HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11041997 - D2 r
D.2
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Adopted this Order on November 4, 1997, by the following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Rogers, Uilkema, Gerber, Canciamilla and DeSaulnier
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
SUBJECT: Social Service Department - Departmental Performance Report
John Cullen, Social Service Director, presented the Board with both oral and written
reports on departmental performance.
Mr. Cullen answered questions from Board members and thanked them for the
opportunity to make his presentation.
The Board members discussed the report and then took the following action:
1. ACCEPTED the report from John Cullen, Social Service Director, on
departmental performance.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and
correct copy of an action taken and entered on
the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the
date shown.
ATTESTED: November 4, 1997
Phil Batchelor, Clerk of the Board of
Supervisors and County Administrator
dampler, Deputy Clerk
cc: County Administrator
Social Service Director
A CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
" Social Service Department
r- - �~~4 John Cullen, Di
�-coiiiz`t`; rector
DATE: October 29, 1997
TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: John Cullen, Director c: Phil Batchelor
SUBJ: Social Service Department Annual Performance Report
Attached is the Annual Performance Report for the Social
Service Department. I look forward to discussing the
highlights with you at the November 4 Board session.
JBC:sjb
Attachment
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ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE; 40 Douglas Drive Martinez CA 94553-4068 Voice (510) 313-1500 • FAX (510)'313-1575
Contra Costa County
SoCidl Depdrtment
Annual Performance Report
to Board of Supervisors
November 1997
In partnership
with the
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Director's Message................................ Z
. Department Overview .......................... 4
Income Maintenance/GAIN Bureau....... 8
SocialServices Bureau ....................... 12
Organizational Chart....................
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The Social Service Department's mission promises New Information 'Ibchnology (IT) systems and ser-
to "support and protect families, individuals and vices will enable and support the delivery of core
children in need, and promote personal responsi- Social Service Department programs. IT services
bility, independence and self-sufficiency." Progress will be required to extend a Wide Area Network
toward this vision will be more challenging this (WAN) to all staff, operationalize the state-wide
year as the Department manages the implementa- Children's Service System, support Welfare Reform,
tion of major changes associated with Welfare extend reception management, vendor payment,
Reform and Adult, Family & Children's Services client tracking and outcome reporting systems.
Redesigns. Our primary goal will be to meet our
essential service-delivery responsibilities to adults, During this upcoming year, we will serve over
children and families while at the same time insti- 90,000 Contra Costa County residents in our core
tuting these major system-wide improvements. service delivery programs. In addition, we plan
several new initiatives in order to continue our
The President and Congress, the Governor and progress to address our overall mission.
State Legislature have recently put into law a fun-
damental change in our country's approach to
poverty. The County, through its Social Service Activities to Strengthen
Department, will lead the transitions from yester- Family and Children's Service
day's welfare aid program to tomorrow's employ- • Implement the Child Welfare Case Management
ment focused service delivery system. Community System
education, service delivery/program redesigns, • Expand Receiving Centers
staff job changes, increased job-seeker responsibili- • Develop;additional Adoption Services
ties, information technology support, employee • Consolidate Emergency Shelter Care
training, child care and ancillary services, and • Implement Concurrent Planning
specific performance outcomes, will all be • Start up the Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center
required as we begin the implementation of (MDIC)
"Welfare Reform." • Proceed with Kinship Care and share Family
Mentoring projects
Contra Costa County will also continue its progress • Evaluate the impact of managed health care and
to implement and improve services for families Welfare Reform in Child Welfare Services
and. children. Providing resources for children in . Develop training services to assist workers to
need of out-of--home care and protection, and insti- improve their skills and manage new
tuting system changes to effect permanence more duties/responsibilities
quickly, will be major outcome objectives this year. . Improve Foster Pride/Adopt Pride training and
Similarly, we will be challenged to better align ser- recruitment services
vices for adults and seniors, improve access and
• Continue the process of Quality Control/
utilize available resources. Corrective Action/Monitoring reviews in
Staff Development will continue to be a major ini- Children's and Adult Services
tiative as we prepare our employees for changing
job responsibilities. Providing educational services
and new skills training will enable our staff to
meet their new job challenges.
