Transcription
FROM FOSTER CARE TO UNIVERSITY LIFEJDear DPSS Team:Thank you for your focus on our clientsand communities as we continue toadjust our practices in this coronavirusenvironment. Efforts to flatten the curve onthe pandemic have not gone as well as officials had hopedearly on. As a result, the County of Riverside has againtemporarily closed its buildings to curtail spread of disease.Most county employees, including those with DPSS, willcontinue to telework. No target date for reopening has beenannounced.DPSS is an essential organization. Our work and missionare vital to our communities. As a critical safety net, wemust keep our doors open on a limited basis to those whoneed immediate resources to stay safe. Children and adultsat risk of abuse and neglect need us now, possibly, morethan ever. We will continue to safely comply with regulatoryrequirements for in-person customer assessments.Protective services programs will also continue to conductmandatory in-person safety assessments and court-orderedfamily visits.Our organization continues to take several precautionarymeasures to keep you and our customers healthy whileconducting DPSS business inside and outside of ourfacilities. These include but are not limited to mandatoryhealth screenings, facial coverings, physical distancing,sneeze guards and sanitation of our buildings daily. Moreprotective services workers continue to be trained andprovided with personal equipment to use whenrecommended, to help them stay safe in the field; this willbe done on an ongoing basis.Nevertheless, the most effective safeguard against COVID19 remains you—and me.Over the past four weeks, Riverside County has seen aspike in COVID 19 cases, including a near doubling ofcases within our own department. It is our understandingthat none of our staff cases have been traced to customercontact, but rather external contacts.I have confidence in your strong focus to protect thewellbeing of our clients. I have seen time and again yourproven commitment to keeping our communities—and oneanother—safe. The pandemic likely will be with us for sometime. Our executive team will continue to communicate withyou and ensure ongoing measures to carry out our missionwhile keeping our workforce healthy. I am truly grateful foryour flexibility and grace as we find our path forward duringthis unprecedented event.Sayoriune was a big month forBrianna Gonzalez.The 18-year-old foster youthgraduated from Temescal CanyonHigh School in Lake Elsinore.While her senior year didn’t turnout quite exactly as she hadhoped for due to COVID-19, she islooking forward to opening thenext chapter of her life and career.Gonzalez, of Menifee, is one of the11 foster youth in Riverside Countywho will be going to a four-yearcollege after high schoolgraduation. Countywide, there areabout 100 students in foster caregraduating in the high school classof 2020.Brianna Gonzalez, 18, graduated fromTemescal Canyon High School in LakeElsinore and in August will be attendingCalifornia Baptist University in August.(Photo courtesy of Brianna Gonzalez)Foster youth represent one of the most vulnerable and at-risk studentpopulations in California schools. In 2019, the high school graduation ratefor foster youth in California public schools was just 56%, compared with85% for all students.“Congratulations to Briannaand all our foster youthgraduates of 2020,” saidCharity Douglas, programdirector of Children’s Servicesat the Riverside CountyDepartment of Public SocialServices. “They are resilientand empowered to write abright future for themselvesand others whose lives theywill positively impact.”“Brianna is a very impressiveyoung lady. Growing up in thechild welfare system has itschallenges and she hasdefeated the odds and earnedher way into a university. Icouldn’t be prouder of her; itwas an honor to be a part ofsuch a wonderful young lady’slife.“MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR-Kim Hill, Social ServicesPractitioner IIIBorn in Pennsylvania, Gonzalez moved to Riverside County in the sixthgrade. That is when she says her world fell apart and she was placed infoster care. “In seventh grade, I was blessed to live with my amazingfoster parents, who’ve been beside me this entire time,” she said.Now, with high school behind her, Gonzalez is ready for university life. Shewill be pursuing a nursing degree at California Baptist University inRiverside. She loves kids. Her dream is to become a pediatric nursepractitioner.“I know from being in foster care that not all kids like me get to go on to dotheir schooling,” she said, adding that she feels a strong support systemand placement with a stable and loving family were keys to her success.Gonzalez hopes she will be moving into campus housing this August. “Ican’t wait to be on my very own,” she added.RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICESPAGE 1
