DPSS News May 2020

RESOURCE FAMILIES SPOTLIGHTED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KIDS AND COMMUNITIES DPSS NEWS MAY 2020

EVEN BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, SELF SUFFICIENCY CONTINUES TO LEND HELPING HAND

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akiyyah Lateef will admit that her six-bedroom home is usually full of children. But she knows there is not enough space there for all the youngsters and teens in need of supportive and loving homes. Last time she counted 10 years ago; Lateef had fostered about 1,500 kids. By now, she estimates the number is over 2,000. Along with her husband, Abdul Shaheed, the couple have been helping to raise other people’s children for the past 28 years. The journey is worth it, they say. “The best part is watching the kids come out of their shells after being neglected and abused,” Lateef said. Most of the foster youth choose to call her Miss Mom

s unemployment in R i v e r s i d e C o u n t y continues to grow, the Self- Sufficiency team remains focused on serving existing customers and thousands of new households that are e x p e r i e n c i n g s u d d e n economic hardships from the COVID-19 crisis. Applications for Cal-Fresh and CalWORKS have more t h a n d o u b l e d s i n c e Riverside County’s Public A

ZAKIYYAH LATEEF receiving “Caregiver of the Year” Award

LISA DURAN, Employment Services Counselor

and her husband Mister Dad. Lateef and her husband were among eight foster parents to receive the Caregiver of the Year Award 2020 that is given by the Riverside County Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Commission and the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) Children’s Services Division. The annual award aligns with National Foster Care Month each May. “Our resource families are extraordinarily generous in their support and love,” said Charity Douglas, assistant director of Children’s Services at DPSS. “They answer our calls and open their homes at all hours of the day and night to children and teens who are suffering from abuse and neglect. They do this with the hope of making a positive impact on kids. Foster families provide a vital safety net to the kids and families in our communities.” (continued on pg. 2)

Health Officer ordered non-essential businesses to temporarily close in mid-March. DPSS lobbies that recently averaged 115,000 visits a month now offer only limited access and curbside help to homeless individuals and customers with urgent needs. Lisa Duran, an Employment Services Counselor in Moreno Valley, continued coming into the office to work in the office to assist customers whose needs require in-person visits. Duran found herself busy lightening her team’s load as they experienced a surge of applications for CalFresh, CalWORKS and Medi-Cal. “I like to be able to support my team so we can all be caught up with our work,” said Duran, who wears a face covering and practices social distancing to stay safe during the pandemic. Many more eligibility technicians and support staff have transitioned to telework and continue processing the growing volume of applications remotely by phone and online. In April, the Self-Sufficiency team helped nearly 70,000 Riverside County customers access supplemental CalFresh benefits equating to $12.6 mi l l ion in revenue and benefits to local communities. DPSS Assistant Director Allison Gonzalez, who oversees the Self Sufficiency Division, praised her team’s commitment to their mission and communities. “Our teams went above and beyond to spend the first few weeks of the crisis guiding customers on how to access their cases ad programs online and answering their questions,” Gonzalez said. “They are there remotely and still at the front door waiting to assist the most vulnerable people in our county during an unprecedented event. I am so proud of their continued commitment to quality service.”

FROM THE WEB…

Kudos to @RivCoDPSS for being an agency shining above all the rest during the #COVID19 crisis! My new #SNAP application to reflect my very low earnings for April was processed in 5 CALENDAR days.

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RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES

DPSS NEWS MAY 2020

RESOURCE FAMILIES SPOTLIGHTED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KIDS AND

VIRTUALLY FACE-TO-FACE – STAYING CONNECTED WHILE TELEWORKING

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ith three out of four employees now teleworking from home, DPSS leaders are asking managers to hold regular virtual online meetings to help staff stay plugged in to the department. “We want our staff to be connected to each another and to our mission of serving those who are vulnerable and in need,” said DPSS Director Sayori Baldwin.