2
Activities to Tausitii)nl`to
Employment-Focus- ed Services
* Develop and submit 4ocal Welfare Redesign plan
* Proceed with extensive training programs to pre-
pare staff for Welfare Reform requirements and
their new duties
- Reconfigure work space
o Install computer equipment and network services
9 Provide ancillary,services for CaIWOR]Ks and GA
job seekers
* Expand Employment and Training/GAIN service
delivery
* Implement General Assistance policy and law
changes to,focus,on,promoting employment
Department-wide Support Activities
• Increase Personnel Services associated with
redesigns and,reclassifications
• Focus Staff Development programs for line, super-
visor and management staff on changing job
S
requirements'
• Provide specific Information Technology staff
support services, equipment and maintenance
assistance
• Proceed with space acquisitions, remodels and
repairs "During this upcoming
e Improve claiming, fiscal monitoring, contracting,
revenue generating and accountability services year, We Will serve
over 90,000
The staff of the Social Service Department are
eager to contribute to the, major programmatic, Contra Costa County
redesigns within the Public Assistance and Family residents within
Services arenas that are underway in our nation, our core service
state and county. Our commitments to new pro-
gram objectives, combined with our experience delivery programs."
and skills, will result in high quality services to the
residents of Contra Costa which "protect families, CK
individuals and children'in'fieed, and promote
personal responsibility, independence and John B. Cullen, Director
self-sufficiency."
- 3
in
Social
Department
veYview
�.
The Contra Costa County Social Service Department dollars in taxpayer resources to deliver nearly 40
is organized into three operational bureaus: Admin- Federal, State and local programs, which provide
istration, Income Maintenance/GAIN and Social basic financial assistance, nutritional and medical
Services. Additionally, within the Director's office support, protective services, self-sufficiency and
are the Personnel and General Assistance Divisions. employment. We provide these services to approxi-
Our organization chart is located on the last page mately 90,000 Contra Costa County adults,
of this Annual Report. children, and families each year. Our taxpayer-
supported services are delivered through the
The Social Service Department is charged with the exemplary efforts of over 1,000 staff in facilities
responsibility for management of millions of throughout our County.
Personnel Resources
The Department has 1,077 allocated full time posi- Our continued major growth area has been in line
tions. At the end of this past fiscal year, positions staff. This has been driven by the increased
were deployed as follows: 26 to Department-wide demands for client services and new program
Administration and Personnel; 649 to Income mandates.
Maintenance, General Assistance and GAIN Bureau;
324 to Social Services Bureau; and 78 to the The following chart summarizes the total staff by
Administrative Bureau. functional areas from 1986 to 1997.
Staffing Actual Actual as of % Change to
1986-1987 Oct. 1, 1997 Oct. 1, 1997
Management 37.00 25.00 -32.43%
Administrative 63.70 51.00 -19.94%
Line Supervisors 90.00 98.00 +8.89%
Line Workers 693.90 837.35* +20.67%
TOTAL 884.60 1,011.35 +14.33%
*excludes 27 temporaries
Affirmative Action
The December 31, 1996, Contra Costa County to be in ethnic minority groups; 860 employees are
Workforce Survey Report shows that the Social female. The chart below provides a breakdown of
Service Department employed a total of 1,022 this representation.
employees, of whom 395 considered themselves
Minority Group Labor Force % Social Service Staff
(Parity) Number Percent
Hispanics 10.5% 115 11.3%
African Americans 7.6% 206 20.2%
Asian/Pacific Islanders 5.4% 67 6.6%
American Indians/Alaskan Natives 0.6% 7 0.7%
TOTAL 24.1% 395
Females 45.4% 860 84.2%
4
Sick Leave In October of 1996, we acquired a new 12,000
The Department is continuing to monitor the sick square foot training facility. This facility, has
leave usage of our employees (currently at 81% of provided our staff with a site for over 100,000 hours
accruals). We have recently launched an effort to of automation training, technical program training
more closely analyze our sick leave usage, and are and professional development training.
finding that 28.6% of usage is for longer illness,
and 71.4% more short term. Our study is also In fiscal year, 1996-1997, we conducted over
reviewing possible connections with our workforce 139,000 hours of training for all programs.
composition which is 84% female, and patterns of The Staff Development Specialists are experts in
routine usage needed for family issues. Ca1WORKs, Welfare to Work, Medi-Cal, Food
Staff Development Stamps, General Assistance, Supervision and
The Staff Development Division is an important Management, Systems and Software and Child
resource that assists our manaWelfare Training. They are fully trained
gers and staff in curriculum designers, professional presenters
meeting the Department's goals and objectives. and internal consultants.
The training provided through Staff Development
is designed to increase competency on the part of We are providing technical program training for
workers, supervisors and managers, make programs the Income Maintenance Bureau, induction train-
more effective, and to assure that services provided ing, as well as professionaldevelopment classes
to our clients are of the highest quality. and opportunities to prepare for Welfare Reform.
