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GOLD - Shared by members of the In-Home Supportive Services Contract Transition Team

 

Candace Leverenz
Karina Aragon (not pictured)
Natalia Valencia-Urango
Bob Wilson
Cindy James
Patty Mendoza (not pictured)
Manny Ancira
Leticia Arredondo-Garcia
Nancy Ramirez
Frank Madolora (not pictured)
Ophelia Alba
Marco Cabezuela
Velma Biddlecome (not pictured)
Gail Groves
Joan McIntyre

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When the contract mode of the IHSS Program was eliminated as of June 30, 2003, a resource available to nearly 300 vulnerable elderly and disabled consumers and their providers was no longer an option. Working collaboratively, the IHSS social workers, support staff and the IHSS Public Authority staff engaged in a variety of efforts to assure continued service to this frail population of consumers, while preserving employment opportunities to the IHSS care givers previously employed by contract agencies. Consumers were assisted in learning how to interview, hire, schedule and direct their own providers, while care givers were provided a number of services and information about how to continue to work for their consumer or how to use the Public Authority Registry so they could find additional work. As a result of the unflagging efforts of members of the team, the transition occurred nearly seamlessly for all consumers and for those care givers who were interested and eligible to work. The devotion demonstrated by each member of the team to ensuring that the needs of both consumers and providers were met is worthy of County recognition.

SILVER - Shared by members of the Casey Foundation Breakthrough Services Collaborative Team

Cathy Groh
Shannon Seeley (not pictured)
Susan Huffman
Lacie Gray
Julia Sheehan
Lynne Coyle
Judy Yokel

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The Human Resources Agency's Families and Children's Services Division submitted a successful application to participate in a year-long "Breakthrough Series Collaborative on Recruiting and Retaining Resource Families" sponsored jointly by Casey Family Programs and the David & Lucile Packard Foundation. Upon being awarded the grant, team members developed and implemented innovative strategies to improve the Agency's recruitment, retention and support structure for resource families, including foster families, adoptive families, and relative caregivers who care for children in the foster care system. One of the most exciting developments during the year-long project is the percentage of children placed with relatives or with non-relative extended family member care givers. That number has jumped from 23% to 39%. Through their work, team members of the Casey team succeeded in creating an atmosphere which has increased resource family involvement in case planning and treatment for children in their care, while greatly enhancing teamwork between the Human Resources Agency and resource families. As a result, Family and Children's Services is now working much more closely and effectively with resource families to provide the best possible care to help children navigate through an extremely difficult time in their young lives.

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BRONZE - Jody Frommherz

Jody Frommherz is being recognized for her outstanding leadership role in coordinating the Career Ladders Proficiency Certificate Pilot Project. This project is designed to provide training and technical support for a phased-in computer proficiency certification process for HRA clerical staff. This collaborative effort with Cabrillo College provides customized computer training classes in Microsoft Word, Excel, Windows, and the Internet. 

Jody identified the critical need to maintain ongoing communication with supervisors, providing opportunities for feedback to ensure that the classes were meeting the training needs of their staff. From the initial planning stages to the implementation of on-site training classes at HRA, Jody's personal involvement has been critical to the project successfully training a total of 48 HRA clerical staff members who have realized remarkable improvements in computer proficiency skill levels. Much of the credit for the success of this innovative pilot training model is due to Jody's leadership in overseeing the entire project and her ability to work with a diverse team of people involved with the project at many levels.