude to make a great first impression, land the job they want and improve their transition process. Deputy DAs Schoen and Gogo dropped off 15 suits and 10-12 bags of other professional clothing ranging from shoes and ties to overcoats. The gently-worn professional attire was donated by District Attorney Jeff Rosen, San Jose Policy Deputy Chief Phan Ngo, DA staff and other attorneys in the Office of the District Attorney.
Air District Board Adopts New Refinery Rule and Two Amendments
Staff Contact: Hope Cahan
Hope.Cahan@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5029
On Wednesday, December 16, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Board of Directors unanimously adopted one new rule and two amendments to existing rules, part of a larger overall suite of new refinery-focused regulations, which further tighten air pollution controls on petroleum refining activity in the Bay Area. The changes will:
- Broaden regulation standards to include all equipment handling heavy liquids in relation to organic compounds and equipment leaks
- Reduce organic compounds, toxics and methane by requiring rapid detection, minimization and repair of hexavalent chromium and total hydrocarbon, which are hazardous pollutants
- Establish new limits and control requirements on particulate emissions from refinery fluidized catalytic cracking units
The new rules stem from an October 2014 Air District Board of Directors resolution instructing staff to develop a regulatory strategy that would further reduce emissions from local refineries. The current amendments are the first step in implementing the Air District’s Refinery Emissions Reduction Strategy, which will reduce emissions from Bay Area refineries by as much as 20 percent by 2020.
The four-part refinery reduction strategy focuses on:
- Reducing harmful emissions
- Installing more continuous monitoring
- Limiting pollution & protecting health
- Ensuring best practices
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (
www.baaqmd.gov) is the regional agency responsible for protecting air quality in the nine-county Bay Area.
Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley's Spring Rebuilding Day is Saturday, April 23
Staff Contact: Alexander Lin
Alexander.Lin@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5027
Since 1991, Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley (RTSV) has brought volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners in need. Throughout the year, the RTSV Safe at Home program installs safety grab bars, wheelchair ramps and other modifications that improve accessibility and independence. Every April and October, RTSV coordinates hundreds of volunteers who provide critical safety repairs to homes on their biannual Rebuilding Day. All repairs, installations and modifications are done at no cost to the homeowner.
RTSV serves low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners who are not able to maintain and repair their homes. To qualify, applicants must own their own home and have neither the resources nor the ability to do the work themselves.
RTSV partners with local companies, churches, governmental entities and individual donors to cover the cost for all repairs.
This year, the first RTSV Rebuilding Day will take place on Saturday, April 23.
The deadline for homeowners to apply is Friday, January 29.
For questions, more information or to apply, contact:
Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley
Phone: 408-578-9519
TTY/TTD: Dial 711 or 800-735-2929
Website:
www.RebuildingTogethersv.org
Trades Orientation Program (TOP) Information
Staff Contact: Alexander Lin
Alexander.Lin@bos.sccgov.org
408-299-5027
The Trades Orientation Program Program (TOP) is Silicon Valley’s premier 130-hour pre-apprenticeship course – created to diversify the pipeline by providing local residents the preparation they need to enter the pathway to a skilled construction career.
TOP is looking for Santa Clara County residents age 18 and up who are seeking full-time work or a career change, like to work with their hands, are willing to study and learn and have a strong interest in learning how to enter a working construction apprenticeship leading to a rewarding career.
TOP is provided by Working Partnerships USA in partnership with work2future, NOVA, the Santa Clara Building Trades Council and the South Bay Apprenticeship Coordinators Association. It is funded in part by a Prop 39 pre-apprenticeship grant from the California Workforce Development Board.
No prior construction experience is needed – just a high school diploma or GED, reliable transportation, basic math skills, the ability to do physical work and the commitment to show up on time every day ready to work and to learn.
Under-represented minorities, youth (age 18 and up), women and U.S. veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applications for the next class will be accepted in January 2016. In order to apply, you must first attend a mandatory information/application session. To register for an info session, sign up at
http://tinyurl.com/TOPInfoSessions.
January 2016 Staff Spotlight: Alexander Lin
Also beginning this month, I will be highlighting a member of my staff in my monthly Staff Spotlight.
Alex is the Policy Aide handling communications in my office. He joined the office in August 2015, after earning his Master in Public Policy (MPP) from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy. His course of study included classes in Quantitative Methods and Applied Economics and a strategic planning project for Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI). He also served as a budget policy consultant to Oakland’s Office of the City Administrator and interned for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. On campus, he mentored graduate school-bound undergraduates through the Getting into Graduate School (GIGS) program and taught a course for 1
st semester transfer students on transitioning to the research university. In addition, Alex served a term as the Graduate Assembly Chief of Staff and two terms as Captain of the Goldman School’s Intramural Softball Team, the Goldman Bears.
Between undergraduate and graduate school, Alex served for three years as Congressional Staff Assistant to U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren, serving as the grants liaison and representing the Congresswoman at legislative roundtables and community events.
After transferring from De Anza College with an Associate of Arts (AA) Degree in Liberal Arts, Alex earned his Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degrees in Political Science and Asian American Studies (with a Minor in Education) from UC Berkeley. Alex speaks Cantonese and Mandarin.