In the Child Welfare Division we are providing new
Our roles include internal consulting, curriculum worker training, professional development oppor-
design, classroom training and meeting facilita- tunities, University training and workshops on the
tion. We also offer opportunities to assess current most recent issues in Child Welfare.
skill levels of staff and provide training recommen-
dations for improvement on an individual basis. The Department managers have worked together to
produce a new supervisors' training series. The
Through the Staff Development Division, the training focuses on the basic employee-personnel
Department provides direct in-house training plus issues; how the Department operates; the super-
coordination of externally provided training with visor's role; and techniques, ideas and tools that
educational institutions such as U.C. Berkeley, enable workers to become effective supervisors.
U.C. Davis, Fresno State, as well as collaborative This is a high energy, real life series offered by
efforts with community consultants, the County's
Training Institute, local EDD and PIC offices as our most experienced managers.
well as neighboring County offices.
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Financial Resources
The adjusted budget for fiscal year 1996-1997 for $23,295,100. In addition, $40,909,000 in Food
the Social Service Department consists of all oper- Stamps were distributed through our programs for
ating and direct cost to clients. The total budget a total of$270,541,000 in services and assistance.
was $229,631,973 with revenue offsets of Listed below by Budget Unit and source of funding
$206,336,873 leaving a net County cost of is the Department's adjusted budget.
Budget Unit 1996-1997 Federal/State Net County Cost
Adjusted Budget Revenue
Services&Admin. $ 87,018,683 $ 73,549,210 $13,469,473
Categorical Aids 133,494,578 132,787,663 706,915
General Assistance 9,042,662 — 9,042,662
Indigent Interment 76,050 — 76,050
TOTAL $229,631,973 $206,336,873 $23,295,100
Information Technology Administrative Support relies extensively upon
Information Technology (IT) is used extensively to networked personal computers to perform such
enhance the productivity and efficiency of staff in functions as inventory, archived records manage-
support of the department's mission. Specific ment, contract administration, fraud prevention
areas where IT is deployed include Income and administrative hearings. Office automation is
Maintenance/GAIN, Social Services and also utilized to perform word processing, database,
Administrative Support. spreadsheet, presentation, electronic mail,
scheduling and Internet access tasks.
Income Maintenance/GAIN is supported by a
number of different IT systems. These include
Welfare Case Data (WCDS), GAIN Information Major Information Ti3chnology Initiatives the
System (GIS), Program Efficient General Assistance Department have compiled or planned include:
System (PEGASYS) and Medi-Cal Eligibility Data
System (MEDS). These systems automate a variety
of functions, including the computing and CWS/CMS (Child Welfare Services/Case
issuance of benefits, generation of notices to Management System)
clients, compilation of workload statistics After two years of development, the department
and the provision of fiscal and audit reports. implemented this state-mandated system in August
1997. Comprised of over 300 networked personal
Social Services is supported by the Child Welfare computers linked to a mainframe computer in
Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS), Colorado, CWS/CMS provides social work staff,
the Emergency Shelter Care System (ESC) and the responsible for the protection of children, a
In-Home Supportive Services Payroll System. powerful information management tool.
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Pegasys Plus access. Installation of network file servers in all
Pegasys Plus is an enhancement to the major offices was completed in June 1997. By the
Department's automated General Assistance end of 1997, 75% of the Department's PCs will be
system. This enhancement adds automated connected and operational on the WAN.
budgeting, appointment scheduling and a variety
of other functions that augment the Department's Information technology Challenges
ability to administer GA in an efficient manner. Welfare Reform, as implemented through the
Pegasys Plus enhancements will be completed in Ca1WORKs program, presents major challenges to
December 1997. the legacy systems that support the Department's
Income Maintenance/GAIN operations. These
Year 2000 Conversion systems, some of which are over 30 years old, are
Some of the Department's older legacy mainframe difficult and costly to change. Considerable effort
systems (WCDS, GIS) were not designed to handle and resources will be needed to modify or augment
'! dates that require the use of 4 digits for the new the systems to keep them responsive to
century. In April 1997, these systems were operational changes.
modified to accommodate the date change that
will occur when the Department enters the next The introduction of the Internet is expected to
_ _century. impact the way in which the Department
conducts its business. Issues of security, resource
Wide Area Network utilization along'with learning how to use this
The Department's Wide Area Network (WAN) technology effectively are among the major issues
links all personal computers together to provide the Department must deal with as it adopts this
technology.
more efficient information sharing andi internet gy
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We help f
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and self-sujj7cient.
