ALAMEDA COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCY EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER • A PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS A Message from the Agency Director IN THIS ISSUE 1 Assessment Center Celebrates 11 Years of Caring for Foster Youth 2 Lorena Briseño Joins Office of Public Affairs as Language Access & Asset Building Coordinator 3 Summer Interns Bring “Energy, Insight and Levity” to Deputy Director’s Office 3 SSA Rocks Great Shakeout Drill 4 CalHEERS Training Participants Have It Covered 4 New Season of Sharing Liaison: Sheri Atanda 5 An Insider’s Look: WBA and WIB Business Services Collaboration 6 Service with a Smart Heart; Making Compassion a Part of Your Daily Diet Continued on page 2 H orace Williams, the Assessment Center’s Child Care Supervisor, recalls a time when the Social Services Agency didn’t have a safe or comfortable place to receive children after they were removed from their homes or were in the process of changing placements. When he was a child welfare worker, children waited in police cars, fast food restaurants or at workers’ desks. He even took children to a buddy’s firehouse, because at least they would get fed while he scrambled to find them placements. STAFF WRITER: Jennifer Ling SSA receives a Commendation from the Board of Supervisors: [from left to right] Lori Cox (Agency Director, SSA), Michelle Love (Assistant Agency Director), Aisha Brown (Senior Legislative Aide to Supervisor Keith Carson), Mia Preston-Buckner (Program Manager), and Faith Battles (Division Director). W e can all breathe a collective sigh of relief now that the government shutdown is over and Washington has averted fiscal calamity by raising the debt ceiling. I should add one caveat: temporarily. Come January we will hold our breath again as we wait to see if another shutdown and possible fiscal cliff will threaten safety net programs, namely: • Area Agency on Aging (AAA) programs • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) • Workforce Investment Act (WIA) • Refugee Programs • Child Welfare Services • Social Services Block Grant and Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) • Child Care • Women, Infants and Children (WIC) • Head Start • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) The debt cushion now extends through February 7, with current spending levels being authorized through January 15. That means a few months of breathing room, but little more. After all, the bill doesn’t address many of the contentious and complicated issues -- from changes to entitlement programs to tax reform -- that continue to divide Democrats and Republicans. Rather than hold our breath, this would be a good time to raise our voices. —Lori Assessment Center Celebrates 11 Years of Caring for Foster Youth OCTOBER 2013 County of Alameda Social Services Agency
Transcript
ALAMEDA COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCY EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER • A PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
A Message from the Agency Director IN THIS ISSUE1 Assessment Center Celebrates
11 Years of Caring for Foster Youth
2 Lorena Briseño Joins Office of Public Affairs as Language Access & Asset Building Coordinator
3 Summer Interns Bring “Energy,Insight and Levity” to Deputy Director’s Office
3 SSA Rocks Great Shakeout Drill
4 CalHEERS Training ParticipantsHave It Covered
4 New Season of Sharing Liaison:Sheri Atanda
5 An Insider’s Look: WBA and WIBBusiness Services Collaboration
6 Service with a Smart Heart;Making Compassion a Part of Your Daily Diet
Continued on page 2
Horace Williams, the Assessment Center’s Child Care Supervisor, recalls a time when the Social Services Agency didn’t have a safe or
comfortable place to receive children after they were removed from their homes or were in the process of changing placements. When he was a child welfare worker, children waited in police cars, fast food restaurants or at workers’ desks. He even took children to a buddy’s firehouse, because at least they would get fed while he scrambled to find them placements.
STAFF WRITER: Jennifer Ling
SSA receives a Commendation from the Board of Supervisors: [from left to right] Lori Cox (Agency Director, SSA), Michelle Love (Assistant Agency Director), Aisha Brown (Senior Legislative Aide to Supervisor Keith Carson), Mia Preston-Buckner
(Program Manager), and Faith Battles (Division Director).
We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief now that the government shutdown is over and Washington has
averted fiscal calamity by raising the debt ceiling. I should add one caveat: temporarily. Come January we will hold our breath again as we wait to see if another shutdown and possible fiscal cliff will threaten safety net programs, namely:
• Area Agency on Aging (AAA) programs• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) • Workforce Investment Act (WIA)• Refugee Programs • Child Welfare Services• Social Services Block Grant and Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) • Child Care• Women, Infants and Children (WIC) • Head Start• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
The debt cushion now extends through February 7, with current spending levels being authorized through January 15. That means a few months of breathing room, but little more. After all, the bill doesn’t address many of the contentious and complicated issues -- from changes to entitlement programs to tax reform -- that continue to divide Democrats and Republicans.
