Lee Collins Director

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County of San Luis Obispo
Department of Social Services
DSS Semi-Annual Report June 30, 2009

• Lee Collins Director
• Tracy Buckingham Assistant Director

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Table of Contents

• Mission, Vision, Guiding Principles 3
• Current Trends and Focuses
• Self Improvement Plan (SIP) 4
• Foster Family Retreat 5
• Youth Permanency 6
• Co-Case Management Log 7
• Financial Assistance Intake Trends 8
• Department Accomplishments
• IHSS Grand Jury Report 9
• Licensed Foster Family Homes 10
• Adoption and Guardianship Trends 11
• Highlight on a Community Partner
• Adult Services Policy Council 12
• Contributing Factors Statistics 14
• Caseload Averages Per Month 15
• Department Services and Locations
• Programs and Services 16-17
• Office Locations and Phone Numbers 18

San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
3
San Luis Obispo County Department of Social
Services Semi-Annual Report Period Ending
December 31, 2008
Introduction
Vision A responsible and caring community
Safe, Resilient and Healthy.
Mission We partner with the community to
enhance self-sufficiency while ensuring that
safety and basic human needs are met for the
people of San Luis Obispo County.
Guiding Principles We strive to
eliminate poverty and abuse We believe all
people have strengths We work together to
assist in removing barriers and finding
solutions We strive to meet the unique needs of
each community, family, and individual We
commit to fairness and equality
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
4
Current Trends Focuses
Self Improvement Plan (SIP)
The County Self Improvement Plan (SIP) was
approved by the County Board of Supervisors in
March 2009 and has been submitted to the State.
For the next three years we will work on
improving identified outcomes using strategies
outlined in the SIP.
Collaboration Key in Developing the SIP The
Self-Assessment Advisory Team included members
from the following partner agencies SLO County
Probation Department Childrens Services
Network Cuesta College Independent Living
Program Central California Training Academy Input
was sought from both public and private sectors
of the community.

• Top three areas of concern identified by the
  self-assessment advisory group
• Timely Response to Child Abuse and Neglect
  Referrals
• Re-Entry of Children into Foster Care
• Establishing permanent connections for youth
  before they age out of foster care

See page 6 of this report for more information
regarding permanency for youth.
To review the SIP, visit the SLO County
government website at http//www.slocounty.ca.g
ov/Assets/DSS/Reports/CaliforniaChildFamilyService
sReview2008SystemImprovementPlan (SIP).pdf
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
5
Because Families Matter
Current Trends Focuses
Foster Family Retreat
Semi
-
Our 3rd annual Foster Family Retreat was held in
partnership with Cuesta College Foster and
Kinship Care Education Program and the Foundation
for California Community Colleges Youth
Empowerment Strategies for SuccessCalifornia
(YESS-CA) Program. Both foster and adoptive
parents and children were invited to participate
in an educational and entertaining weekend of
activities.

• Concurrent Case Planning how it fits, what it
  mean to parents, legal guardians, and/or
  potential adoptive parents.
• Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program
  difference between a kinship provider and
  relative placement.

• Activities for Youth/Children
• Friday Night movie night.
• Independent Living Program held group sessions
  for older youth.
• Multiple sports basketball, soccer, baseball,
  golf, skateboarding, gymnastics, yoga.
• Princess Pirate camps, arts crafts.
• Mini carnival with potato sack races, water
  balloon toss, and more.

An open forum was held with Social Services
Assistant Director, Tracy Buckingham.
Discussions included

• Workshops for Foster Parents
• Key note speaker, Bill Stanton, who is former
  foster youth and current youth advocate.
• Group sessions with local Licensed Marriage and
  Family Therapists.
• Cooking classes, scrapbooking, and spa retreat.

