Social Services Division

Peggy Marvin, Deputy Director, Social Services
Robert Isenberg , Program Manager, APS / IHSS / CPS
Tina Garcia, Program Manager, CPS
Robert Isenberg, Emergency Response
Robert Carmona, Family Reunification
Nancy Cecil, APS/IHSS
Kristi Bourque, Supervisor, ER, Ten Day
Cory Jasso,Supervisor, ER, Screening Intermediate
Shelly Verboon, Family Maint/Licensing
Clarissa Picazo, Family Preservation/ILP
Sal Gonzales, Courts
Susan Turner, Courts
Julie Flores, Supervisor, Permanency Planning, Family Reunification

The Social Services Division consists of Adult Protective Services, In Home Supportive Services and Child Welfare Services.

The Social Services Division provides mandated service to abused, neglected and/or exploited children and adults to prevent or reduce inappropriate institutional care, secure institutional care when no other form of care is appropriate, and to help individuals and families achieve and maintain the highest level of independence, self-support, and self-sufficiency possible within the range and scope of their capabilities. Mandated services for children and families consists of Information and Referral, Emergency Response, Family Maintenance, Family Reunification, Permanent Placement, Adoption, Foster Home Licensing, and Independent Living Skills.

The Adult Protective Services Program and the In Home Supportive Services Program provide mandated service to the elderly in Kings County.

The Child Welfare Services Division is committed to expanding primary prevention and early intervention activities aimed at reducing the possibility of out-of-home placements for children and improving overall family functioning via early intervention activities. The Division is involved in the following: The Pediatric review Team (PERT), Multi-disciplinary Review Team, Family Preservation and Support Board, Child Abuse Prevention, School Social Work Collaborative, Strategic Planning, Foster Parent Training and Recruitment Program, California State University Fresno social Work Internship Program, Central California Social Work Academy, Family Unity Model, and Children's System of Care.

FAMILY MAINTENANCE SERVICES (FM): Are designed to provide time-limited protective services to prevent or remedy neglect, abuse or exploitation for the purpose of preventing separation of the children from their families. Families can be ordered by the court to participate in services or do so voluntarily. Family Maintenance Services are limited to six months, but may be extended for two-three-month periods when it can be shown that the objectives of the service plan can be achieved within the extended time periods. For dependent children of the Juvenile Court, reviews are conducted by the Court at least every six months.

FAMILY REUNIFICATION SERVICES (FR): Are provided to families of children who have been placed out of the home by the court. The program requires identification and elimination of the problems which required the removal and placement of the child so the child may be safely reunited with the family. This process makes use of service agreements between the agency, the parents and the children, and delineates the specific planned actions to be taken by the family and the agency to achieve the desired objectives within a defined time frame. Services are limited to 12 months, but may be extended for up to an additional six months by court order. Court reviews must occur at least every six months, with a permanency planning hearing to decide the child’s future conducted no later than 12 months after placement commences.

PERMANENT PLACEMENT SERVICES (PP): Are designed to provide an alternate family structure for the children, who because of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, cannot safely remain at home and who are unlikely to ever return home. These services are directed toward children for whom reunification is not possible. Alternatives such as adoption, guardianship, or long-term foster care are to be considered, in that order.

ADOPTION SERVICES: for Kings County are provided by California State Department of Social Services Fresno office. Services include home studies to determine suitability as adoptive parents, placement and post-placement services, Adoption Assistance Payment reviews and relinquishment of children for adoptive placement.

FOSTER HOME EVALUATION AND LICENSING: Provides services focused on the screening and evaluation of applicants and their homes for licensure and issuance and/or renewal of State Community Care Licenses for Foster Family Homes. Homes are licensed to care for minors from ages 0 - 18 who are adjudged dependents or wards of the Juvenile Court.

INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS PROGRAM (ILP): provides services to assist adolescents age sixteen and older who are in foster care achieve self-sufficiency prior to leaving the foster care system. Training areas include educational and vocational alternatives, community resources, employment and housing options, finances and budgeting, home management, health education, goal setting and decision making. This service is provided by Kings Regional Occupational Program (KROP).

INTERSTATE COMPACT PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN (ICPC): provides services aimed at assessing persons who are interested in providing a home to relative minors who are currently dependents of states other than California. In addition, services aimed at supervising and maintaining the stability of approved placements are also provided.

CHILD ABUSE COUNCIL: is a multidisciplinary council, administered through the Human Services Agency, aimed at providing efforts to reduce the likelihood of abuse and neglect.

FAMILY PRESERVATION/FAMILY SUPPORT: Provides special funding for intensive family preservation services, as well as, community based grant funds for programs aimed at reducing the likelihood of abuse, neglect and delinquency. In addition to the grant funded projects listed below, will be sponsoring approximately 24 parenting class sessions, child abuse prevention activities and Family Unity meetings in 1998/99.

ADULT SERVICES Adult Services are aimed at maintaining and supporting individuals and families in their quest for self-sufficiency, independence, and self-support within the range and scope of their capabilities. Services include Adult Protective Services, In-Home Supportive Services, and Personal Care Services.

PROTECTIVE SERVICES FOR ADULTS (ASP) Provides services without regard to income to assure that adults in danger of neglect, abuse, or exploitation will receive prompt intervention to alleviate danger, correct hazardous living situations and to prevent unnecessary institutionalization. These services could include an investigation and writing a conservatorship report. The Adult Services Unit of the Department also conduct LPS conservatorship investigations for adults who are a danger to self and/or others in need of a more restrictive environment such as hospitalization.

IN-HOME SUPPORTIVE SERVICES (IHSS) Provides services to enable aged, blind, or disabled recipients to remain in their own homes, to help maintain and strengthen capability for self-care, and to safeguard functioning in their own homes. Services include meal preparation, laundry, shopping, and personal care. Persons eligible for IHSS are current recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or income eligible and who are in need of services. IHSS is provided through Individual Providers (IPS) who are hired by the recipient, monitored by the recipient and the Human Services Agency, and paid by the State.

PERSONAL CARE SERVICES PROGRAM (PCSP) provides services to aged, blind and disabled recipients who currently receive SSI benefits or meet the income eligibility criteria and require personal care, as certified by a doctor, to remain safely in their own home. Services can also include domestic services, related services, transportation to medical appointments, and paramedical services.