SPENDING TIGHTENS BUT HIRING TO CONTINUE IN BUDGET YEAR AHEADDespite a rocky budget year ahead, the Board of Supervisorshas unanimously agreed to maintain county funding forDPSS, with the supervisors citing strong support for theorganization’s mission and their appreciation for the complexity ofits caseloads.Fifth District Supervisor Jeff Hewitt said he was skeptical early onabout the role of DPSS and that his eyes were “opened” when heaccompanied a Children’s Services social worker on a ride alongto check on children and families.TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS: 1,153,288,785“This is such an emotional and demanding job,” Hewitt said duringthe county’s budget hearings late last month in downtownRiverside. “It is really one of the toughest jobs there is.”Sayori Baldwin, director of DPSS, said it was essential that DPSScontinue to recruit and hire qualified social workers andsupervisors as the department focuses on the delivery of qualityservices and organizational efficiencies.“I am so grateful for our Board’s support,” said Baldwin. “Thiscrucial investment underscores our supervisors’ commitment toprotecting vulnerable children and adults, and their interest inensuring resources are available to local communities at anunprecedented economic time.” The 2020-21 fiscal year beganJuly 1.NCCTHE NET COUNTYCOST (NCC)ACCOUNTS FOR 5.9%OF THE DPSS BUDGET. 68,425,268Most of the 1.15 billion annual budget for DPSS comes from the federal and state governments. However, just under 6% comes fromRiverside County. Much of the county investment is required for DPSS to draw down funding from state and federal programs. Officials saycuts by the county would have meant much larger fiscal losses for the department.Monica Bentley, chief financial officer for DPSS, says a budget agreement from the State of California to backfill other lost revenues alsohelped stabilize the financial outlook for the coming year. But, she cautions, the department is “not out of the woods.”“We will be carefully considering all spending. Savings will be pursued in many areas,” Bentley said, adding that plans to close some DPSSfacilities in coming months could yield some reductions in overhead costs.“As the economy recovers, it will be necessary to monitor the recovery rate and assess what our funding streams will be able to support in thefuture,” Bentley says. “While it appears that economic recovery has begun, it will not happen overnight.”FOLLOW US ONSOCIAL MEDIA!@rivcodpssThey’ve been foster parentsfor over 30 years. They’vefostered over 2000 kids.Now they’re answeringFREQUENTLY ASKEDQUESTIONS ABOUTFOSTER PARENTING.RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICESCLICKHERECLICKHERETOWATCHTO WATCHPAGE 2
PANDEMIC DOESN’T STOP ADULTPROTECTIVE SERVICES FROMDELIVERING MESSAGEMULTIAGENCY TEAM EARNS NATIONAL AWARDSocial watchdogs areneeded, now more thane v e r, t o h e l p p r o t e c tvulnerable seniors anddependent adults fromfinancial scams, abuseand neglect during thecoronavirus pandemic,say advocates for theaging and disabled.Dr. Stacey Wood“We are experiencing a time ofincreased social distancing and isolation,” warned Dr.Stacey Wood, a national expert in forensicneuropsychology and geriatric psychology.“And,isolation is a potent factor for all kinds of abuse,”Wood was speaking to more than 300 advocates forthe aging who attended the webinar “Isolation andLoneliness: Precursor to Elder Abuse & Exploitation.”The webinar was hosted by Riverside County AdultServices Division to align with National Elder AbusePrevention Month in June.Attendees said the webinar was excellent, easy tounderstand and that it offered practical tools that wereeasy to apply. Some said the topic was especiallytimely.“Considering the unprecedented situation we arefacing, I am glad we had this webinar,” wrote oneparticipant.“The tremendous participation we saw speaks to therelevance of the topic and the interest we all share inprotecting vulnerable adults from neglect and abuse inany of its forms,” said DPSS Regional Manager JulieOrozco, one of the webinar’s organizers. “This meansstrengthening the social safety net around them.”“Our seniors are valued members of society and ourcommunities,” Orozco added. “Pandemic or nopandemic, we are committed to fostering an inclusiveculture that recognizes the value of our seniors andprotects them from harm and neglect.”Help protect elder and dependent adults by calling1-800-491-7123 to report suspected abuse including:Physical abuse, sexual abuse, self-neglect,abandonment, financial abuse, psychological abuseand neglect by others.The Homeless Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meets in Riverside in January 2020 todiscuss complex cases involving homeless adults.When Adult Services social worker Gaby Reyes struggled to get anuncooperative homeless woman off Lake Elsinore streets and into asafe environment, she turned to a team of Riverside County agencies for help.