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THOMAS FIRETheThe Human Services Agency Assists with Response and RecoveryThe Thomas Fire, the second largest fire inthe history of California, started on Monday,December 4, around 6:30 p.m. on the outskirts ofSanta Paula. Driven by powerful Santa Ana winds,the fire began its march to the sea, reaching thecity of Ventura in just a few hours. Along theway, the fire consumed 273,400 acres of brush,destroyed over 1,000 structures, and led to twodeaths.of which remained operational. The Red Crossestablished Thomas Fire Headquarters at theHuman Services Agency's administrative facility,with Agency staff supporting technology and facilityneeds.Early in the morning on Tuesday December 5, theCounty Office of Emergency Services activated theirEmergency Operations Center (EOC). The HumanServices Agency deployed staff to the EOC to workwith the Red Cross and partners on Mass Care andShelter Operations. Director Barry Zimmermanactivated the Agency's disaster response planas outlined in the Continuity of Operations Plan(COOP). The Agency's Department OperationsCenter, staffed by key members of the disasterresponse team, convened to begin implementationof the COOP and ensure that mission essentialservices continued uninterrupted. Thomas Fire information and resource guidesposted on the Agency website and all socialmedia channels Multiple email and text communications sentto clients and In-Home Supportive Servicesproviders in both English and Spanish Partner and stakeholder email updates Publications developed and distributed fordisaster-specific assistance programs suchas housing assistance and disaster-relatedCalFresh benefitsSome Agency staff served as disaster serviceworkers and were deployed to shelter locations atthe Ventura Fairgrounds and Oxnard College, whileothers continued delivering services at offices, allPlans were designed to facilitate communicationwith clients, staff, partner organizations, emergencyresponders, the media, and members of the public.Communication vehicles included:As the fire moved into Santa Barbara County,Agency staff continued to ensure that criticalservices were delivered to the public. As managingentity for the County's Local Assistance Center(LAC) in Ventura, the Agency positioned staffrepresenting public assistance, veteran, andhomeless services at the center. County andRed Cross service centers opened in Ojai andSanta Paula to meet the needs of local residents.Additionally, Agency outreach staff deliveredinformation in English and Spanish to communitymembers at meetings and events.With temporary housing plans in place for all RedCross shelter residents, the Thomas Fire evacuationshelter at the Fairgrounds closed on the afternoonof Friday, December 22. Homeless Services socialworkers assisted fire victims with transitions tomotels and other interim housing and helpedshelter residents who were homeless prior to thefires transition to the Winter Warming Shelter.After serving for two weeks as a one-stop centerproviding fire recovery information and assistanceto over 1,950 residents, the LAC closed on theafternoon of Saturday, December 23.During the Thomas Fire, the Human ServicesAgency demonstrated considerable capacity inresponding to community demands and needs.Still, the Agency continues to refine plans to ensureit can perform essential functions should anotherdisaster affect facilities and staffing more severely.CEO and Board of Supervisors Approve Rental Assistance Program for Fire VictimsOn December 11, just days after the ThomasFire had begun, County Executive Officer MikePowers and the County Board of Supervisors quicklyapproved the use of 500,000 in General Fundmoney to establish a rental assistance programfor eligible residents who could not return to theirhomes due to the impact of local wildfires. Thisunique program expanded upon ongoing rentalassistance programs for low-income householdsadministered by the County of Ventura HumanServices Agency including the CalWORKs HousingSupport Program, Homeless Prevention & ReHousing Program and Emergency Solutions Grants.interim housing, rental payments, replacement ofhousehold and personal items, moving and storagecosts, rental deposits, utility deposits and payments,and credit counseling.“Short term rental assistance helped our lower andmiddle income neighbors who lost their homes getback on their feet more quickly,” said Steve Bennett,County Supervisor for the First District. The newprogram offered eligible fire victims help with:Through July 1, 2018, the Human Services Agencyprovided homeless services and case managementto 296 households and rental assistance to 56families using the special funding.

