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iFROM: FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE Costa
x�. County
Y• v X40
DATE: March 11, 1996
SUBJECT: STATUS REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE BLUE RIBBON TASK FORCE
ON CHILD ABUSE ISSUES
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. ACCEPT the attached report from the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Child
Abuse Issues.
2. EXTEND the life of the Task Force through July 31 , 1996 to allow the Task
Force to complete its work.
3. REQUEST the Task Force to make a further status report to the Family and
Human Services Committee on May 13, 1996.
BACKGROUND:
On December 5, 1995, the Board of Supervisors approved a report from our
Committee which included the following recommendation:
1. APPROVE the attached Work Plan for the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Child
Abuse Issues,REQUEST the Task Force to make a further status report to the
1996 Family and Human Services Committee during the first quarter of 1996,
and for this purpose REFER this matterto the 1996 Family and Human Services
Committee,REMOVING it as a referral to the 1995 Family and Human Services
Committee.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X _YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REC M ENDATION OF BOARD COMMITT
APPROVE
SIGNATURES: MARK DeSAULNIER J MI H
ACTION OF BOARD ON March 19, 1996 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
UNANIMOUS(ABSENT_none ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
ATTESTED March 19, 1996
Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
cc: County Administrator SUPERVISORS ND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
Blue Ribbon Task Force on Child Abuse Issues
(Via Supervisor. DeSaulnier's Office) A.
BY DEPUTY
F&HS-1 C '`7 O
On March 11, 1996, our Committee met with Karen Mitchoff, staff to the Blue Ribbon
Task Force on Child Abuse Issues, who reviewed the attached report with our
Committee. Ms. Mitchoff noted that the Task Force has just about completed Phase
I of their work, gathering information on the various elements of the system. The
Task Force will then undertake Phase 2, meetings in the community to receive input
from the general public.
The Task Force now believes that it will require an additional month to complete its
work and asks that it be permitted to continue its work through the end of July, 1996.
We are pleased with the progress being made by the Task Force and would like to
have an additional status report from the Task Force in May.
-2-
BLUE RIBBON TASK FORCE
ON CHILD ABUSE ISSUES
REPORT TO THE FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE
March 11, 1996
Introduction
The Blue Ribbon Task Force on Child Abuse Issues began meeting in
September of 1995 and moved forward in addressing Phase I of the Work Plan in mid-
November 1995. We are nearing completion of that phase, which addresses Purpose
Nos. 1 (identify all parties involved in receiving, investigating and processing child
abuse complaints) and 2 (outline the process which is followed in receiving,
investigating and processing child abuse complaints) as set forth by the Board of
Supervisors.
Status of Progress on Work Plan
Because of two resignations from the Task Force, one of which occurred since
our last report to your committee, we are slightly behind our time schedule. At this
point, we anticipate completion of Phase I by mid-April.
The Task Force will next meet on Tuesday, March 12th, at which time the
members will be discussing the logistics, dates and times for the community meetings
outlined in the Work Plan under Phase II. It is anticipated there will be at least one
community meeting in the west, central/south, and east areas of the county. There
is a possibility of more than one meeting in some geographical areas, but those plans
have not been finalized as yet. We hope to complete these meetings by mid-May.
Each member of the Task Force, representing a specific component in the
system, has presented their department's/field's role/purpose in the process. At
this time, the Medical/Psychological and Juvenile Court components remain to be
presented.
In our previous report to you on November 11, 1995, we expressed the hope
to complete our work by the end of June 1996. It may be more realistic to move this
date to the end of July 1996.
Membership
In November of 1995, your committee interviewed and recommended the
appointment of Carol Lee, Ph.D. , to the vacant Psychiatric/Psychological Seat on the
Task Force. Additionally, your committee created two new positions and
recommended the appointment of Matt Barnes to the At-Large Seat and Olivia
Gallardo to the Education Seat. All three appointees were confirmed by the Board
of Supervisors, and each has attended and participated in the work of the group.
In January of 1996, Elizabeth Lehman-Jarrett, who was one of two Parent
representatives, resigned from the Task Force for personal reasons. This was
reported to your committee on February 27, 1996, and you delegated authority for
interviewing and appointing an individual to this seat to the Task Force. The sub-
committee handling this task hopes to have an appointment made for our meeting on
March 12th. The Task Force will ask the Board of Supervisors to ratify our selection
at the March 19th meeting.