We believe the annual retreats provide much
needed support for our Foster, Kinship and
Adoptive families and have contributed to the
retention and recruitment of foster families. By
reaching out and supporting our families we have
been able to attract new foster parents and
increase the number and capacity of our licensed
foster family homes.
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
6
Current Trends Focuses
Youth Permanency
It is our commitment to make sure that each
youth who leaves the foster care system has a
permanent lifelong connection with a caring
adult.
Quick Facts 110 Foster Care cases were closed in
the 6 month report period. Overall, 87 of the
youth in these cases had established permanent
connections with caring adults by virtue of
family reunifications, adoptions, guardianships,
or relative placements. 15 of these youth had
been in Foster Care Placements for more than 5
years and were age 13 or older at the time of
case closure. The average length of stay for
these youth was 8.5 years. Of these, 4 youth
left foster care with no permanent connections
firmly established. 20 cases were closed due to
Emancipation/Age of Majority. Of these, 9 had
permanent connections set, and 4 others had
permanent connections identified.
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
7
Co-Case Management Tool
The Co-Case Management Tool was implemented in
08/2008. It has proven to be an invaluable
resource to Participant Services staff in
tracking and managing CalWORKs participants case
services and activities.
Helping Staff Help Others
Welfare-to-Work provides job-related services to
assist participants in finding work that will
lead to self-sufficiency for their
family. Linkages is a collaborative community
effort to strengthen families by offering
services needed to enhance their quality of life,
increase their ability to safely care for their
children and transition to self-sufficiency. Struc
tured Decision Making is utilized to assess
CalWORKs families for potential risk of child
abuse/neglect and offer appropriate voluntary
Family Prevention Services. Time on Aid is
tracked to ensure participants are working
towards self-sufficiency while receiving
CalWORKs, as there is a 60 month federal and
state time limit.

• Benefits
• Provides one location to see a summary of a
  participants activity in Welfare to Work,
  Linkages, Structured Decision Making, and Time
  on Aid.
• Much of the information is auto-populated from a
  process that extracts information from other
  systems, such as CalWIN and CWS/CMS.

San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
8
Current Trends and Focuses
Financial Assistance Intake Trends
The department has seen a noticeable increase in
applications for all assistance programs. The
unstable economy has had an affect on applicants,
participants and department staff.
An analysis was done to determine if there was a
corresponding increase in denials and
withdrawals. General Assistance was the only
program where there was such an increase.
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
9

Department Accomplishment
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Grand Jury
Report
After interviewing IHSS staff, and reviewing
relevant department documents, the Grand Jury
gave San Luis Obispo Countys IHSS program an
overall favorable report.
IHSS provides assistance to low-income disabled,
blind and/or elderly individuals, so they can
remain in their own homes.
Highlights of Grand Jury Report IHSS Social
Workers were found to be competent and
experienced Essential care is being provided for
approximately 1,800 vulnerable elderly, disabled
or blind, low-income citizens, at a cost less
than institutional care 60 of IHSS clients are
under 65 (vs. 40 in the state as a whole) Due to
how IHSS operates it is difficult to monitor the
care being given, and to detect potential
caretaker abuse Acknowledgement that funding cuts
have caused a reduction in IHSS Social Workers,
and that caseloads have nearly doubled Criminal
background checks are not done on all caregivers,
and caregivers are not fingerprinted
Grand Jury Recommendation Conduct criminal
background checks and/or finger printing for all
IHSS care providers who are not related to
clients.
Response The Department of Social Services and
the County Board of Supervisors will respond to
the Grand Jurys findings and recommendation by
July 19, 2009.
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
10
Department Accomplishment
Increase in Licensed Foster Family Homes
The number and capacity of Licensed Foster Family
Homes in San Luis Obispo County has increased
significantly during the first 6 months of 2009.
Aggressive recruiting campaigns have brought in
more prospective foster parents.
From the point of inquiry, staff is now making
sure potential foster parents dont fall through
the cracks, by ensuring they complete required
training and are connected with a Licensing
Social Worker.
Licensing Social Workers are now walking
families through the licensing process, which
has been a positive experience. For example, they
are now attending some of the foster parent
trainings sessions and making pre-licensing home
visits.
The Foster Parent training process has been
streamlined. More classes are being offered in
more locations.
The use of new tracking methods, has facilitated
timely processing of applications.
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
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Department Accomplishment
Increase in Adoptions and Guardianships
The percentage of children exiting foster care
due to adoption or guardianship has significantly
increased in the past year.

