Score: +1 (2/4/1)
Ventura County Grand Jury • 2016-2017

Ventura County Children and Family Services

Published: May 18, 2017 18 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 24 findings

F01
In 2015, there were over 10,000 calls made to the County CFS Hotline alleging child abuse or neglect. State law mandates the Hotline worker must determine if an in-person investigation needs to occur. The investigation would begin immediately (within 24 hours) or within 10 calendar days. When a case has been opened, the family may be assigned three different social workers within the first 45 days:  Emergency response social worker (ER)  Court unit social worker  Ongoing unit social worker
No recommendations for this finding
F02
The ER social workers are responsible for investigating referrals of child abuse and neglect. Their duties include:  Interviewing the child, parents, siblings, and family either individually or as part of a multi-disciplinary team, which may include law enforcement or a public health nurse  Reviewing drug records, birth records, health records, and photographs Children and Family Services 3  Writing comprehensive reports  Referring families to counseling, parenting classes, and substance abuse testing and treatment when the situation does not require removal of the child  Removing the child from the home when the situation warrants: o Placing the child in protective custody for up to 48 hours pending a court hearing or placement in alternative housing o Assessing whether the child can safely be returned home with supportive services or whether intervention of the juvenile dependency court is needed o Preparing and filing a petition with the court within two working days after the child is removed, once it is determined the case will proceed to court  Closing out the referral or promoting it to a case within 30 days  Developing case plans within 30 to 60 days and conducting case plan meetings  Working a standby 12-hour shift once or twice a quarter (Ref-07, Ref-08)
No recommendations for this finding
F03
The court unit social worker receives cases from the ER social worker and is responsible for:  Preparing the documents for cases within the Juvenile Dependency Court  Continuing the investigation to assess preferred custody  Assessing available appropriate services  Interviewing parents, children, and other family members
No recommendations for this finding
F04
Subject to court disposition, the case is transferred from the court unit social worker to the ongoing unit social worker. This process takes place within 35 to 40 days, but in some cases it may take as long as 90 days. The ongoing unit social worker’s duties include:  Continuing case management  Monitoring families’ compliance with their case plan  Providing referrals to community services  Meeting with families and children once or twice each month  Developing a status review report for the court six months after receiving the case
No recommendations for this finding
F05
If children have been removed from the home and supervised visits are required, the ongoing social worker schedules and often supervises these visitations. The average length of time the ongoing social worker may be 4 Children and Family Services on a specific case is 12 months for children over three years, and six months for children under three years.
No recommendations for this finding
F06
An ER social worker, at any one time, may have as many as 38 cases, involving up to 80 children. Such workers may be assigned as many as six to seven new cases a week. Court unit social workers may average 17 cases at one time. Ongoing unit social workers may average 18 to 20 cases. The consensus among caseworkers and management is an ideal caseload would be 20 or fewer. This would allow for more time to engage with families. Staff and management uniformly report that current caseloads can exceed the optimum by 50% or more.
No recommendations for this finding
F07
The 2016-2019 MOA between the County and SEIU Local 721 states, “No worker will be required to carry a caseload more than ten percent (10%) in excess of the average caseload.” The MOA goes on, “The current Human Services Agency workload/caseload standards are obsolete, based upon programs that no longer exist or that have changed over time. As has been the intent to define more relevant and equitable standards, it is recognized that with present uncertainties for social service funding and program design, it is not optimal to establish standards that will be irrelevant in the short term. The county continues to work toward realistic workload standards that best represent the work that is expected by each stakeholder.” (Ref-09)
No recommendations for this finding
F08
ER social workers, court unit social workers, and ongoing unit social workers all have access to support staff. In addition to clerical duties, support staff responsibilities include:  Performing background research for placement  Answering phone calls, taking messages for social workers, and referring calls to the designated Officer of the Day  Providing contact information for a supervisor when a family requests that information
No recommendations for this finding
F09
There is no policy specifying when social workers should return phone calls. Some return calls within 24 hours, some within 48 hours, and still others take longer.
No recommendations for this finding
F10
When a social worker meets the family for the first time, they are given a business card containing the social worker’s name, phone number, email address, and the Hotline number. Social workers do not routinely provide families contact information for a supervisor or the Custodian of Records. Additionally, families are not informed how to file a grievance regarding the case management services of their social worker.
Related Recommendations (2)
R02
The Grand Jury recommends, early in the process, families be provided with the contact information for the social worker’s supervisor, contact information for the Custodian of Records, and the procedure to follow if there is a grievance about how the social worker is providing case management services. (C-02)
R04
The Grand Jury recommends CFS develop a simple, written form for families to document any grievances regarding the performance of case management services. All staff should be informed of the procedure and families provided with a copy. The procedure should include a protocol to follow until grievances are resolved. (C-04)
F11
If the family wants to contact a social worker’s supervisor they must call the Hotline. Hotline calls are referred to the Officer of the Day who will connect them with the relevant supervisor. If a voice message is left, the call may or may not be returned. Children and Family Services 5
No recommendations for this finding
F12
If a parent or family member has an unresolved question or grievance regarding their social worker, the social worker’s supervisor is the appropriate person to address the matter. If the issue is still unresolved, it moves up the chain of command. Commonly, families are not told about this procedure, nor provided with the CFS document entitled “Client Services Concerns & Inquiries”, which includes:  The chain of command when assistance is needed (social worker, supervisor, regional manager, Director of CFS)  Information on issues of perceived discrimination  Procedures for grievance regarding child removal  Information on requesting a fair hearing  Adherence to confidentiality Not all social workers are familiar with this document. (Att-01)