Food Benefits for Wildfire VictimsAs part of the Agency’s disaster planning efforts, staff regularly reviewand submit the County’s Disaster CalFresh Plan to the state for approval.Disaster CalFresh is a program that helps to meet the temporary nutritionalneeds of disaster victims following events such as floods, fires, earthquakes,or any other natural disaster. Disaster CalFresh provides a month’s worth ofbenefits on an Electronic Benefit Transfer card which can be used to purchasefood at authorized retail stores. Until the Thomas Fire, the County plan hadnever been activated — but when it was needed the most, staff were trainedand ready to implement the program.Helping Those Who Lost HomesIndividuals already participating in CalFresh were not eligible for DisasterCalFresh food assistance, but some households affected by the Thomas Fireor related power outages were eligible to receive mass replacement and/orsupplemental benefits. During the course of the Thomas Fire, over 4.2 millionin disaster-related food benefits were issued to residents impacted by the fire.On the first night of the Thomas Fire, a family of six woke up to firstresponders banging on the door of their trailer home. They escapedin their car but lost their home and belongings, as well as the job the fatherperformed on the ranch in exchange for modest housing. The family soughthelp at the Red Cross shelter at the Fairgrounds, and the mother continued togo to her job every day despite overwhelmingly difficult circumstances. Socialworkers with the Human Services Agency’s Homeless Services program metwith the family at the shelter and used special funding allocated by the VenturaCounty Board of Supervisors to place the family in temporary housing for nearlyfour months until they could secure an affordable, permanent rental unit. Socialworkers assisted the family with case management and supportive services,giving the family help and hope as the parents continued to rebuild their livesand keep their children in school despite such a significant setback. Bothparents are now working full time again and maintaining their new apartmentwith no ongoing rental assistance.After losing her home at the Hawaiian Village apartments during theThomas Fire, a Ventura resident found herself sleeping at her workplace asshe tried to figure out next steps with little savings and few support networks.Fortunately, she learned about special funding allocated by the Ventura CountyBoard of Supervisors for fire victims, and applied for assistance. Through theprogram, Homeless Services social workers helped the Ventura resident withtemporary housing for nearly three months until she found an apartment shecould afford. Social workers also connected the Ventura resident to communityorganizations that helped her replenish furniture and household goods, and sheis now making her new apartment a home.Thomas Fireby theNUMBERS135staff participated,contributing5,355 hours ofdisaster focused work541residents were offeredHSA services at the LocalAssistance Center30,000unique views on HSAThomas Fire social mediaposts (Facebook/Twitter) 4.2millionin Calfresh disaster-relatedfood benefits issued56Thomas Fire Recovery - Assisting VeteransThe Veteran Services Office provided outreach and services to fire victimsin local offices and at the County's Local Assistance Center. Staff providedservices to 22 individuals including: Connected vets displaced by the Thomas Fire with the Disabled AmericanVeterans for monetary support Ordered replacement records, such as DD-214 Discharge documents Provided a surviving spouse with a replacement burial flag Assisted with referrals for a Veteran family needing housing Coordinated with CalVet to provide vets with resources if they lost theirhome and had a CalVet home loanhouseholds received rentalassistance22Veterans received services300 calls to vunlerable clients inIHSS & APS programs850 calls to foster familiesliving in fire and mudslideevacuation zones

INNOVATIONSTRATUS Interpretation Service ImprovesLanguage Access for ClientsThe Human Services Agency has implemented a new languageinterpretation service that assists staff as they engage with clients andfamilies who speak a variety of languages. Whether determining eligibilityfor public assistance programs, delivering child welfare services, or servingvulnerable adults, staff now have access to STRATUS video or over-the-phonelanguage interpretation services. During the Thomas Fire, STRATUS VideoInterpreting services were available to assist residents at the County’s LocalAssistance Center.With the implementation of the STRATUS video service, Agency staff who workin the field now use their tablets to connect with language interpreters from aclient's front porch, kitchen table or bedside, and share the live audio-video feedwith the client. Additionally, office-based staff now use the STRATUS over-thephone service or web-based desktop service for language interpretation.Compliant with standardsestablished by the Americanswith Disabilities Act and Title VIof the Civil Rights Act, STRATUSprovides confidential videointerpretation 24/7 in more than20 languages including AmericanSign