COMMUNITIES (continued from pg. 1)

About 3,600 children and teens are in foster care on any given day in Riverside County, and Douglas said there is a need for loving and stable homes, especially for teens. “Mrs. Lateef believes in what she is doing, that her work is important and making a difference in the lives of children,” said her social worker Shatania “Sha” Hammond, also crediting Lateef’s husband for his contributions. “They are a great team and their system works.” Lateef said trust is key. “I tell them I’m not their Mom but that I am going to take care of them like if I was their Mom”, Lateef said. And she tells the biological parents that she is just stepping in to help them out temporarily, just like an extended member of the family would, while they get things sorted out. While many long-term resource families were among those recognized, a new foster dad was also in the mix of award recipients. “All that it takes is love, tons of love,” said Patrick Thompson, another Caregiver of the Year 2020 award recipient, who has been a foster father for around five months. “You just have to be willing to open your home and reach out with your heart.” Offering a stable and loving home to a child or teen in need is an experience Lateef recommends more people embrace. In her view, the rewards far outnumber the challenges. There is a sense of satisfaction in knowing that “our kids are getting what they need.” To know more about how to make a positive difference in the lives of children and youth in Riverside County, please call 1-800-665-KIDS.

“Many of us are no longer seeing each other in the office. We are missing those personal interactions with our friends and colleagues,” Baldwin said. “But there are fresh opportunities ahead as we reshape our communications to strengthen our connections to one another and our work.” Staff Development Manager Lonetta Bryan holds regular staff meetings by video conference. She also checks in with her team at the end of each day. Meetings don’t need to be long to be meaningful and effective, she says. “Communicating face to face, even over a screen, sends the message that you are present and listening,” Bryan says. “These connections expand our shared experiences and allow us to see our colleagues’ expressions and body language so we can support one another as a team.” Bryan also periodically hosts video coffee klatches and water cooler gatherings where staff can spend time—virtually—catching up and boosting the team’s morale. She recently helped launch the Sunshine Committee to enhance morale and maintain engagement— particularly during the period of heightened self-isolation due to COVID-19. Office Assistant III Saniyyah Rudicill was elected to serve as chairperson of Sunshine Committee for its inaugural year. Rudicill said the committee is looking at both big and small ways to brighten the remote work environment. One of them, the “Thinking of You” campaign, allows coworkers to deliver smiles of appreciation to one another through the Sunshine Committee.

“Teleworking is really challenging. It’s so easy to become detached,” says Rudicill, who is also working remotely now. “We want to make sure we are popping in, checking up on each other and staying connected. We have decided we are going to keep smiling through this storm.”

We want to hear from you! Send us a screenshot of your next video conference meeting and let us know what works for your team DPSSInfo@rivco.org.

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@rivcodpss

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RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES

DPSS NEWS MAY 2020

DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS CENTER HELPS NAVIGATE CRISIS

VOLUNTEERS FROM ADULT SERVICES DELIVER FREE MEALS TO VULNERABLE ADULTS IMPACTED BY COVID-19

After six weeks of working in Phase One overdr ive to help DPSS navigate the emerging coronavirus p a n d em i c , t h e D e p a r t me n t Operations Center (DOC) began scaling back to Phase Two activities in late April. “In short time, the DOC team transitioned 75 percent of our 4,300- m e m b e r w o r k f o r c e t o telecommuting. The team monitored for potential employee exposure and –most importantly--ensured we were able to continue uninterrupted service to our communities at a time of unprecedented need” said DPSS Managing Director Jennifer Claar.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left some seniors and vulnerable adults isolated and struggling to put food on their tables. Volunteers from the Adult Services Division are helping to meet the need by delivering free meals. Riverside County’s Office on Aging is offering seniors, veterans, and adults with special needs free meals for pick-up or delivery. Office on Aging recently asked the Adult Services Division for help making emergency meals deliveries