Related Recommendations (1)
R04
The Grand Jury recommends CFS develop a simple, written form for families to document any grievances regarding the performance of case management services. All staff should be informed of the procedure and families provided with a copy. The procedure should include a protocol to follow until grievances are resolved. (C-04)
F13
Social workers are required to provide records to the families including:  court reports  case plans  proposed findings and orders  police reports Families can access records through their social workers or from the Custodian of Records. However, families are not always told about the Custodian of Records.
No recommendations for this finding
F14
During 2015:  There were 10,212 referrals called into the CFS Hotline alleging child abuse or neglect.  5,442 referrals were assigned for an in-person response.  514 new cases were opened because intervention was required.  Most referrals were related to poverty, domestic violence, and/or substance abuse.
No recommendations for this finding
F15
As of September 2016, there were 1,120 children under dependency court jurisdiction.
No recommendations for this finding
F16
Child Protective Services: A Guide for Caseworkers states, “CPS efforts are most likely to succeed when clients are involved and actively participate in the process.” It further states, “The success of intervention is directly related to the CPS worker’s ability to develop a partnership with the family.” However, the most common family complaint is social workers, or their supervisors, don’t return phone calls in a timely manner and in some cases not at all. (Ref-10)
No recommendations for this finding
F17
Child Protective Services: A Guide for Caseworkers also states “Providing child protective services is a complex, demanding and emotionally draining 6 Children and Family Services job. Making decisions that affect the lives of children and families takes a toll on caseworkers. In order to maximize performance and minimize burnout, support systems must be developed within the CPS unit to provide caseworkers with opportunities to discuss and deal with feelings that may range from frustration and helplessness to anger and incompetence. Opportunities to discuss these feelings openly in the unit [in debriefing groups] are essential. In addition, whenever crises occur in cases (e.g. a child is reinjured or a child must be removed from his or her family) the caseworker involved needs extra support and guidance.” (Ref-10)
No recommendations for this finding
F18
Currently there are no regularly scheduled debriefing groups. Social workers may choose to attend a program which is conducted on an as needed basis. No data is available as to how often these groups meet or which social workers attend.
Related Recommendations (1)
R05
The Grand Jury recommends CFS schedule weekly meetings for social workers to discuss the demanding and stressful aspects of their jobs and to provide mutual support. (C-05)
F19
The County Wellness Program is available to social workers. However, CFS does not track usage or seek feedback on the effectiveness of the program for its staff.
No recommendations for this finding
F20
Child Protective Services: A Guide for Caseworkers states, “CPS supervisors are responsible for ensuring that the agency mission and goals are accomplished and that positive outcomes for children and families are achieved through the delivery of competent, sensitive and timely services. … [The supervisor is responsible for] creating a psychological and physical climate that enables staff to feel positive, satisfied, and comfortable about the job so that clients may be better served.” (Ref-10)
No recommendations for this finding
F21
Some social workers do not always feel supported by their supervisors. Supervisors may not be accessible at critical times to authorize required procedures or to ensure the safety of social workers.
Related Recommendations (1)
R06
The Grand Jury recommends CFS establish new procedures to ensure supervisors are more readily available to social workers in the field. (C-06)
F22
Family satisfaction surveys have been used in the past, but they were conducted while cases were still open. Some families reported feeling coerced to provide positive feedback, fearing critical answers might lead to retaliation. The surveys have been discontinued.
Related Recommendations (1)
R07
The Grand Jury recommends CFS enhance opportunities for families to provide feedback on case management services, both positive and negative, once their case has been closed. Findings should be evaluated to improve future services. (C-07)
F23
Parental substance abuse is the most common reason that children need to be removed from the home. It is also the main cause of recidivism. Personnel of CFS report:  There are not enough substance abuse treatment programs to accommodate parents and treatment centers often have long waiting lists.  There are limited services for parents with long-term addiction and mental illness.  There are not enough drug counselors to go into the field with the social workers.  There are not enough ongoing parenting classes available for families after their cases have been closed. Children and Family Services 7  There is not a comprehensive list of treatment programs and parenting classes provided to CFS staff to utilize as a resource for families.  Social workers use electronic devices in the field to access internet information about available resources for families.
Related Recommendations (2)
R08
The Grand Jury recommends CFS prepare and maintain a comprehensive written list of all programs and resources available to families in the child welfare system. All CFS staff in contact with clients should have copies of this list to use as a reference and to provide to families. (C-08)
R09
The Grand Jury recommends CFS prepare recommendations to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to fund additional substance abuse treatment programs. (C-09) Children and Family Services 9 Responses Responses Requested From: County of Ventura Human Services Agency, Children and Family Services (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07, C-08, C-09, R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04, R-05,
F24
The CFS has become a defacto social welfare system without adequate resources to support the whole family. Conclusions C-01. The caseloads of the child welfare social workers, in particular the ER social workers, are excessive and currently have no defined limit. A lower case load would allow social workers to spend more time with families. This would foster the team approach essential for optimal case management. (FA-01, FA-02, FA-03, FA-04, FA-05, FA-06, FA-07, FA-08, FA-13, FA-14,
No recommendations for this finding

Conclusions 2

Commendations 2

Agency Responses 2

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No Responses Found 1

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County of Ventura Agency