The Income Maintenance/GAIN Bureau is become self-supporting, thereby avoiding long-term
organized geographically with divisions responsi- dependency. Services include help with job search
ble for each portion of the County. Within each and help with transportation and child care.
division are eight to twelve units, each consisting Cal-Learn is a program designed to encourage and
of eight to ten eligibility workers, a unit clerk and assist pregnant and parenting teens to remain in
a supervisor. There is also a Countywide GAIN and graduate from high school. Nearly 4,500 fami-
division with units located in each geographical lies are being served by GAIN monthly, while over
area. Centralized functions of Quality Control and 600 teen parents are being assisted through
Special Projects are located in Martinez, as are Pro- Cal-Learn yearly.
gram Analysts who provide policy and procedural
direction.
Transitional Child Care
During the coming year, the Bureau will have pri- and Transitional Medi-Cal
mary responsibility for redesigning programs to Transitional Child Care (TCC) provides funding for
transition from AFDC and GAIN to Ca1WORKs child care to former AFDC recipients for up to 24
(California Work Opportunity and Responsibility months when certain eligibility criteria are met.
to Kids). Implementation of CalWORKS will not The objective of TCC is to help families make the
only replace AFDC and GAIN, but impact the Medi- transition to self-sufficiency and independence
Cal, Food Stamps and General Assistance programs. from welfare by partially paying for child care
while a family member is working. Transitional
The major service-delivery programs operated by Medi-Cal (TMC) extends Medi-Cal coverage for up
this bureau follow to one year to former AFDC recipients for the same
reasons. Annually, over 900 families are served by
this program.
Aid to Families
with Dependent Children (AFDC)
AFDC provides cash for needy families with chil- Aid to Families
dren because of the absence, incapacity, unemploy- with Dependent Children-Foster Care
ment or death of either or both parents. State law Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster
sets a monthly limit on the amount of AFDC Care (AFDC-FC) is the Federal, State and County
money one may receive to meet living expenses. aid provided on behalf of those children who have
Other income to the family is deducted from the been placed in foster care, and meet the eligibility
cash grant after allowing certain deductions. As requirements. Approximately 2,200 children are in
part of the State's "Work Pays" strategy, clients are foster care in Contra Costa County and are being
now able to keep more of what they earn while served by AFDC-FC.
receiving AFDC. In a typical month, approximate-
ly 15,000 families are being served by this program.
Medi-Cal
Medi-Cal is a group of eight major medical care
AFDC Employment Service programs which provide comprehensive medical
The major components of Employment Services services to children and adults in low-income fami-
include the Greater Avenues of Independence lies. The program pays for medical care received
(GAIN) program and Cal-Learn. GAIN provides by persons who meet eligibility criteria. Single
training and employment services to AFDC recipi- adults and families who are eligible but whose
ents to provide them with the skills necessary to incomes are above prescribed levels must pay or
8
obligate their excess income toward the cost of
medical care. The Medi-Cal program pays for the General Assistance
remainder of program'-covered medical care The General Assistance (GA) program determines I
received. Over 85,000 persons in our County are eligibility.to:a cash grant program for primarily
receiving Medi-Cal. single,unemployed adults who are not currently
�eligible for State-or Federally-funded assistance
programs'(e.g., AFDC or SSI). Services are also
Food Stamps provided which help clients prepare for self-
The Food Stamp programais designed to assist low- support. Approximately 2,500 individuals are
income households increase their food purchasing currently receiving General Assistance.
power, to`reduce hunger and'raise nutrition levels
while strengthening our agricultural economy. General Assistance Employment Services
Federal law sets.°the monthlyelimits on;the Employment services programs assist employable
amount of Food Stamps a household may receive. GA applicants and recipients in preparing for and
The amount of the`benefit"is°based on the size of obtaining immediate, unsubsidized employment.
the household and th6household's income, after GA Staff provide case management services, and
certain deductions are,allowed. The amount,;of , supervise client participation in Workfare, Job
the household's real and personal property must Search, vocational training and job seeking skills
be within limits set by the Federal government. workshops. Each month over 1,000 GA clients
Over 26,000 children and 15,000adults-receive participate in these employment programs.
Food Stamps,in:>ourCounty each month.
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"= LL Customer the use of Electronic Benefit Transfers systemst Wo-
Relationships, also maintain both formal and informal appeal
Income processes for those applicants or clients who are
�U t '' Maintenance not satisfied with decisions made in their cases.