ANGEL JAIMES, DPSS Adult Services, making deliveries

HARRY FRIEDMAN, CSD representative for the DOC

in desert communities. The emergency meals program offers three days of food to fragile adults and seniors. Nearly a dozen ASD employees stepped up to volunteer, including Regional Manager Angel Jaimes. “I felt a responsibility. If I can do something about it, why not?,” said Jaimes, who transferred to ASD in mid-March after serving 20 years in the Children’s Services Division in the Coachella Valley. On one of his Friday’s off and with mask and gloves ready, Jaimes drove from Indio to UC Extension in Riverside where he picked up prepared and frozen meals from a food supplier. ‘While I was there, I saw another manager I recognized. It felt great to know I’m on the right team,” Jaimes said. Jaimes loaded two coolers of items and a dozen meals into his family’s van and spent two hours delivering meals in Palm Springs, Thousand Palms and Indio. “I was going to hotels mostly, and I was mentally prepared that I would be helping those really in need, including the homeless or those in transitional housing,” Jaimes said. In light of the no-contact public health order to protect customers and employees during the COVID pandemic, Jaimes knocked on doors, dropped off food and left. “On my way out, customers would stick their head out of the window, including a man in his 90s, who said thanks,” Jaimes said. “They were so genuine.” “The fact that Angel did this on his day off is a tremendous example of not only caring, but leadership,” said Deputy Director Ryan Uhlenkott with ASD.

“We’ve also experienced a significant reduction in employee absences and a low number of reported COVID-19 cases as a result of our efforts to get staff working remotely early in the crisis,” she said. During Phase One, appointed representatives from each DPSS division convened daily in the Dodge Room to solve challenges such as equipment distribution, shortages of personal protective equipment, relocation of vehicles and developing a system that allowed for timely, high-level decisions to be carried out. Shawn Ferris, chief of the Special Investigations Unit continues to serve as incident commander of the DOC, with support from Deputy Director Scott Bruckner and Administrative Services Manager Nancy Chung. Ferris said the DOC is prepared to return to Phase One if needed. As it moves into Phase Two, he said the DOC will be working to support the timely processing of customer applications, improving the quantity of personal protective equipment and training, establishing standard operating procedures and increased support for the new telework model. “I would like to commend everyone on the DOC team,” Ferris said. “They’ve demonstrated how DPSS can break down silos, improve teamwork and accomplish unimaginable tasks under the most difficult of conditions. They played a significant role in keeping people safe, keeping operations moving, and providing critical systems and support to deal with a very serious public health crisis.” Email questions to the DOC at: dpssdoc@rivco.org

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RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES

DPSS NEWS MAY 2020

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE Dear DPSS Team:

I hope you have taken a few minutes to enjoy the first edition of our new monthly newsletter, to celebrate some of our team’s accomplishments over the past several weeks. In that time, we have demonstrated that staff can continue to provide quality and timely services to our customers and communities while working remotely. As we adjust to a new normal, the executive leadership team will be developing a business model and productivity measures to guide our teleworking practices in the future. At the appropriate time we will be reintroducing some staff back into DPSS offices with new safety measures in place. For now, if you are coming into a DPSS location, we ask that you continue to wear face coverings and maintain a distance of at least six feet between your coworkers and customers.

The past two months have brought great uncertainty and hardship to thousands of families and individuals in our communities. We have much work ahead to help those who have been impacted by this crisis get the resources they need to stay healthy and the ability to replace lost opportunities with new ones. Thank you for serving our communities with kindness and empathy. We are all in this together.

Sincerely,

Sayori Baldwin, Director

This newsletter is produced by Community & Government Relations Team. Have questions/comments/ideas? Email us at DPSSInfo@rivco.org

We asked DPSS employees to #showusyourmask, and you delivered! Here are just a few of the many photos we received. Thank you for continuing to serve our customers during these challenging times!

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RIVERSIDE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES

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