Language, Arabic, Armenian,Korean, Spanish, and Tagalog.An additional 150 languages areavailable by phone, includingMixteco, with advance notice. Further, STRATUS enables staff to highlight keyinformation in writing on the video screen, such as telephone numbers andappointment dates, to help confirm the client's understanding.Staff report that the STRATUS video format is particularly helpful for clientswho are elderly and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Staff also note thatclients are more likely to open up and share information when they can seetheir interpreter on video. Moreover, STRATUS helps social workers prepare forunique and unpredictable situations in the field.For example, when an Adult Protective Services social worker arrived at thehome of an elderly woman who was reported to be at risk, the social workerwas greeted by a Spanish/English-speaking housekeeper and a Mandarinspeaking caregiver, as well as the Farsi-speaking client. Using two STRATUSinterpreters simultaneously, the social worker engaged with the client and hercaregiver successfully, and ensured the client's safety within a short time frame.Children’s Accelerated Access to Treatment &Services (CAATS)Ventura County Human Services Agency Children & Family Services andVentura County Behavioral Health have partnered to streamline accessand provide timely mental health services for children and youth entering thechild welfare system. The implementation of Children’s Accelerated Access toTreatment & Services (CAATS) in February 2018 is expected to close existinggaps by changing the current structure of service delivery. Ultimately, the goalis to improve quality, access and overall outcomes for foster youth and families.CAATS was conceived in response to the high needs of children and youthentering the child welfare system who have been exposed to trauma. Assuch Mental Health Services Act Innovations funds were leveraged to supportimplementation. The major tenets of CAATS include an expedited traumainformed assessment process, universal mental health services for foster youth,and support from a Licensed Vocational Nurse who provides monitoring andoversight of psychotropic medication when medication is deemed necessaryafter alternatives have been tried.The mental health assessment is completed by a team of clinicians within fivedays from receipt of the referral, and treatment is initiated five days fromcompletion of the assessment. CAATS makes it possible for all children andyouth entering thechild welfare systemto receive some formof mental healthintervention, asremoval from homecan be traumatizing.It is believed thatearly assessmentand timely accessto treatment canimprove children’soverall mental healthwellness, and help facilitate a successful reunification with the family or othercaregivers.Early results from CAATS show increased collaboration across agencies, asBehavioral Health clinicians attend critical Child & Family Team meetings tocoordinate treatment and case planning, and leverage the family’s naturalsupports to promote family healing.

California legislation (AB 403) signed into law in October 2015 mandatesContinuum of Care Reform for the child welfare system. Major tenetsinclude: Prioritizing home-based delivery of services Redefining the purpose of group care to short-term residential treatment Teaming service providers with children and families in a manner thatensures that families’ voices are heard Ensuring children’s early access to specialized mental health servicesirrespective of their placement settingThe Human Services Agency is implementing Continuum of Care systemchanges to ensure that more children experiencing abuse or neglect receivecare in family settings, with early access to services and a voice in keydecisions, until they reunite with their parents or enter a permanent home.Efforts are focused on promoting and providing services that are family-focused,trauma-informed, and delivered to youth and families in the least restrictive,least stigmatizing community-based setting.Results showing that these changes are making a positive difference in the livesof children and families include: 13% decrease in the number of children in care in the past year 60% of children are in placements with relatives or another familiarcaregiver 38% decrease in the number of youth placed in group homes 200 Child & Family Team meetings are conducted monthly to ensure thevoices of children, families and supporters are heardContinuum of Care– Guiding Principles –Safe at Home:We believe families can keep their children safe with support.Caregiving:We believe children should be cared for in a familiar,nurturing, and safe environment.INNOVATIONChild Welfare Continuum of Care ProgressChild’s Experience:We believe every child is entitled to thrive through stability, familyconnections, quality treatment, and a voice in planning.Parental Support for Reunification:We believe, through partnership and support, parents can growand change in order to safely parent their children.Permanency:We believe all children deserve a sense of belonging, and permanentunconditional commitment in a lifelong family.