_ . ,
Individuals make initial
contact by phone or in Performance Indicators,
person. They are given Income Maintenance
applications to complete Federal and State governments have established
- and return appointments Accuracy Standards and Quality Control processes
for the determination of within our major aid programs. We completed
their eligibility.. In emer- Federal fiscal year 1996 with an AFDC error rate
gency situations, "Expedited Food Stamps" or less than half that of the State average and below
"Immediate Need AFDC" can be provided in a day the most recent Federal tolerance level. Our Food
or two. Usually interviews are scheduled within a Stamp (FS) error rate was the lowest in the State
week or so and eligibility is determined after the and below the Federal tolerance level of 9.22%.
required information and verifications are
reviewed. Applications are taken at four major In Federal fiscal year 1996 our AFDC error rate has
district offices located throughout the County. In remained below 2%, and in Food Stamps we
addition, applications for Medi-Cal are processed at reduced our error rate somewhat while the State
the County Hospital and ongoing cases are served error rate increased. We are continuing to develop
at the North Richmond and Bay Point Service and apply corrective actions which include rein-
Integration Team (SIT) sites for residents choosing forcement training, additional desk guides and
to take advantage of them. other measures. AFDC and FS accuracy rates are:
The Department is exploring or implementing new FFY 96 (10/95-9/96) AFDC FS .
methods to better serve our clients. Among these Contra Costa County 98.00% 94.02%
is the introduction of voice mail so clients can State 96.63% 90.58%
leave messages for their workers, and greater com-
puter automation to speed the process of eligibility FFY 97 (10/96-9/97)- AFDC FS
determination. We have developed and maintained Contra Costa County 98.70% 92.84%
contracts for nine Food Stamp issuance sites locat- State 96.75% 90.05%
ed throughout the County and hope eventually to •year to date
eliminate the need for the use of stamps through
a
10
Additional Accomplishments, • Began projects to capture, track, store and ana-
Income Maintenance/GAIN Bureau lyze data related to Redesign and Welfare Reform
• GAIN and Income Maintenance services were outcomes such as increased employment and
organizationally merged. income and increased terminations due to
• GAIN placements were up 64% over last year. The employment.
number of cases with earnings has risen up to • Staff participated in many community Welfare
10% in some offices even as the overall caseload Reform and work force development groups,
has declined. including the Children's Policy Forum, Work
• The Federal Food and Consumer Services Force Development Advisory Panel, One-Stop
Department of the U.S. Department of planning, East Bay Works project, regional trans-
Agriculture named Contra Costa as the County portation meetings and Welfare Reform coordina-
with the highest Food Stamp accuracy rate in the tors meetings.
State of California. • Staff participated in several meetings of the State
• Performance based contracts have been developed Legislature's Special Conference Committee on
with a number of community organizations Welfare Reform to give input, and worked
using one-time GAIN funds to support job place- through the California State Association of
ments for job seekers. Counties and County Welfare Directors Associa-
• Phase I implementation of our Redesign Plan, tion to advance our positions on Welfare Reform.
"Focusing on Employment", started in November • A Speaker's Bureau Rapid Response Team was
1996. Local office Action Tums and formed and staff trained to make Welfare Reform
Department-wide Tisk Forces were formed, presentations. Community-wide forums and
trained and began working to design specific numerous meetings on Welfare Reform have
pilot projects. been held.
• Phase II Redesign began in four local office pilot • Local agencies and organizations have been
projects, testing different methods of integrating brought together to plan and deliver reform
the Income Maintenance and GAIN service- information to AFDC and Food Stamp program
delivery continuum. participants.
• Lobbies have been redesigned to include children's • Numerous Welfare Reform public education
play areas, information about jobs and commu- bulletins, reports, letters and a handbook were
nity resources. One office has an employment developed and distributed.
"Resource Room" with phone banks and job • Created a "Medi-Cal Outreach" campaign to
services Internet access. inform potentially eligible individuals and
families about the Medi-Cal program.
11
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'We protect abused and
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neglected children .
The Social Services Bureau consists of Child Family Reunification
Welfare Services (CWS) and the Adult and Aging When a child is removed by Juvenile Court Order
Division. Child Welfare's major responsibilities from their parents' care due to abuse or neglect,
include the protection and care of neglected and services are provided to attempt to remedy the
abused children in Contra Costa County. conditions which led to this removal. A
reunification plan is designed to help the family
The Adult and Aging Services Division consists of resolve those issues and problems which brought
the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and the Adult this family to the attention of the court.
Social Services Programs. AAA programs target the Approximately 520 children in the County are
elderly residents of the County and are provided being served by this program.
pursuant to the Federal Older Americans Act and
related State legislation. Permanency Planning
CWS Permanency Planing services assist children
Adult Services programs are provided pursuant to in establishing a permanent family. The law
the State Welfare and Institutions Code and reach requires that adoption be the first permanent plan
out to disabled adults who are at-risk of institution- pursued if reunification between the parent and
alization, abuse or neglect. child is not successful. If adoption is not pursued,
Emergency Response then guardianship is considered as a permanent
CWS Emergency Response provides a 24-hour, 365 plan. Long-term foster care is the least desirable
permanent plan. Approximately 1,600 children
days per year response to allegations of child abuse. are served at point in time in this area.
