HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 03281989 - 1.59 J�
TD BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ( t
FROM: Contra
`
JAMES A. RYDINGSWORD, DIRECTOR Costa
Social Service Department C
DATE: March 14, 1989 County
SUBJECT: BOARD REFERRAL: Review of Social Service Procedures
for Referrals to Rooming Houses
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION•
Accept report from the Social Service Director providing information on
the Department's current policies and procedures regarding how rooming
houses are investigated and selected for referral purposes, and how these
procedures can be improved in response to Board referral.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None.
BACKGROUND:
On December 6, 1988, the Board of Supervisors' requested information
regarding how rooming houses are investigated and selected for referral
purposes, and how these procedures can be improved. The request was
prompted by the recent Sacramento incident in which the "operator" of a
rooming house allegedly murdered tenants in order to obtain their Social
Security benefits.
In serving the needs of clients, Social Service Department staff may have
occasion to refer individuals, on an Information/Referral basis, to two
types of non-medical "facilities" .
1. The Department can get requests from clients or relatives for
information on availability of non-medical, Out-of-Home Care
facilities (often referred to as "Board and Care Homes") . Such
facilities are licensed and supervised by the Licensing Division
of the State Department of Social Services. The Social Service
Department has no involvement in the investigation of such
facilities.
At one time, before a decrease in Federal and State funding
necessitated a reduction in staff, Social Workers made referrals
and, when necessary, assisted in placing clients and supervising
their adjustment to the new living arrangement.
Currently, due to severe staffing shortages, the Department
limits its involvement to providing an SDSS computer isti� of
all facilities in a specific geographical a without
recommending any particular one.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATU
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECO M DATIO OF h? TEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S)
ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED _ OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
_ UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: County Administrator's Office ATTESTED MAR 2 8 1989
Social Service Department J.R. OLSSON, COUNTY CLERK
AND EX OFFICIO CLERK OF THE BOARD
M382/7-33 BY , _ DEPUTY
}
Page 2 of 2
This activity is considered Information and Referral. No
supervision is done on the placement, and any facility that
remains on the State list is considered approved and acceptable.
2 . County Social Service staff, particularly those working with the
homeless, can become involved in locating affordable housing
resources for single individuals who are competent and do not
require care and supervision in addition to room and board.
For such individuals, a proper, though scarce, resource is a
person who offers to rent a room with or without kitchen
privileges in a private home. Less frequently, a person with a
large home might rent rooms to several individuals at a time and
provide them with meals and laundry (a "room and board house" or
"rooming house") . This is precisely the type of "facility" that
was being operated in Sacramento by Ms. Fuentes
Such "facilities" have no licensing requirements and are not
supervised by either the State or the County Social Service
Department.
Essentially, persons who reside in such homes have set up a
landlord/tenant relationship which they are free to end at any
time.
Referrals to these "facilities" are made on an Information and
Referral basis. No "placement activity" occurs and referents are
advised that no information is available as to the adequacy or
reputation of the facility.
In both of the above situations, the County has no responsibility for
investigation of the facility, and presumably, no liability if an incident
occurred. This is because County Social Service staff are involved only
in providing lists of possible resources without recommending any ,specific
facility. If, on the other hand, Social Service Staff engaged in the
placement of individuals, supervised their adjustment, and evaluated
adequacy of care, the County could conceivably be held accountable.
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Disc 10-LA: ROOMHOUS.BO