Agenda - 03-19-1985 - Laserfiche WebLink

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jr. • lik006T-12;ERVICES: (.V • Orange County Department of Social Services MISSION OF SOICAL SERVICES The basic goal of the Orange County Department of Social Services is to assist'the citizens of Orange County as individuals and families to achieve and maintain an adequate 'level of social and economic well-being and dignity. ORGANIZATION The department locally is administered through the county five member board of Social Services of which Dr. Thomas M. Denton is Chairman. Other members are, Mr. Sam English, Mrs. Shirley Marshall, Mr. Cyrus Greene and Mrs. Chris Nutter. The agency is organized into two major groups. 1) Social Work Services in the following areas - Adoptions; Day Care technical assistance and financial assistance for low income children; Foster Care Services for Adults (out of home placements); Foster Care Services for Children, In Home Services-Chore Provider assistance; In Home Services-Long Term Care Screening and Medi- caid payments for care; Protective Services to investigate and correct or prevent abuse; neglect in exploitation of Adults; Protective Services for Children includes investiga- tion of all reports of suspected physical or mental abuse, neglect or exploitation and offering a wide range of services; Services for the Blind, WIN program employment and training support services; Permanehcy Planning program for. children; Problem Pregnancy services; Adolescent Parenting Services. 2) Economic Services - are administered ::;• through eight basic public assistance programs: Aid to Families with Dependent Children; Food Stamps; Medicaid; State-County Special Assistance for Rest Home Care; Foster Care and Adoption Assistance payments; Low Income Energy Assistance; Crisis Intervention Pro- gram payments for energy related emergencies; County Emergency Assistance (General Assistance. A Welfare Fraud Investigative program established in 1983 is administered as a Public Assistance Unit. MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS; SERVICE EXPANSIONS - • 1"..11. 1.L19.1 'Cl) The Adolescent Parenting Program - beginning July 1, 1984 Orange County was chosen as one of eight pilot county departments of Social Services to receive a $25,000 state grant from the State Division of Social Services. The target client population is first time parents sixteen years of age and younger. The grant has been budgeted to employ a Social Worker II who has a limited caseload of sixteen adolescents and their babies, and who supervises volunteer parent aides who work with each adolescent on a one-to-one basis. Included in the program is an array of individual services and peer group activities. The goal of the program is to help adolescent • parents 1.) stay in school; 2.) postpone another pregnancy; 3.) improve parenting skills; 4.) prepare for future employment; 5.) prevent child neglect or abuse. The program includes an in- . house management team and a community advisory committee, and relys on community support and close interagency cooperation, particularly among the health department, Social Services and the school systems. -am The Work Incentive Program (WIN) was re-activated in February 1984 following a two year period when funding was not available. Social Services and the Employment Security Com- mission work cooperatively to assist AFDC clients eliminate the barriers to employment such as obtaining high school equivalency diplomas, problems with day care and transpor- tation, enhancing self-esteem and job interviewing skills. The program has 150-160 registrants. The program is staffed by a Social Worker and shared clerical staff. _ _