Persons reporting abuse and neglect call our cen-
tralized screening unit where social workers make Independent Living Skills Program (ILSP)
a determination on what course of action to take. Young people, ages 16 and older, are provided with
services to get them ready to emancipate from the
This screening unit received over 20,470 calls in the foster care system when they turn 18 years of age.
past year. When it is decided that a call requires They receive hands-on experience in topics such as
face-to-face contact by Children's Services staff, the budgeting, apartment hunting, resume writing and
case is forwarded to the Emergency Response Intake
Unit. A staff person will then meet with the child interviewing skills.
and the family regarding the abuse allegation. They attend workshops on self-esteem issues,
Family Maintenance sexual responsibility, conflict resolution and
peer-counseling. Youth with the ability and desire
We provide services that help families in crisis stay for higher education are taken on campus tours
together. If a child can remain safely in his or her and given help in filling out college applications
parents' home, a social worker can provide supervi-
sion and other services to help strengthen the and financial aid paperwork. Over 500 young
family's foundation. people participate in ILSP, with about 75 leaving
our care each year.
Family Maintenance can be provided through a
voluntary agreement between the parents and the
Social Service Department or under Juvenile Court Family Preservation Service
Order. These services are offered for up to 12 The family enhancement collaboration now pro-
months. Over 600 children are currently being vides in-home intervention, Kinship Care and
served by this program. shared family care. In-home intervention will be
countywide. Kinship Care sites will be located in
Pittsburg and Richmond, and will serve the relative
12
caregiver of dependent children as well as Customer Relationships,
non-dependents who are in danger of entering Social Services Bureau
the Child Welfare System. Shared family care, in This past year, Children's Services staff participat-
the North Richmond area, is seen as a "whole ed on a Board-appointed task force on child abuse.
family" placement alternative. Both parent and This task force was created to deal with com-
child move into a mentor's home for up to six plaints by many people who found themselves
months. involved in Child Protective Services and Family
Law Court as a result of divorce and custody dis-
putes. This multi-agency and citizen-appointed
Foster Home Licensing task force grappled for many months on topics
An essential part of our Child Welfare Program
is the recruiting, licensing and monitoring of including: how custody disputes often result in
' child abuse referrals; how child abuse reports are '
County homes for the placement of foster made; how families feel when an intervention is
children. There are currently over 2,200 children made; and, the role the various agencies, schools,
in foster care. About half of them are placed with hospitals, courts and community play in child
relatives. The other remaining 50% live primarily abuse and protection of children. A strong em-
in about 400 foster homes licensed in the County phasis was placed on the need for training of all
by our Department. caseworkers who are part of the child abuse system.
Adoptions Additional Accomplishments,
As a licensed Adoptions Agency, we place children Children's Services
in permanent homes. Services include freeing Services* All Child Welfare:Staff completed 52 to 72 hours
children for adoption by terminating rights of of training on CWS/CMS in preparation for
parents who have abused or neglected them, automation implementation in August 1997.
recruiting and screening prospective adoptive • Provided 23 days of new worker training to 42
parents, placing freed children in homes newly-hired social workers.
and finalizing adoptions. We also provide • Provided child abuse prevention through con-
services for children whose parents voluntarily tracting community-based services in the
relinquish their own rights. amount of$350,000.
• Provided Family Preservation through contract-
In the last year, we found loving, adoptive homes ing community-based services in the amount
for 152 children. of$1,400,000.
• Developed RFP for Kinship Care programs,
Shared Family Care program and Receiving
Federal Family Preservation and Support Centers.
Program (FPSP) • Received a grant from the Office of Criminal
Four high risk areas of the7County have been .Justice (OCJP) for $210,000 to start up the Multi
targeted to receive these services. Funds are spent Disciplinary Interview Center (MDIC).
according to the request of focus groups in each of • Increased adoptions by 22% in fiscal year
the targeted `communities Services are provided 1996-1997 and reached our state adoption target. i
through our contracts with Community Based • Recognized foster parents at our annual Foster
Organizations. FPSP activities include informa- Parent Luncheon in October, 1996.
tion and referral, crisis intervention, case • Graduated 37 foster children through the
management, family support, parenting groups, Independent Living Skills Program. 59% are
after school and summer activities for youth, going on to higher education.
employment training and placement and • Received a positive Grand Jury Report, No. 9701,
community development services. "Independent Living Skills Program in Contra
Costa County."