Rather than hold our breath, this would be a good time to raise our voices.
—Lori
Assessment Center Celebrates 11 Years of Caring for Foster Youth
OCTOBER 2013
County of AlamedaSocial Services Agency
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Continued from page 1
Lorena Briseño, formerly the Welfare to Work Program Specialist in Workforce & Benefits Administration, is embarking on a fresh path as SSA’s Language Access Coordinator and coordinator of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)/ Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Program. In her new role, she will serve as the central point of contact for
departments to ensure compliance in providing services to Limited English Proficient customers. She will be developing and implementing agency-wide protocols, collaborating with SSA staff and community-based partners, and managing translation services.
Lorena also takes the helm of the VITA-EITC program, which enters its 12th year of operation at SSA. She will oversee volunteer recruitment and training, customer outreach, operations at 3 service sites, and serve as a liaison to the program’s partners, United Way of the Bay Area and the Internal Revenue Service. Last year, the program had 130 volunteers who helped households file their tax returns and receive more than $2 million total in federal and state refunds.
Lorena is ready for these professional adventures: “I’m really excited to join the Office of Public Affairs and Community Relations and look forward to coordinating agency-wide programs that empower the communities we serve.”
From left to right: Horace Williams (Child Care Supervisor), Carol Brown (RN and PHN), Carol Collins (former Assistant Agency Director), Jack Rackmil (Director of Juvenile Justice Center Health Services), Marge Deichman (former director of Child Maternal Health, ACPHD), and Nicole Garay (Director of the Bay Area Field Office for Casey Family Programs).
Assessment Center CelebrationAs Agency Director Lori Cox puts it, “the Assessment Center grew out of this notion that we wanted to do better by kids.” On September 6, SSA celebrated 11 years of the Assessment Center’s service to children, youth and families. Many of the original visionaries and current staff gathered to remember the hard work it took to create the center and the exciting growth ahead.
The Assessment Center is designed to accommodate children of all ages in their time of crisis. Horace describes it as a place “where we bring children in to engage families, lessen trauma and better address children’s needs.” Children and youth are able to decompress, rest, eat and play, while staff work to identify the best possible placement.
Every child entering the Assessment Center receives a medical screening by a public health nurse and a mental health screening by clinicians. In addition, specialized youth advocates are available to support youth with unique needs and link them to services in the community after placement. For children who experience frequent disruptions in their placement, the Assessment Center is a familiar place with familiar faces.
The Assessment Center model takes into account the children and youth’s perspective in determining their next placement. Youth Advocate Fellow and former foster youth Noelle McQuown appreciated that placement workers asked for her opinion. She felt that the staff “take their time really trying to find something that’s going to fit well for you, even what neighborhood you would like to live in. That meant a lot to me because I knew my voice was getting heard.”
The Assessment Center has become a model for innovation. New programs have been developed to provide services for LGBTQ-identified youth and commercially-exploited minors. The Assessment Center is now working on best practices to meet the unique needs of AB12 youth who have chosen to remain in foster care until age 21.
According to Michelle Love, Assistant Agency Director of SSA’s Department of Children and Family Services, “We’re listening to kids more. We hear what their needs are. The Assessment Center is a reminder that change can happen.”
The Language of Service: Lorena Briseño Joins the Office of Public Affairs as Language Access and Asset Building Coordinator
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This summer, the Deputy Director’s Office piloted a new summer youth internship program with Youth Uprising. The 9-week internship program provided paid work experience, job shadowing opportunities and training for youth between the ages of 15–21. Four students—Tamar Jackson, Aleze Brown, Yvette Rendon and Chris Rendon—
provided administrative support to the Policy Office and Human Resources division. They also shadowed key members of the Deputy Director’s team, participated in brown bag lunches, and attended site visits and community meetings.
Some of the most notable adventures of the summer included a trip to Sacramento for the California Asset Building Coalition Capitol Day with Policy Director Lisa Forti and Legislative and Budget Management Analyst Jenna Churchman, a screening and panel discussion of the film “A Place at the Table,” and brown bag lunch sessions with HR Director Denise Robinson and Director of the Training and Consulting Team (TACT) Larry Sanchez.
“The summer youth internship program is good for youth and SSA,” Deputy Director Kristin Spanos reflected. “The Agency benefits from the energy, insight and levity that young people bring to the office. The youth gain hands-on experience, develop skills and have an opportunity to explore their own career interests.”
GUEST WRITER: Laura Schroeder, Policy Office
Summer Interns Bring “Energy, Insight and Levity” to the SSA Deputy Director’s Office
Maylaysia Maye Workforce & Benefits AdministrationJulia Martinez
Several SSA departments also welcomed and mentored interns during the summer.
