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Extracted from Consolidated Report

This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.

San Bernardino County Grand Jury • 2010-2011

Complaints Committee The Grand Jury receives complaints throughout the year coming from the residents of

Published: August 30, 2011 177 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 9 findings

F1 Page 56
During the investigation into the CAC partnership, members of the Grand Jury heard many times the Children’s Assessment Center is a gift to our county and our children. Nationally there are approximately 180 Board Certified Pediatric Forensic Physicians and San Bernardino County is fortunate to have two such physicians currently and one additional physician soon to be certified. They work tirelessly, and fiercely, for the rights and safety of abused children. Clients of the Center are child victims of alleged abuse from birth to age 18 referred to the Assessment Center by Children and Family Services, a law enforcement agency, and/or the Family Law Court.
Related Recommendations (3)
R11-30
Page 71
Have Central Collections continue to track the effectiveness of the recommended fee increase to support future fee adjustments. (Finding 1)
R11-31
Page 75
Continue to seek funding and provide additional staffing for park maintenance personnel. (Finding 1)
R11-39
Page 212
In Rialto, install cameras and repair the gates. (Findings 1, 2, 3)
F2 Page 56
The Children’s Assessment Center is an important tool for the protection of suspected child victims of abuse from duplicative interviews for legal, medical, child protection, and clinical purposes. This streamlining of the process is shown in Attachments #1 and #2, which dramatically shows through the eyes of a child how the Assessment Center approach is less intrusive. The role of LLUMC and the forensic physicians is to medically evaluate the abuse. The role of CFS is to safeguard the children in an immediate crisis (e.g. removal from home, take to the CAC or the emergency room) and to provide recommendations for future steps to correct problems (e.g. parenting classes, nutritional classes, anger, and addiction management). It is the role of law enforcement to identify and deal with the perpetrator of the abuse. 2010-2011 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 40
Related Recommendations (5)
R11-26
Page 59
The Governing Board of the Children’s Assessment Center determine appropriate standards and policies to address differences in the role of each agency. (Finding 2)
R11-27
Page 59
The Executive Committee provide a good medium for discussion so that each agency is in agreement of the best course of action for the children. (Findings 2, 3)
R11-29
Page 70
Raise indigent defense fees for adults back to $300 for misdemeanors and $500 for felonies. (Finding 2)
R11-32
Page 75
San Bernardino Police Department to dissuade the homeless and transient populations from gathering in the parks. (Finding 2)
R11-36
Page 83
Establish a policy requiring implementation of any recommendation that was agreed to by a department. (Finding 2)
F3 Page 57
The CAC offers an opportunity for all parties to work together while gathering information, and provide a unified response to the family. Services at the Center include forensic interviews by CFS workers who have received specialized training in child forensic interviewing. Evidentiary medical exams are performed at a minimal cost by the three forensic pediatric specialists from the LLUMC. These forensic physicians also provide expert testimony in court. Written reports are provided regarding the outcomes of the interviews and medical appointments. Crisis intervention and referrals for counseling are provided to family members by a Victim Witness Advocate from the District Attorney office assigned to the Center. The Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meetings discuss cases and the Child Death Review Team meets to discuss the cause of a death.
Related Recommendations (1)
R11-37
Page 84
All responses be approved by the appropriate department head. (Finding 3)
F4 Page 57
The relationship among the partners began to deteriorate in 2007. It became clear to the Grand Jury through statements we heard from enough sources there was dissension among CFS, the Center, and the partnership arrangement. With budgetary concerns in mind, CFS learned that it was not statutorily mandated to fund the CAC, and not mandated to request a forensic medical examination for a child believed to have been sexually or physically abused. Only law enforcement is required to seek a forensic medical examination of a sexual assault victim. The cost of such an examination is billed to the requesting law enforcement agency. After learning this information CFS discontinued the CAC Advisory Board, and no longer attended the MDT meetings. The partnership started to fall apart.
