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.
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