Minutes from BAERS Meeting
April 10, 2014
Attendees: Lindsay Kennedy (Alameda), Renea Muldrow (Sacramento), Christine (Alameda),
Marshell Terry-Battle (Santa Clara), Linh Tran (Santa Clara), Regina Mason (Monterey), and
Notetaker: Lia Russell (Sonoma).
Absent: Kim McDowell (Solano), Melissa Herceg, (Santa Cruz), Ken Adams (Napa), Helga Zimmerer (SF), Raul Munoz, (Marin); Joshua Mercier (San Benito), Kim McDowell (Solano) and Melissa Herzeg (Santa Cruz).
Cancellations: Nicole Gremillion (CCC)
Follow up on Action Items from last month’s meeting:
Alameda County
-Collected Investigative Narratives from each ER Supervisor and made copies to distribute to everyone at the meeting.
Contra Costa County
-Disseminated copies of Contra Costa P&P as it relates to protocol on procedure involved to support minor requiring blood transfusions.
Additions to Agenda Items:
-Job Sharing Protocol
-Petitions in ER
-Schedules including 4/40 and 9/80
-Protocol for 241.1 requests
-Investigative Narrative completion
-Recent State Audit of 3 counties and Safety Plans & SDM Assessment
I. DISCUSSION ITEMS:
Vision/Mission Statement for BAERS
Old Statement of Purpose:
The Bay Area Association of Children’s Protective Services Supervisors (BAACPSS) is an organization of Children’s Protective Services Supervisors from the public social services agencies of the ten Bay Area Counties.
The Association meets monthly to:
1. Share mutual professional concerns
2. Share information concerning new developments relevant to CPS
3. Plan an annual training workshop specifically designed for CPS line staff
Updated Statement of Purpose: (Draft)
The Bay Area Association Emergency Services Supervisors (BAERS) is an organization of Child Welfare Services Supervisors from the Public Social Services agencies of the Bay Area Counties. The Association meets monthly to:
1. Share mutual professional concerns
2. Collaborate with BARC for implementation with statewide protocols and consistency in practice.
3. Bring ideas for policy and practice back to our counties to support best practices.
4. Share information concerning new developments relevant to Child Welfare.
5. Access resources and strengthen contacts to support ongoing cooperation and communication amongst counties.
II. ONGOING BUSINESS
Referral Assignment
Sacramento County: “Assignment Computer Program”
-Used for ER referrals: IR and 10-day assignments
-Fully supports equity and fairness
-Clerical supervisor inputs daily attendance by 8:00 a.m.
-Rotation system uses coding for special projects.
-Takes into account vacations, region, complex referrals and urgency.
-Once urgent referral is approved by Main office, IR pops up on computer screen of respective unit supervisor.
-Supervisors go by rotation
-Transparent process: Supervisor can share with SW, but cannot edit
Contra Costa County
-Supervisor assigns referrals.
-Developed new assignment board for Immediate Referrals.
-Social Workers prefer to be able to plan a month ahead of time.
-People sign up for IR 1, 2, or 3 and separate WOD calendar.
-Workers sign up for 10-days a month.
-There is a whole list of rules. If Social Workers call in sick, they talk to Supervisor and they volunteer.
Santa Clara County:
-No uniform process.
-10 days max days for IR.
- If SW calls in sick, supervisor has a conversation with Social Worker if pattern emerges.
Monterey County:
-Not enough Social Workers. Yesterday they had 6 IR’s and very difficult.
-Supervisors try to brainstorm ideas. In the meantime, ER requires need to be ready to go out.
-Cannot hire until after budget negotiations.
Alameda County:
-For DI, spreadsheet is used. It is transparent, but not easily understandable. Post it notes and clipboards.
-A rotational system is utilized and referred to as the “I Board” for the assignment of “Immediate referrals.”
-Each worker has an “I” card reflecting 4 months that is placed on the Board.
-For each month the worker’s flex days, vacation days, and off log days, etc. are reflected and marked so the worker will not be assigned an Immediate on those days. Also as I’s are assigned the worker’s card is removed from the rotation.
-There is also a Log that is maintained manually that tracks each Social worker’s Immediate and 10-day assignments. This includes: client name, allegation type, response type (I or 10-day), number of children, language, etc.
-The intake unit supervisors assign referrals, maintain the “I board,” and maintain the Log.
Sonoma County:
-Similar procedure to Sacramento County but in beta operation.
-Tweaks are in the works to incorporate algorithms to support weighing complex referrals and to compute assignment percentages for time off. Sonoma County IT staff devised the system with input from ER Supervisors and Manager. (Counties interested in software, please contact Lia.)
III. COUNTY SHARING/HOT TOPICS
Sacramento:
Supervisors union settled. Increased T&T. Special skills pay to supervisor 5% increase. Furlough payback in comp hours.