Related Recommendations (2)
R11-25
Page 59
The Governing Board of the Children’s Assessment Center take a pro- active role in resolving conflicts among the partner agencies so that they work together toward the well- being of the children. (Findings 4, 5)
R11-38
Page 212
Move the Rialto facility to a permanent building. (Finding 4)
F5 Page 57
The Grand Jury interviewed many individuals affiliated with the CAC. The following allegations were repeated by numerous witnesses: • There seems to be a progressive change for the worse in the attitude of Children and Family Services towards the Children’s Assessment Center. There is a lack of communication and cooperation. CFS went from being a partner to being an overseer trying to control all the functions at the Center. 2010-2011 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 41 • The Social Workers who bring cases to the CAC are re-active instead of pro-active. They have a fundamental misunderstanding of the cases. They have protocol but don’t follow it. There is confusion as to how to work a case. Morale is low. • CFS hides behind a screen of confidentiality, and does not want to give out any information. Pertinent information was needed by the Child Death Review Team (CDRT) to determine the cause of death of a child. The team was asked to get a subpoena for the information. CFS refused to let the Grand Jury review even redacted data. We requested statistics and were given a bunch of meaningless numbers. The information that corresponded with the numbers was confidential and not provided. Members of the Grand Jury were invited to attend a meeting of the Child Death Review Team. There they signed a confidentiality statement. Before the next meeting of the CDRT the Grand Jury was “uninvited” by some members because of confidentiality reasons. • The mission at CFS is blurred. They appear to have placed a higher priority on budget and lawsuits. Children and Family Services wrote a Request for Proposal (RFP) wanting to sever the partnership with Loma Linda stating it was too expensive. They asked for bids from other medical facilities; one of which was Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC). A physician from ARMC was brought to tour the Children’s Assessment Center facility in order to possibly assume the medical services. However, Loma Linda University Medical Center is the only Children’s Hospital with forensic pediatricians in the Inland Empire. ARMC could not find anyone who was qualified. No other facility had personnel with the expertise or could compete financially with the minimal cost of bringing a child to the Assessment center.
No recommendations for this finding
F6 Page 58
There is little accountability for Children and Family Services to an outside authority. There is no transparency. Riverside County CFS had an outside audit 2010-2011 San Bernardino County Grand Jury Final Report 42
Related Recommendations (1)
R11-28
Page 60
Retain a firm with the qualifications and expertise such as the Child Welfare League of America to perform an audit of Children and Family Services to ensure that mechanisms are in place for oversight of the division. (Finding 6)
F7 Page 59
In order to maintain the Center, and the partnership, a new protocol was written by Dr. Clare Sheridan, one of the Forensic Pediatricians from Loma Linda. She suggested two new committees; a Governing Board to meet regularly to decide policy and procedure for the Assessment Center, and an Executive Committee for the month to month management of the Center with Dr. Sheridan as the Chair. The Sheriff’s Department has assumed the financial contract responsibility for the medical examinations related to law enforcement cases but it has not been formalized yet. The Grand Jury commends CEO, Greg Devereaux for becoming personally involved with supporting the work of the Children’s Assessment Center.
Related Recommendations (1)
R11-41
Page 213
In Victorville, provide every employee an escort to their vehicle. (Finding 7)
F8 Page 78
The City of Hesperia has a Protective Plant Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 16.24) which addresses the removal and relocation of Joshua Trees. Developers are required to prepare a Protection Plan for Plants which covers Joshua Trees and other species, after which a permit is issued for grading purposes. The Community Development Department (Building & Safety and Planning Division) inspects for compliance. Only one case of non-compliance was reported for the period of 2006 through 2010. A citation was issued and a fine paid for the violation.
Related Recommendations (1)
R11-42
Page 213
In Victorville, repair or replace broken workstations and chairs. (Finding 8)
F9 Page 78
The City of Twenty-nine Palms did not respond to the Grand Jury’s request.
No recommendations for this finding

Additional Recommendations 11

These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.