SUCCESS STORIESClientRAIN Transitional LivingCenter Helps Client Recoverand ThriveRaquel is a singlemother of three whowas released from prisonwhile recovering from drugand alcohol addiction. Heroldest child was living withher parents while her twoyounger children were infoster care. Raquel applied to RAIN TransitionalLiving Center and entered, initially as a singleresident.Raquel began attendingthe “New Start for Moms”program, secured a parttime job at a warehouseand, together with hersocial worker, focusedon taking needed stepsto reunify with her twoyounger boys. DuringRaquel’s time at RAIN, she completed “New Startfor Moms,” obtained full-time employment, openeda savings account, completed her probation,maintained her sobriety, and closed her childwelfare case. Raquel’s two boys reunified with herat RAIN and soon after, her daughter also movedinto RAIN.Raquel continued to work and saved enoughmoney while living at RAIN to purchase a vehicleand pay down her debts. Through intensive casemanagement, Raquel developed coping skillsfor dealing with past traumas and established astronger relationship with her children. Uponcompleting the RAIN program with newly acquiredbudgeting skills, Raquel moved into a two-bedroomapartment, and remains able to cover her housingexpenses without subsidies.Partnerships Provide Foundations for SuccessThe Coordinated Entry System, also knownand within 26 days, the youth was approved foras Pathways to Home, is the VenturaPermanent Supportive Housing.County Continuum of Care Alliance’s referralDue to the successful multi-agency efforts onmethod to efficiently serve homeless individualsthis case, more agencies are requesting to bethroughout the County, regardless of wherepart of Pathways to Home. One group —thethey apply for services.Spirit of Santa Paula—This system allowsactively works with theindividuals and familieshomeless population into access servicestheir community andneeded to move themjoined the Continuum toout of homelessnessenhance collaborationsas quickly as possible.with partners. AmidstPathways to Homethe contentious issuesutilizes a client-focusedthe Spirit of Santa Paula“The Homeless Managementapproach that minimizesregularly encountersthe complexity andInformation System (HMIS) is not in serving the mostchallenges associatedvulnerable, they havea program for sissies, and manywith accessing multiplehelped homelesshours of training will be requiredprograms for help withclients achieve positivehomelessness. Referralsbefore login information is granted outcomes. As a nextfor permanent housing,step, the Spirit ofto the Spirit of Santa Paula.shelter and servicesSanta Paula is gearingThe system is designed to matchare sent to the variousup for training on theagencies participating inindividuals with services offered by Homeless Managementthe Continuum who workvarious non-profit and government Information Systemcollaboratively to providethe primaryagencies in the County — including (HMIS),effective and efficientrepository for clientclient services.us, through a sophisticatedlevel data for consumersVentura CountyHMISRecently, a transitionalof homeless servicesalgorithm method,” said Kayaged youth was servedcountywide. HMISWilson-Bolton, volunteer Directorthrough Pathways toallows the Continuum ofof the Spirit of Santa Paula.Home. The 18 yearCare to analyze criticalold had been homelessdata and evaluatefor over one year andessential informationhad experienced severe trauma and negativeregarding outreach and prevention, emergencyexperiences during childhood and while living onshelters, transitional housing, and permanentthe streets. Pathways to Home partners workedsupportive housing.diligently to gather the required documentationto ensure the youth met eligibility requirements,

At 18, Clara began receiving CalWORKs assistanceto support herself and her young child. As partof her participation,she was encouraged tocomplete her remaininghigh school requirementsand eventually, went onto obtain an Associate ofArts degree at OxnardCollege. Eager tobecome independent from her parents and supportherself and her own family, Clara pursued schooland work with dedication.Human Services Agency programs and supportservices were critical forClara during this time.CalWORKs and qualitychildcare from ChildDevelopment Resourcesallowed her to attendschool full time. CalFresh food assistance andhealth care coverage from Medi-Cal were additionalbenefits she deeply appreciated for her children.Clara obtained a retail job, and eventually, due toher improved situation, no longer qualified for aid.Clara went on to find employment in the socialservice sector, where she helped communitymembers, both English and Spanish-speaking,connect with resources available in the communityKeeping Engaged Youth Supported – Client on Path to SuccessRecently, Ventura CountyProbation opened theKeeping Engaged YouthSupported (KEYS) YouthDay Reporting Center. KEYSfocuses on bringing partnerorganizations together to workwith clients in a collaborativemanner. One client, Kevin, shared his story at arecent KEYS event. Kevin had been in and out ofthe juvenile justice system for years and did notfeel supported by his family. Facing a robberycharge, he went on the run, but was afraid of whatwas ahead of him given he was about to turn 18.Kevin’s connection with his probation officer gavehim the moral support and guidance needed. OnceKEYS opened, Kevin was a frequent visitor. Kevincredited an employment specialist with the HumanServices Agency with helping him learn “how todress, how to talk to adults versus how I talk tomy friends, how to put together a resume and howto conduct myself in an interview.” Kevin is nowenrolled at Ventura College, working part-time, andhas a goal to become an electrician.Supervisor John Zaragoza and county partners cutting the ribbon for theKEYS Day Reporting Center.to benefit their families. When needed, she tookon second jobs to make ends meet, which includedroles supporting parents, assisting with disasterrelief and more. Throughout this, she continued tostudy, and eventually became the first in her familyto obtain a bachelor’s degree.Despite challenges, Clara has persisted, maintainingher s

Oct 30, 2018 · of the City of Ventura, Ventura College (Santa Paula Campus), and the Human Services Agency's East County America's Job Center and Ventura Community Service Center. Community The California Assembly recognized Ventura County Veteran Services Office employees Mike McManus and Tamm