Alameda County:
Discussion involved sensitive case for another county and they receive an Inter-county Protocol from Juvenile Dependency Court. Court will take place at that county’s case. Every county has idiosyncratic process. Court Officer prepared petition and it doesn’t involve Child Welfare Worker. This is difficult with varying protocol from each county. Has this been experienced by anyone else? Rarely. (Later, Alameda Co. indicated source of this protocol was drafted by CWDA. The reference point is the Court Involvement Policy drafted in the actual Inter-county protocol.)
Sonoma County:
Schedules: Sonoma County has job-sharing and more Social Workers are expressing interest in participating. Do other counties practice this? If so, what is protocol? Few counties were familiar with job sharing. No county practices it. One county said this practice does not fit within the scope of the job.
-Counties with 4(10) and 9(80) schedules include Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and Sonoma. Some struggle with Monday and Friday overload, but difficult to change and in MOU union contracts.
-One county said a month notice is required and flexing time off can been very difficult as vacation may trump the flex time; Sometimes supervisors end up not flexing time off due to conflict with co-supervisors vacation schedules. Monterey Co. said they have 9(80) for supervisors only.
Petition writing: ER completes Warrants and will begin training on Petition Writing. Although SF, SC and CC have vertical caseloads in ER, several county supervisors said they find that Court Specialists help to support consistency in the warrant and petition process. Vertical caseload counties maintained that the “Back end workers “are required to write their own petitions and warrants. The Court Specialists are only utilized by the Front End. What is the practice in other counties following detention of minors? Who writes petition? Juris/Disposition?
-Contra Costa indicated that their Court and ER units are combined. However, it is not without difficulties, overwhelm, and burn out. CC is having trouble keeping sufficient number of workers in ER.
-Alameda Co. said ER and Court Workers collaborate. ER and Court SW both attend TDM—scheduled immediately. ER SW documents in a timely and thorough manner and hands the referral over to Court SW who subsequently completes the petition. Alameda Co. said the Court SW is adept with the process and can quickly write the petition.
-Monterey Co: Similar to Alameda Co., Monterey ER SW lays out and organizes all the information, but passes it on to the Court Specialist to writes petition.
Alameda:
-Family Finding and Engagement (FFE) staff are being embedded in Dependency Investigations and supervision of new program staff is an adjustment. FFE formerly had their own supervisor and unit-- not incorporated in Dependency Investigations.
-New training class for workers starting coming in July and testing is currently being conducted to create a new supervisor’s list. Alameda promotes internally for supervisory positions.
-Workers are feeling overwhelmed as the numbers of workers in ER isgoing down due to transfers and promotions and case numbers are climbing.
-Program Manager introduced “Terrific Third Tuesdays” as a way of increasing staff morale and disseminating information. The voluntary event is held once a month and includes a potluck, open discussion and at times a training component. ER supervisors support event by contributing money towards food. The event has been very successful as worker feedback has been positive.
Monterey County:
-People are overwhelmed and busy. No real changes around technology and there is a need to improve and support note taking. Workers are getting behind by a couple months in closures.
-CORE is scheduled and it is a good thing and happening with all the new workers. Nuts and Bolts ER Guide sharing was discussed. CC and Monterey County have social worker field booklet to support efficiency.
-Monterey Co. spoke about upcoming project planned for “Administrative Day” as an opportunity to boost morale in the office. The ER team meets quarterly and joint topics are addressed.
-Monterey Co. asked about telecommuting policies. Confidentiality and liability cited as concerns. Sacramento County supervisor makes use of IPhone to communicate referrals.
Santa Clara:
Pilot project in South Santa Clara. One day ER and Court SW telecommute. Counties discussed this further. Alameda County indicated how select Workers including: TDM Facilitators, Family Finding and Engagement Workers, Relative Assessment and Court Officers are mobile. County provides all the equipment for them.
Contra Costa:
Toni Nestore is now a Division Manager and now replaced by BAERS committee.
IV. Summary of Action items:
1. By May 1, 2014, everyone agreed to send Nicole updates for last month’s March minutes to: .
2. Nicole will email Final copy of March minutes to everyone and include: Judith Lefler, Jennifer Cannell and Johanna Gendallman. (See email addresses on page 4).
3. By May 5, 2014, everyone will send updates on the current minutes and agenda to Lia at:
4. Regina from Monterey Co. to send everyone copy of ER Social Worker Field Book (nuts & bolts)
5. Renea from Sacramento Co. will gather information on Asset Management System to share with everyone at next meeting.
Next Meeting:
5/8/2014
10am to 1pm
2201 Broadway, Oakland
2nd floor conference room
Next Agenda:
1. Review of Action items
2. BAERS Vision/Mission Statement Development (Next Section)
3. Asset Management System Demonstration (Sacramento County)
4. Audit: https://www.bsa.ca.gov/reports/agency/85
5. Request for Agenda items
1