“This woman was in her 80s, and had been homeless for more than 20 years,”Reyes said. “She resisted any help from me. I knew I needed multiple partnersto step in.”Reyes turned for help to a newly formed team of medical, behavioral health,social services, law enforcement, and housing authority professionals. Thehomeless multidisciplinary team launched in 2018. It’s coordinated by theCurtailing Abuse Related to the Elderly (C.A.R.E.) Team and its memberscollaborate to solve complex issues around homelessness. Reyes’ case wasone of the team’s first.Since then, the C.A.R.E. Team has successfully managed more than 100 highrisk homeless cases. The National Association of Counties has recognized theteam’s success with a 2020 Achievement Award for improving county services.Partners such as Riverside University Health System-Behavioral Health, theSheriff’s Department and community-based organizations play important roles.The team connected the homeless senior with the Riverside County PublicGuardian who placed her in a conservatorship to manage her finances and gether into stable housing.“Everyone knew this woman, her history and family dynamics,” Reyes said.“She was able to get wrap-around services such as food and cash assistanceand room and board. Seeing her excitement was so rewarding. I was notworking alone.”Cooperation on the C.A.R.E. Team allows it to meet the needs of high-riskseniors and dependent adults who frequently fall between the cracks ofgovernment safety nets, said Todd Bellanca, program director of RiversideCounty Adult Services.“We are able to effectively close gaps in services by working together tostrengthen that safety net,” Bellanca said.Reyes is proud of the collaboration of the C.A.R.E. Team and the positiveimpact its work has had on the community.“They’ve helped people involved in my cases, and so many others,” she said.RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICESPAGE 3
FAITH COMMUNITY SEAMLESSLY RESPONDSTO NEED FOR MASKSMEET A DAD HELPING OTHER DADS IN RIVERSIDECOUNTYSRince early April, faithbased partners fromacross Riverside Countyhave sewn nearly 7,000masks to protect at-riskclients and social servicesworkers from exposure tothe coronavirus.“We sent out an emailletting our faith partnersknow about the dire needDPSS had for masks, andSandals Church, in Riverside, wasthey immediately swungthe first faith partner to donate masks.into action to meet thisneed, says Irene Capen, manager of Faith in Motion, a networkof more than 50 faith-based partners.The network of partners from many faiths collaborates withDPSS to provide resources and support to abused andneglected children and their families. The network also helpsrecruit families to foster children who need safe and lovinghomes.Recipients of the masks include children and youth in fostercare, the elderly, home caregivers, social workers and otherswho have needed them, said Capen, calling the initiative acollective effort.“This is what Faith in Motion is all about—coming together tosupport efforts that keep individuals and families safe duringthis crisis,” Capen said.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendswearing a face covering in public settings where other socialdistancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially inareas of significant community-based transmission. Facecoverings are always to be worn by employees and visitors toDPSS facilities, says DPSSDirector Sayori Baldwin.Irene Capen, manager ofFaith in Motion, picks up amask donation at CrossroadsChristian Church in Corona.“Wearing a facial covering is asign of respect and considerationfor the health of our colleaguesand our clients,” Baldwin says.“We are grateful for thehandmade facial coverings whichare each so beautiful and unique.This outpouring of love andsupport protects our ownfi e l d w o r k e r s a n d o u r m o s tvulnerable neighbors.”oger De Leon is passionateabout being a dad whohelps other dads.De Leon moved from Texas toSouthern California when hewas 8. Just 10 years later hebecame a father. Now, agrandpa at 41, De Leon helpsother parents across RiversideCounty who want to reunify withtheir children who are in placedin foster care.De Leon knows firsthand whatit’s like when a child is takenRoger De Leon, 41, is a parent partner forawayandsayssometimesthethe Department of Public Social Servicesexperience can seem unfair.(DPSS). (Photo credit: David Meleika)As a father, De Leon hasexperienced all the emotions and work that it takes to get a child back.De Leon said his faith and his role as an assistant youth minister arereassuring to him that he went through the experience himself for areason.For the past five years, De Leon has been a parent partner forRiverside County DPSS. Parent partners are paraprofessionals whohave experienced having a child placed in foster care and were laterreunified with their child.De Leon especially loves working with and encouraging fathers. He isbilingual and engages them in both English and Spanish; his goalbeing to ensure all his clients are communicating with their socialworker, actively participating in the reunification process, and can be apart of their children’s lives as they strive to become better parents.