7. Metro Ridership

Licensure/contract requirements

Facility and environment

Maintenance of required documentation and service delivery

Education and workforce readiness

Health and medical needs

Psychotropic medication

Personal rights and social/emotional well-being

Personal needs/survival and economic well-being

Personnel records Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Group Home Compliance Monitoring5 GH compliance monitoring is a component of the Performance Monitoring Section in the Out of Home Care Management Division. Annual reviews of those GHs servicing DCFS-placed children are conducted, which include program contract compliance. The reviews determined whether homes meet the requirements set forth in the Foster Care Agreement, the homes’ program statements, and DCFS policies. The reviews assess the homes’ service delivery to ensure that these homes are providing children with quality care and services in a safe environment, inclusive of physical care, emotional support, and other services to protect and enhance their growth and development. Copies of DCFS Compliance Monitoring Reports can be accessed through the DCFS website at: http://dcfs.lacounty.gov. Information obtained from the DCFS website. LOS ANGELES COUNTY 2014–2015 CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT Contract Monitoring Process6 The goals of the monitoring process are to improve child safety, increase provider services, and strengthen networking among the homes. DCFS’s rating system assesses home performance and incorporates Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) and follow-up to ensure compliance:

Fiscal Compliance—assesses home’s fiscal internal controls that will ensure that the CAP, if any, is implemented.

Contract Compliance—assesses contract deliverables on safety, service needs, and administrative compliance, and follows up on implementation by the agency CAP as necessary. Ensures that homes are in compliance with contract terms and conditions, Community Care Licensing Division approved Program Statements, Statement of Work, and Title 22 regulations.