• Received a positive Grand Jury Report, No. 9709,
"Accelerating the Placement of Court-Dependent
Children."
• Developed legislation: SB 468, California Law
Enforcement Tracking System; AB 696,
Receiving Center; AB 159, Concurrent
Planning.
13
es.
r
and carefor
�m protectWe
P the frail and elderly .
Senior Information and Referral to allow these persons to live at home safely and
This program maintains current information on avoid institutionalization. We serve over 4,400
services and resources for persons age 60 and over. persons each month in IHSS.
We provide telephone counseling regarding avail-
able resources and services, including comprehen-
sive assessment of client problems. We provide Adult Protective Services (APS)
outreach services to isolated elderly, coordinate APS provides intervention services to protect more
volunteer tax counseling, offer health promotion than 300 elderly or dependent adults at any given
and disease prevention education through public time, who are suspected to be victims of physical,
presentations and cable television. In fiscal year, emotional or financial abuse or neglect. We evalu-
1996-1997, Senior Information and Referral ate more than 60 new referrals each month.
provided 21,268 contacts, 29,643 separate referrals
to service, 4,475 follow-up contacts and 5,761
outreach contacts serving 13,445 unduplicated Conservatorship Intake
seniors age 60 and over. Our staff investigate the need for conservatorship
of adults who are gravely disabled by mental illness.
As authorized by the Superior Court, our staff assume
Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy responsibility as temporary conservators to autho-
Program (HICAP) rize needed mental health treatment or to arrange
HICAP maintains a corps of trained volunteers to food, clothing and shelter for the conservatee.
counsel the elderly regarding Medicare and supple-
mental insurance, health maintenance organiza-
tions, long-term care insurance, medical bills and Congregate Meals and Transportation
claims. This office provided over 3,900 hours of Under interdepartmental agreement, the County
counseling regarding health insurance options and Health Services Department, Senior Nutrition Pro-
health insurance claims to 1,305 individuals gram provided 172,502 meals at 20 congregate meal
through the efforts of both staff and our trained sites throughout Contra Costa County to approxi-
corps of volunteers. mately 1,440 individuals age 60 and over. We provid-
ed 68,876 one-way rides on paratransit to 330
individuals to and from various congregate meal
Planning, Coordinating and Advocacy sites.
Program development services are provided in
cooperation with other public agencies and com-
munity-based organizations to develop a com- Home Delivered Meals
munity-based system of services for elderly residents The Senior Nutrition Program delivered 157,848
of the County. The County Advisory Council on meals to approximately 1,130 individual home-
Aging, on behalf of all elderly residents of the bound seniors age 60 and over.
County, also provides Advocacy services.
Case Management and
In-Home Support Services (IHSS) In-Home Services for Frail Elders
IHSS provides for eligibility services and reim- Under a contract with Family and Community
bursement of housekeeping and personal care ser- Services, Inc., we provided 1,299 hours of assess-
vices for low-income frail and disabled individuals ment, 1,160 hours of care planning, 1,711 hours of
service arrangement, 1,157 hours of follow-up and
14
monitoring to 392 frail individuals age 60 and over uals who meet the low-income and functional dis-
who were at risk of premature institutionalization. ability standards set by the State, based upon an
In addition, 71 of these individual case manage- in-home assessment of the client's needs. Monthly
ment clients received 18 minor home modifications hours of service are granted to individual clients
to allow them to live independ'ently`at home, 23who then hire their own'independent provider of
hours of respite care and 458 hours of housekeeping. service, who is paid at minimum Nage through a
State automated payroll system.
In-Home Services Registry Adult Protective Services and Conservatorship ser-
Through a contract with Family arid Community
Services, Inc., we provided approximately 6,300 vices are provided to at-risk individuals regardless
of income. Depending upon individual circum-
hours of recruitment, screening and referral of stances; clients may be self-referred or referred by
home care providers to over 1,110 individuals, age other social service agencies, health care institu-
60 and over, who were in need,of affordable in-, tions, law enforcement, family caregivers or
home care service providers. interested general public.
Home Visiting -
Area Agency on Aging services are generally
Under contract, Family and Community Services, accessed through the Senior Information toll-free
Inc., provided 15,900 hours of volunteer home visit- telephone numbers publicized throughout the
ing to 236 socially isolated individuals age 60 and County. In-Home Supportive Services are accessed
by telephone or in person at our district offices in
over. Antioch, Richmond or Martinez.