“Although the goal of the child welfare system is to strengthen andpreserve families, we recognize that the process can feeloverwhelming and even frightening,” said Lisa Walcker, regionalmanager for the Program Development Region at DPSS Children’sServices Division. “Through the Parent Partner program, we are ableto connect families who are newly involved with the child welfaresystem with parents who have successfully navigated through theprocess in order to give support along the way.”A small but growing number of studies are showing that parent peer-topeer programs are producing higher rates of reunification and lowerrates of child reentry into the child welfare system, according to CaseyFamily Programs, a national foundation that focuses on safelyreducing the need for foster care and strengthening families.“Our parent partners are able to mentor, encourage and instill hope inother parents, often resulting in better outcomes for families,” Walckeradded.CONTINUED ON PAGE 5RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICESPAGE 4
SELF-SUFFICIENCY HELPS SERVE UP GREAT PLATES TO SENIORSSelf Sufficiency workers regularly go the extra mile to connect clients tothe resources and support they need; and nothing, not even acoronavirus pandemic, will stand in their way of lending a helping handwhen called upon.“This what our county badge is for—to serve the public,” said AnnaSifuentes, support supervisor in the Cathedral City office.In addition to processing tens of thousands of new applications for benefitsover the past four months, members of the Self-Sufficiency team arehelping get the word out about Great Plates Delivered, a statewide mealdelivery service designed to keep older adults safe and healthy at homeduring the coronavirus pandemic.The Riverside County Office on Aging administers Great Plates incollaboration with dozens of partners and local eateries. Since its launchin late April, the Great Plates program has served 75,516 mealscountywide.“This was a great opportunity to help reach people who qualify and whomight not have been aware of this program,” said Kasey Rogers,supervisor program specialist. “The challenge was letting eligiblecustomers without online or social media access know the program isavailable.Self-Sufficiency teams helped identify thousands of eligible clients 60 andolder. Flyers were printed. Frontline workers stuffed almost 5,600.Sifuente’s team of three in Cathedral City printed, stuffed and mailed flyersto hundreds of eligible seniors.Employees at the Fieldhouse Restaurant and Bar at the SilverLakes SportsComplex in Norco prepare meals for the Great Plates Delivered program.Courtesy of Fieldhouse in Norco.“We made the time to get it done right away so that those who needed theassistance could benefit from the program as soon as possible,” Sifuentesays. “It’s what we do.”Countywide, ‘Great Plates’ has delivered meals to 2,906 older adults and 51 local restaurants have participated. Although thestatewide program was set to sunset on July 10, it will continue locally until August 10. Since the program launched, 76,516 mealshave been served.MEET A DAD HELPING OTHER DADS IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4)Parent partner programs are also beneficial to mentors like De Leon because they provide careeropportunities that help lead others to change in themselves and their families. Peer-to-peer supportis also designed to help the social workers who are managing their cases by connecting parents withresources and giving a warm hand off to the service providers when those first steps can beintimidating.In addition, parent partners have the flexibility to spend more one-on-one time with clients. Meetingscan last from 30 minutes to two hours. They check in regularly to make sure their parents have theinformation and resources they need to complete their court-mandated programs, such as substanceabuse treatment, counseling services, health care, parenting classes, housing or rental assistance.“We are always expecting for parents to reunify with children,” De Leon added. “Sometimes it maytake longer than we might expect but we are there every step of the way to make sure that progressis being made.”RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES10 Ways to be a Better Dad:1. Respect your children’s mother2. Spend time with your children3. Listen first, talk second4. Discipline with love5. Be a role model6. Be a teacher7. Eat together as a family8. Read to your children9. Show affection10. Realize a father’s job is never donePAGE 5
Most of the 1.15 billion annual budget for DPSS comes from the federal and state governments. However, just under 6% comes from Riverside County. Much of the county investment is required for DPSS to draw down funding from state and federal programs. Officials say cuts by the county would have meant much larger fiscal losses for the department.
