DPSS Annual Report 24_25 FLIP v16_compressed

Self-Sufficiency Division

FAMILIES FIND STABILITY AND SUPPORT THROUGH LINKAGES

THE LINKAGES PROGRAM IS A DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CHILDREN’S SERVICES AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY DIVISIONS, DESIGNED TO SUPPORT FAMILIES WITH ACTIVE CASES IN BOTH SYSTEMS.

The collaborative initiative connects families with vital services that promote financial stability and safe, effective par enting.

he made the decision to fully engage with the help available to him. Through behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, random drug testing, and employment readiness programs, he steadily rebuilt his life. By the time he completed these services, he had demonstrated sustained stability and ultimately regained custody of his child. Reflecting on his journey, he said, “Not only am I physically present in my son’s life now, but I’m also mentally present. I get to be a dad today…It’s not something I have to do.” He credited Linkages staff for their un wavering support, treating him with dig nity and care and genuinely believing in his potential. His experience is one of many that demonstrate how Linkages and integrated case management trans forms lives, empowering families to heal, grow and thrive together.

Through integrated family support and service coordination, Linkages aims to strengthen family safety, prevent mal treatment and address needs tied to poverty. The program focuses on four core areas: reunifying families so chil dren can live safely at home, delivering a coordinated team-based approach to support, promoting long-term indepen dence, and provided personalized ser vices tailored to the needs of individuals, families and communities. One father’s journey through Linkages offers a clear example at how transfor mational this support can be. He was facing an overwhelming mix of challeng es, including mental health struggles, substance abuse, domestic violence, lack of childcare, and homelessness, yet Not only am I physically present in my son’s life now, but I’m also mentally present. I get to be a dad today…It’s not something I have to do.

FISCAL YEAR 2024-25 LINKAGES DATA • 808 families referred

• 52 percent eligible for CalWORKs • 61 percent of children reunified or stabilized within 12 months, greater than the 43.6 percent na tional benchmark

Riverside County Department of Public Social Services | Annual Report 2024 - 2025

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