• Whats Changed
• A single centralized Adoption Unit was
  reestablished
• The Adoptions Unit became fully staffed
• Home Studies were outsourced, and therefore no
  longer the responsibility of the Adoption Social
  Workers
• Non-Adoption Social Workers began doing their own
  guardianship assessments (previously they were
  all done by the Adoptions Unit)

For more information regarding Adoption or
Guardianship call 805-781-1705.
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
12
Community Partner Highlight
Adult Services Policy Council (ASPC)
The ASPC is a countywide collaboration formed to
improve communication, planning, coordination,
and cooperation among the agencies serving
seniors and adults with disabilities. The
membership represents elected officials and 45
public, non-profit and private providers that
serve and advocate for this target population.

• Last year the ASPC
• established protocols and supported services for
  medically fragile homeless adults
• developed a visual continuum of care to help
  identify gaps in services
• developed, implemented and trained 344
  participants on an interagency "Response to
  Incidents involving Elderly and Dependent Adults
  A Protocol and Resource for First Responders and
  Support Agencies
• compiled a data report that could allow for the
  future development of a common intake/ referral
  form, information system or other cooperative
  data keeping that would help reduce duplication
  of efforts.

• SLO County has
• twice the States percentage of residents age 85
  or older and a much higher percentage of veterans
  (SLO 11, CA 8)
• more residents age 65 or older than the state of
  California as a whole (SLO 14, CA 11)
• fewer residents age 65 with a disability (SLO
  34.5, CA 40.9)
• a higher percentage of households with one or
  more persons who are 65 (SLO 23.9, CA 18.5)
• proportionally fewer children aged 5-17 than the
  State population as a whole (SLO 15, CA 18)
• a larger proportion of children aged 5-15 with a
  disability (SLO 6.4, CA 4.7).

ASPC continues to sponsor the Adult and Aging
Multidisciplinary Team, consisting of program
supervisors from Public Health, Mental Health,
Drug and Alcohol Services, Adult Protective
Services, the Public Guardian, and the Sheriffs
Department. The Team is available to meet with
service providers, family members, neighbors, and
consumers to help them develop and implement the
best care plan possible.
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
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STATISTICS
Contributing Factors
Contributing Factors are currently tracked in all
Child Welfare Services case records. The factors
currently recorded include Drug Abuse, Alcohol
Abuse, Domestic Violence, Mental Health Issues,
and Developmental Delays.
Quick Facts Of 572 active CWS cases, 444
(96.9) have one or more contributing factors
recorded. (Active cases include 282 children
who are receiving services at home and 290 who
are in foster care placements.) Of 290 children
in foster care, 198 (69.5) have one or more
contributing factors related to drug or alcohol
abuse.
These statistics are based on a study of all CWS
open cases as of 06/30/2009
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
14
STATISTICS
Caseload Averages Per Month
Average Caseloads for January 1 through June 30,
2009
Monthly Average
Monthly Average
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
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Department Services and Locations
Programs and Services
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
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Department Services and Locations
Programs and Services

• CHILD AND ADULT WELFARE PROGRAMS
• Adoption Services Finding safe, stable,
  permanent families for children who are unable to
  be reunified with their birth parents.
• Foster Home Licensing Finding and licensing
  nurturing homes for foster children.
• Child Welfare Services Differential Response
  Responding to allegations of abuse or neglect in
  a timely and appropriate manner, in order to
  provide for the safety and stability of the
  children in our county.
• Child Welfare Family Maintenance Providing
  child welfare services to families, while the
  children remain in the home under the supervision
  of a Social Worker.
• Child Welfare Family Reunification Providing
  child welfare services after a child has been
  separated from his/her parents due to abuse or
  neglect, in order to stabilize the family and
  hopefully reunify the child back into the home.
• Child Welfare Permanency Planning Providing
  child welfare services to children who can not
  return to their birth parents home. This may
  include adoption, guardianship, or the
  establishment of a planned permanent living
  arrangement for the child.
• Adult Protective Services Responding to
  allegations of abuse or neglect in a timely and
  appropriate manner, in order to provide for the
  safety and stability of the elderly and/or
  disabled adults in our county.
• In-Home Supportive Services The IHSS program
  provides assistance to those eligible aged, blind
  and disabled individuals (both children and
  adults) who are unable to remain safely in their
  own homes without this assistance. IHSS is an
  alternative to out-of-home care.
• For more information on these and more programs,
  please visit our website at http//www.slocounty.
  ca.gov/dss

San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009
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Department Services Locations
Office Locations
San Luis Obispo County DSS Semi-Annual Report for
January through June 2009