DPSS Annual Report 24_25 FLIP v16_compressed

Administrative Services Division

Assistant Director’s Message

Throughout every initiative, we kept our internal customers and our external communities at the center of our processes and decisions.

Carl Letamendi, PhD, MBA, MPH, GStat

Fiscal Year 2024/25 marked a period of growth and evolution for the Adminis trative Services Division as we advanced our mission to support each DPSS divi sion with the resources, expertise and operational strength needed to deliv er outstanding services. We remained grounded in our vision to achieve ex cellence in service to those who serve, guided by our values of collaboration, communication, integrity, accountabili ty, transparency and diligence. Administrative Services teams played a significant role in enhancing systems that connect residents to services through the county’s integrated service network, RivCoONE. We improved data manage ment, expanded customer access to navigation tools, and modernized tech nologies and shared platforms that sup port coordinated seamless service and communication with our external part ners. Lean Six Sigma training provided by our team equipped staff to streamline processes and elevate customer experi ence, and our teams worked closely with internal and external partners to provide technical assistance and training in sus tainable quality improvement processes. We aligned resources and functions within the division to better support

both public facing operations and inter nal functions. This alignment ensures that policy development, internal com munications, facilities, technology and workforce support operate as a cohe sive system. Our operational footprint remained sig nificant. Facilities ensured that 1.2 million square feet across 33 DPSS locations were safe, functional and ready each day for staff and visitors. We support ed the hardware and operational needs of a 4,600 member workforce and in troduced AI tools that assist staff by handling administrative tasks, giving professionals more time to focus on the individuals and families they serve. Working closely with Children’s Services, we led the establishment of the new Of fice of Child Abuse Prevention, develop ing the initial proposal, putting structure in place, and supporting its first year of operation. This work expanded Riverside County’s long‑standing prevention ef forts by advancing a more comprehen sive, upstream approach to stabilizing at-risk families and stopping abuse be fore it occurs. We continued modernizing internal pro cesses by updating the professional dress code and launched a DPSS pop

up E-Store, expanding access to brand ed apparel and reinforcing pride in our shared identity. All in all, we had a great year thanks to each of you. Our division is diverse in talent and unit ed in purpose. Through intentional hir ing, training and an inclusive culture, we support one of the finest social service workforces in the country. As we look ahead, we are preparing for a rapidly evolving landscape that de mands agility, foresight and innovation. A new strategic plan in the coming year will guide us in strengthening operations, anticipating needs and transforming challenges into opportunities that ele vate our service to the department and the public. I am proud to lead the dynamic and inno vative Administrative Services team as we continue to support exceptional ser vice to our colleagues and nearly 1.2 mil lion customers across Riverside County.

Assistant Director Administrative Services Division Carl Letamendi

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