Legal Services Additional Accomplishments,
During 1996-1997, under contract with Contra
Costa Senior Legal Services, Inc., we provided Aging and Adult Services
5,165 hours of legal assistance to 1,141 individuals • Developed•a Four Year Area Plan on Aging for
age 60 and over. Contra Costa County for.1.997-2001.
• Produced five Senior Information Journal cable
television shows for broadcast on CCTV.
Long-Berm Care Ombudsman • Saved or recovered over $286,600 for clients
Under contract with Ombudsman Services of through the efforts of our Health Insurance
Contra Costa, Inc., we provided approximately Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP).
10,000 hours of complaint investigation and reso- . Trained thirteen new HICAP volunteer coun-
lution services to over 2,800 residents—age 60 and selors.
over—of skilled nursing facilities and residential . Transitioned 46% of the Senior Employment
care facilities for the elderly. Program enrollees from subsidized to unsubsi-
dized employment.
Senior Community Service • Transferred day to day operational responsibility
Employment Program of the Senior Employment Program to the
The Office on Aging Senior Employment Program Private Industry Council, to offer program
provided subsidized part-time employment and enrollees access°to a much greater array of
training to low-income persons age 55 and over, employment related services than were
totaling 12,200 hours through`contracts with six previously available to them.
public and private non-profit community service • Assumed administrative responsibility from the
agencies. California Department of Aging for manage-
ment and oversight of contracts for the Brown
Customer Relations Bag grocery program for low-income seniors and
Alzheimer's Day Care'Resource Center services.
Aging and Adult Services • Developed needs assessment guidelines tool for
Direct client services provided under the;Aging the In-Home Supportive Services program to
and Adult Services generally are targeted toward enhance the accuracy of client services plans.
low-income, minority and frail seniors. Voluntary . Selected contract provider through competitive
client donations are accepted by programs with procurement process to provide registry services
the congregate and home-delivered meals pro- to assist In-Home Supportive Services clients to
grams, obtaining over $504,250 annually in client find appropriate home care workers. �
contributions. • Conducted in-depth research and analysis
In-Home Support Services are provided to individ- regarding the suitability of'an In-Home
- - Supportive Services Public-Authority-for,the
15
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Social Department
1996-1997
John B. Cullen
Director
Shelba Burke
Executive Secretary
Danna Fabella Robert Hofmann Don Cruze
Assistant Director Assistant Director Assistant Director Judy Campbell
Children's/Adult Svcs. Income Maintenance/GAIN Administration Personnel Officer
Martinez-Douglas Dr.
Carolyn Dexter Virginia Joyce Jim Takahashi
CWS Division Manager IM Division Manager Fiscal Division Manager John Lee
East County Martinez Martinez-Douglas Dr.
- - - General Assistance Policy
Martinez-Douglas Dr.
Ray Merritt Shirley Kalinowski John Zimmerman
CWS Division Manager IM Division Manager Computer Systems Officer
West County Antioch Martinez-Douglas Dr. Chris Linville
Welfare Reform Planner
Linda Canan Bill Reid Ken Adams Martinez-Douglas Dr.
CWS Division Manager IM Division Manager Appeals/Civil Rights/Fraud
Countywide Hercules Martinez-Douglas Dr.
Lynn Shoenut Yaney
Public Information Officer
Steve Peavler Gwen Easter Phil Simonds Martinez-Douglas Dr.
CWS Division Manager IM Division Manager Facilities/Pureh. Manager
Family Preservation Richmond Martinez-Douglas Dr.
Debi Moss Kareen Morgan Kerry Welch
CWS Division Manager Prog. &GAIN Division Mgr. Staff Development Mgr.
Central County Martinez-Douglas Dr. Martinez-Douglas Dr.
Bill Weidinger Frank Gallagher Ralph McGee
CWS Division Manager Eligibility Unit Supr. Contracts/Accountability Mgr.
Prog. Support/Policy Sp. Proj./QA/TCC/ORC Martinez-Douglas Dr.
Bob Sessler Hopie Rios
Director-AAA Eligibility Unit Supr.
;Adult Svcs. Countywide Quality Control
MaryKay Miller
FACT/FACSAC
16
Contra Costa County '
Social Department
Central Administration • 40 Douglas Drive, Martinez, CA 94553
e-mail: info@ssd.co.contra-costa.ca.us • (510) 313-1500 • FAX (510) 313-1575
--------------------------------
v s
5 s a
John B. Cullen, Director
This Annual Report was made possible in part through the generosity of:
Hurd&Associates,Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Dimension 21 Photography, Lafayette, CA 94549
Action Printers, Concord, CA 94518