(221) Health and Human Services Agency Fund

The Health and Human Services Agency enhances the well-being of children, adults, and families by administering programs like nutritional assistance benefits through CalFresh, financial assistance for low-income families and employment services through CalWORKs, health insurance coverage through Medi-Cal, child and adult protective services, and a variety of health-centered programs that promote and protect the physical and mental health of the community by preventing disease, injury, and mitigating community health hazards.

 

Due to the nature of the funding, the Health and Human Services Administrative division's operation and program information are recorded in a separate special revenue fund 221.

DIVISON MISSION/VISION

 

The mission of San Benito County’s Health & Human Services Agency is to support and strengthen individuals and families by assuring safety, supporting self-sufficiency, eliminating poverty, and improving the quality of life in our community.

 

DIVISION OVERVIEW:  PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

 

The Health and Human Services Agency Public Assistance Division enhances the well-being of children, adults, homeless and families by administering programs like nutritional assistance benefits through Cal Fresh, financial assistance for low-income families and employment services through CalWORKs, homeless and single individuals through general assistance (GA) and health insurance coverage through Medi-Cal.

 

STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS AREAS

 

• MC Renewals – maintain casework within timeframes.
• Internal Quality Assurance (QA) Program to measure compliance and accuracy.
• Improvement of Induction Training curriculum to provide the best opportunity for a successful transition to the work floor.

 

 

RECENT DIVISION ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

 

Public Assistance:

• Successful recruitment and hiring of Division Program Manager.
• Addition of second Division Program Manager Position – recruiting.

• Successful completion of the BASIC POST Academy by Supervising Welfare Fraud Investigator.

 

TOP DIVISION CONCERNS:

 

• Recruiting and filling all current staff vacancies.
• High number of candidates rejecting job offers due to low pay.
• Lack of qualified staff to fill promotional opportunities.   
• Medi-Cal workload increases due to lifting of PHE and renewal processing.  
• Successful implementation of the CAL-OAR program for Welfare to Work and monitoring of Cal OAR SIP.

 

 

LONG RANGE PLANNING GOALS (3-5 YEAR) FOR DIVISION:

 

• Review of division wide staffing to workload ratios to ensure manageable workloads.
• Improve Induction training process to improve success rate.
• Increase public assistance program participation by providing education and outreach to the community and program accessibility.

 

NEW REQUESTS FY 24/25:     Personnel & Fixed Assets/ 1-Time Items

 

            Personnel

• No additional staff are being requested for the upcoming fiscal year.   

 

Fixed Assets

• Cal SAWS Refresh equipment – Increase budget.

 

 

DEPARTMENT/DIVISION OVERVIEW:  CHILDREN AND ADULT SERVICES DIVISION

 

The Health and Human Services Agency - Children and Adult Services Division operates to ensure the health, safety, and physical and emotional well-being of our community’s most vulnerable populations: Dependent Children and/or Aged/Blind/Disabled Adults utilizing a variety of evidence-based and trauma informed services.

                                             

STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS AREAS

 

• Utilization of State Block Grant Funding and Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) Funding to plan and implement the San Benito County Family First Prevention Services (FFPS) Comprehensive Prevention Plan (CPP).  Primary prevention services will include Family Well-being Community Outreach and a Resource Development Campaign.  Secondary prevention services will include an investment in the development and implementation of a Promotores program that will focus initially on providing family wellbeing and maltreatment prevention resources to at-risk families as well as training and certifying child welfare professionals and community partners in motivational interviewing. Tertiary services will include the development of a “Parents as Teachers” program including personal home visits, supportive group connection events, child health and developmental screenings, and community resource networks.
• Create a Housing and Homelessness Division by threading available housing and homelessness funding between CSWD, Public Assistance, and the Children & Adult Services division using a “no wrong door” approach.  Clients will be screened for eligibility of all available funding and services available to them with the goal of getting them, or keeping them off the streets.
• Plan and implement an ongoing targeted outreach campaign to increase the number of resource families (foster parents) available for local school-aged foster youth.  This will assist us in keeping our kids in their own community, in their school of origin, and as close to home as possible. 

 

RECENT DEPARTMENTAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

 

• Family First Prevention Services (FFPS) 3 year Comprehensive Prevention Plan (CPP) was approved by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).
• 2019-2024 Year 4 Annual System Improvement Plan (SIP) Update was approved by the California Department of Social Services
• Successful completion of a Quality Assurance Improvement Plan (QAIP) for IHSS with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS).

 

TOP DEPARTMENTAL CONCERNS:

 

• Staff Recruitment and Retention
• Current Infrastructure to support all state mandated programs and policies.

 

LONG RANGE PLANNING GOALS (3-5 YEAR) FOR DEPARTMENT:

 

• Through prevention and early intervention services, lower the exposure of our community’s most vulnerable populations to abuse and neglect.
• Continue to strengthen our partnerships with our partner agencies to collaborate and integrate our collective resources and services to optimize outcomes for our community members in need.
• Reduce homelessness through utilization of all available funding.

 

NEW REQUESTS FY24/25:       Personnel & Fixed Assets/ 1-Time Items

 

Refresh CWS/CMS Workstations for Child Protective Services

 

 

 

The following budget unit information details the different sections found under the Health and Human Services Agency fund (221), a division of the Health and Human Services Agency. The sections are as follows outlined by their coded number:

• (2285) - HHSA Administration
• (2290) - Cal Works Assistance
• (2295) - Foster Care/Adopt Assistance
• (2330) - Whole Person Care - Ended in 2020