Agenda

Return

C. 22

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Kathy Gallagher, Employment & Human Services Director
Date:	January 20, 2015

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Add Eighteen (18) Social Casework Specialist II positions in Employment & Human Services Department

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 01/20/2015

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:	Michelle Fregoso 925-313-1568
cc:	EHSD Human Resources Otilia Parra

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: January 20, 2015
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Position Adjustment Resolution No. 21556 to add eighteen (18) Social Casework Specialist II (X0VB) (represented) positions, and allocate to salary schedule 255 1618 ($5,363 - $6,519)in the Children and Family Services Bureau of the Employment and Human Services Department.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Upon approval of these positions will result increase annual salary by $2,393,884. This will also result in additional retirement cost by $857,729. These positions will be funded Federal 45%, 55% State Realignment revenues. Approval of these positions will not increase NCC.

BACKGROUND:

The Children & Family Services Bureau (CFS) plans to add eighteen (18) Social Casework Specialist II (SCSII) positions in order to restore the infrastructure of the bureau that was diminished during the economic downturn of the past six years. This increase in staff positions restores resources for service delivery to families ensuring that the most vulnerable children and families are served safely and efficiently. Social Casework Specialist II’s are the front line social workers who provide child abuse assessments, investigations, reunification, and foster care oversight for children, newborn to 21 years old. Currently, Contra Costa County CFS workers support higher caseloads in comparison to the contiguous Bay Area counties. This is attributed to rapid growth of the population in East County and an increase in families being referred to CFS. The additional eighteen positions will allow CFS to adequately respond to the increase in highly complex emergency response referrals for investigations of alleged abuse and neglect and to provide services for on-going case management of families in family maintenance and reunification.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Without the addition of eighteen positions, CFS will not have the capacity to adequately respond to or investigate community referrals to CFS within mandated time frames, thus placing children’s safety and well-being at risk. This would also result in increased work for the Social Casework Specialists and Super-visors who are responsible for the on-going investigation of referrals, ongoing case management and service delivery. When the Social Casework Specialists and Social Work Supervisor II’s have high caseloads the department is at risk of not providing mandated services and places the County at risk of sanctions.

CHILDREN'S IMPACT STATEMENT:

Access to services and resources in a timely manner are essential to the safety and functioning of a child and family. Children and families need access to services in a timely manner in efforts to have children stay with their families of origin. Not having the necessary staff can result in a child being placed in and out of home care due to lack of "reasonable services" available to families. Not having adequate staffing also places CFS at risk of not complying with mandates to investigate and assess child safety in a timely manner, placing the child at risk of further harm.