Quality Assurance—assesses the quality of performance and service delivery by homes to ensure children are provided with quality care and services in a safe environment. Los Angeles County Probation Department Office of the Ombudsman7 The Probation Department Office of the Ombudsman is a confidential, informational, and neutral resource where probation clients, their families, and the community can seek assistance with their concerns related to GH service delivery, policies, and/or procedures. The role of the ombudsman for GHs is twofold: 1) to ensure that the voice of youth under the care and custody of Probation is heard and 2) to provide an avenue for the Probation youth to express concerns about their GH experience without fear of retaliation from the GH provider and/or Probation officer and to get resolutions that are reasonable. Placement Permanency and Quality Assurance Unit (PPQA)8 The PPQA serves Probation foster children and their families, group home providers, and the Placement Bureau as a whole. The primary purpose of the group home monitoring/investigations unit is to conduct annual monitoring inspections of group homes that have multiple sites throughout Los Angeles County; investigate GHs related to noncompliance with the county contract; conduct follow-up investigations on minor infractions; refer investigations to Probation from the DCFS Child Abuse Hotline; and develop and monitor the CAP for accuracy and compliance. GHs have 30 days to make the noted corrections; safety issues must be dealt with immediately. At the end of 30 days the PPQA makes another visit to ensure all corrective actions have been addressed. Correspondence received from DCFS. Information received from the Probation Department. Correspondence received from the Probation Department. LOS ANGELES COUNTY 2014–2015 CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT Group Home Compliance monitoring reports can be accessed through Los Angeles County Probation at http://probation.lacounty.gov. Department of Auditor-Controller Group Home Ombudsman9 The Office of the Children’s Group Home Ombudsman, within the Department of Auditor- Controller, is an independent advocate for children placed in group homes by DCFS. The ombudsman’s responsibilities include: maintaining a toll-free telephone number for DCFS GH residents to call from anywhere to express their concerns and complaints; informing children of their rights when placed in a GH; providing a voice to speak and act on behalf of GH residents; establishing an avenue for children to discuss their concerns and complaints without fear of retaliation; offering recommendations that are reasonable and feasible; and working with the county and service providers to benefit GH residents. Although primarily for DCFS GH residents, the GH ombudsman will contact the Probation ombudsman on behalf of any Probation resident who has issues to be resolved. Even though the ombudsman’s policy is to maintain confidentiality to the extent possible, callers are informed that, by law, child endangerment, abuse, and/or neglect must be reported. Fiscal Review of Group Homes10 According to the Auditor-Controller’s Contract Monitoring Division, at the beginning of each fiscal year (July 1), the Auditor-Controller completes a Risk Home Assessment of GHs and Foster Family Agencies to determine those homes that will be included in its list of audits to be conducted for the year. In addition, both DCFS and Probation can request a fiscal audit if, during a GH program review, fiscal improprieties are noted. Fiscal reviews can also be initiated by allegations received through the Auditor-Controller’s fraud hotline or a Board of Supervisor’s office’s referral. The Auditor-Controller provides fiscal training upon request to the DCFS Fiscal Compliance section, Foster Family Agencies, and GHs. The Auditor-Controller also collaborates and consults with DCFS’s Fiscal Compliance section on results of DCFS’s Internal Controls Questionnaire and Fiscal Compliance Assessment Tool. Fiscal Review Reports can be reviewed at http://auditorcontroller.lacounty.gov. Information received from the Group Home Ombudsman. Information received from the Auditor-Controller. LOS ANGELES COUNTY 2014–2015 CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT Note: All group homes in Los Angeles County are licensed by the Community Care Licensing (CCL) Division of the California Department of Social Services under Title 22 Regulations and as such are subject to annual reviews by CCL to ensure licensing compliance. CCL’s complete Policy and Procedures Manual can be accessed at http://cdss.ca.gov. SUMMARY The focus of the Group Home Committee was to determine if the basic needs of the minors— including but not limited to food, housing, clothing, education, and psychological services— were met. Overall, the group homes inspected appeared to meet these needs. Most of the group homes housed both DCFS and Probation youths but followed different requirements based on the respective department’s regulations. Although the majority of minors interviewed were satisfied with their placement, more than one youth stated that the group home did not replace being with family. Due to the decline in the number of group homes, it would appear that the court and departments have changed their focus from group home placement to family reunification or relative placement whenever possible. According to an email sent by DCFS to The Chronicle of Social Change, dated Sept. 30, 2014, Los Angeles County submitted a nonbinding letter to opt into the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Program (ARC) effective Jan. 1, 2015. The new funding (initially a $30 million budget allocation) is intended to provide relative caregivers with the same level of funding as other nonrelative foster caregivers. Currently, many relative caregivers receive about half of what other caregivers receive monthly.11 On March 3, 2015, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion instructing DCFS to opt into the ARC program by March 15, 2015.12 COMMENDATION Based on observations of the group homes visited, the committee commends the efforts of these group home providers in delivering services and promoting the safety and well-being of the home residents. Information obtained from http://ChronicleofSocialChange.org. Board of Supervisors Statement of Proceedings, March 3, 2015. LOS ANGELES COUNTY 2014–2015 CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT The committee also applauds the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ decision to participate in the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Program. It will be a tremendous savings for the county and a win-win situation for all parties. ACRONYMS ARC Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Program CAP Corrective Action Plan CCL Community Care Licensing Division DCFS Department of Children and Family Services GH Group Home RCL Rate Classification Level PPQA Placement Permanency and Quality Assurance unit COMMITTEE MEMBERS Wesley C. Thompson, chair Larry Lyman, vice chair Earline Parker, secretary Doris K. Reed Joyce Simily Margaret Yasuda 107 LOS ANGELES COUNTY 2014–2015 CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT This page intentionally left blank. LOS ANGELES COUNTY 2014–2015 CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT METRO RIDERSHIP Jim Contreras, chair Simeon Zano, vice chair Shari E. Pearce, secretary METRO RIDERSHIP TOPIC The Los Angeles County 2014–2015 Civil Grand Jury (CGJ) formed the Metro Ridership Committee (committee) to look into increasing the ridership within the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) system and investigate the efforts of Metro to do the same. The committee also looked into whether Metro would receive maximum funding from federal sources based on achieving the farebox recovery goal of 33 percent.1