A big thank you to the supervisors who provided these valuable learning experiences!
SSA Rocks the 2013 Great Shakeout Drill
On Thursday, October 17 at 10:17 AM—the 24th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta quake—SSA employees were among the 9.6 million Californians
participating in the nation’s largest earthquake drill. The Great Shakeout is an annual 60-second drill that has taken place in the second week of October for the past six years in the U.S. and around the world. The Drill started in the California public schools, teaching children how to Drop, Cover and Hold-on as the first response to earthquake tremors. Many thanks to everyone who participated and to the Information Systems Department and County Sheriff’s Deputies for providing communications support.
GUEST WRITER: Gerald Smith, Disaster Response Coordinator, Office of Public Affairs
Above: Yvette Rendon, Chris Rendon and Tamar Jackson with Policy staff celebrating the end of the program.
Left: Aleze Brown checks out the view from Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley’s seat.
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The CalHEERS (California Health Enrollment, Eligibility and Retention System) training sessions took place August 5-9 with ten volunteer SSA Supervising Eligibility Technicians (SET’s) and Sally Calder, SSA Staff Development Specialist, as the lead. These participants convened at the Eden Multi-Service Center for the five-day training and may be asked to facilitate future trainings for the rest of SSA staff.
Sally noted, “Staff have been very enthusiastic and participatory in training. Many have stated that they are happy to be part of this historical event and to be pioneers of health care reform for our county. I couldn’t agree more!”
Trainees viewed PowerPoint slides through a webinar and participated in conference calls. Counties were able to ask questions and make comments via the webinar. The lead could type in comments or questions directly to the website for a State representative to review and relay to the moderator.
Doreen Dorsey, CalHEERS SET found the training a different yet positive experience: “The webinar was significantly different from any other training I’ve attended. It’s a new experience to not have the presenter in the room with you. There is a lot of information to absorb, but I look forward to servicing the public during pre-enrollment for Covered California. Service excellence is our goal.”
Hectic times call for creative measures. Prior to the October 1 pre-enrollment start date under the Affordable Care Act, the State of California had
limited resources and even more limited time to train all the counties throughout the state. Instead of sending out trainers to each county or having the counties send representatives to a central location, they turned to technology for the solution.
CalHEERS Training Participants Have it Covered:Web-Based Training Preps SSA Team for the Affordable Care Act
STAFF WRITER: Kavey Seng
The Office of Public Affairs and Community Relations welcomes Sheri Atanda as its new permanent Administrative Assistant and liaison for the Chronicle Season of Sharing (SOS) Fund, which is a private fund providing one-time crisis-based
assistance for housing and critical family needs to residents in the nine Bay Area counties. The Alameda County SOS Program, which disburses more than $900,000 and assists hundreds of Alameda County households annually, partners with more than 50 community-based agencies to screen and assist eligible households. Sheri will serve as the main point of contact for both SSA staff and community partners to answer questions regarding program policies and procedures, ensure completeness of applications, and provide technical assistance. She will also function as the lead for two additional SOS intake staff and continue strengthening the presence of the program throughout the county.
Sheri began her SSA career as a Specialist Clerk I in 2011 in the Department of Adult, Aging & Medi-Cal Services’ Ombudsman Program. She is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and is currently pursuing an MBA at Cal State East Bay.
The transition has been smooth so far: “I’m looking forward to learning and undertaking some of the great things done within the Office of Public Affairs. Season of Sharing is an incredible and rewarding program and I’m happy to be a part of it!”
Training Participants:BACK ROW: Brian Clinkscale, Adia Williams, Doreen Dorsey.MIDDLE ROW: Guadalupe (Lupe) Torres, Jeannie Ledezma,
Angela Ingram, Alpha De Los Reyes, Kavey Seng.FRONT ROW: Karen Castro Tellez, Sally Calder, Nina Nguyen.
New Liaison Sheri Atanda Brings Fresh Energy to the Alameda County SOS Program
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Career Trails series: “Behind The sCenes”An Insider’s Look into the Workforce and Benefits Administration (WBA)
and Workforce Investment Board (WIB)Business Services Collaboration
When WIB Business Services staff relocated to cubicles on the 3rd floor at the Eden Multi-Service Center where WBA Career Development staff are located, communication and collaborative efforts improved, especially between front
line staff. Some of the very first conversations started with line staff from each program working together to connect new employers coming into the area with qualified local talent. By sharing business resources and recruitment services, WIB and WBA staff help to promote employment opportunities for universal job seekers. Their efforts also ensure that CalWORKs recipients are included in the candidate pool for job openings.
Among those setting the pace for local workforce collaboration is Program Specialist Marybeth McCarthy. Marybeth links the business community to economic development opportunities and also provides operational assessments to help them grow or sustain their companies. With a focus on preventing job loss and helping businesses keep their doors open, Marybeth takes proactive steps to engage local employers. Marybeth states that “when we work independently we do well, but when we work collaboratively we do excellent…right from the beginning it just felt like a good fit, the right thing to be doing.”
Information sharing is critical to the business services collaboration between WBA and WIB workforce specialists. WIB Business Services Representative Birch Early actively engages businesses in manufacturing, transportation logistics, biotech, and other growth industries. As a guest presenter at a recent WBA Supervised Job Search workshop, Birch enlightened SSA job seekers and staff about “green industry” jobs and training opportunities. Offering over two decades of green tech experience, Birch shared an impressive wealth of knowledge and resources on how to prepare and apply for green jobs.
STAFF WRITER: Darlene Sloan-Hawkins
This installment will take you behind the scenes to get an insider’s look into the world of workforce development from a front line perspective.
For more information on WIB and WBA business and recruitment services:
• Visit the EastBay Economic Development Alliance Business Resources Incentives website under Workforce Contacts at http://www.eastbayeda.org/business_resources_incentives/index.asp#WorkforceContacts or
• the East Bay Small Business Portal under Non-Profit and Government Resources at http://www.eallbusiness.com/resources.asp
Birch Early is greeted by Baxter the Robot, who works alongside human colleagues in a manufacturing plant.
WIB Program Specialist Marybeth McCarthy (left) and Career Development Specialist Darlene Sloan-Hawkins (right)
A Buzz-worthy Note: A couple of corrections were offered by Barbara Bernstein, Executive Director of Eden I&R in response to the column, “Who Are the People In Your Neighborhood?” published in the August 2013 edition. • The Public Utilities Commission has never funded Eden I&R or 211. They are the designating body that chooses which organizations can manage 211 for each California county. Each 211 center conducts its own fundraising. • AT&T and Bank of America are former funders, not current funders.
Service With a Smart Heart: Making Compassion a Part of Your Daily Diet
The Buzz wishes a fond farewell to Jennifer Ling, who has kept us entertained and informed with her insightful pieces on the activities of the Department of Children and Family Services since March 2012. As a talented writer, artist, and child welfare worker, she will be greatly missed as she embarks on her next adventure as a behavioral health clinician with the Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services. Congratulations, Jennifer!
Moving On...
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STAFF WRITERS: Robert “Bahb” Peters and Sharronda Wheat
Lately we have seen and heard a great deal about servicing our customers with a heart. We’d like to share a few tricks of the trade that will enable us all
to work smarter and with greater compassion. It’s the small things that people will notice and react to.
When greeting clients, whether in person or over the phone, take a few seconds to introduce yourself, and ask them how you may be able to serve them or point them in the right direction.
Once a client has been able to explain the reason for their contact, recap your impression of the inquiry and ask them if you understood correctly. This way, if there was a miscommunication, the client has the opportunity to clarify their need.
From here, we should attempt to assist the client as best as we can. In addition to taking actions ourselves to resolve the issue, it may be helpful to educate and explain procedures or guidelines to the customer to help them be better prepared or avoid future confusion. However, beware, and never—I repeat, never—use the phrase: “Do you understand?” The more professional and gentle approach would be to ask, “Am I explaining myself correctly?”
Double check with the client that there is nothing else that he or she needs and ensure that you are both on the same page. If there are no further questions, then it
is time to close the conversation by thanking your client and move on to the next customer.
We may have our patience tested by difficult customer interactions, and it can be all too easy to mumble about them, but quite frankly, that attitude is not service with a heart. We are here to help—period, end of story. We know that it can get challenging sometimes, but if we practice the rituals of thoughtful service in our everyday activity, they will soon become second nature and our customer interactions will take on a different and joyful perspective.
Understand? Rather, we hope that we have explained ourselves correctly.
the Buzz eDItorIAL BoArD
Send comments to Sylvia Soublet • [email protected] Content and Design Editor: Andrea Wong
Staff writersElaine Jackson, Secretary II, Admin & Finance
Jennifer Ling, Child Welfare Worker II, DCFSKimberly Nutting, Career Development Specialist I, WBA
Robert “Bahb” Peters, Eligibility Technician II, AAMSKavey Seng, Supervising Eligibility Technician, TACT
Darlene Sloan-Hawkins, Career Development Specialist I, WBASharronda Wheat, Eligibility Support Clerk, AAMS
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