Title
Health and Human Services Agency recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign letters of support to the California State Assembly and California State Senate requesting their support of identifying $5 million to provide statewide Adult Protective Services Training.
FUNDING: There is no funding related to this item.
Body
DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign letters of support to the California State Assembly and California State Senate, relative to a statewide Adult Protective Services (APS) Training. The training will provide a consistent, statewide APS training program to enable social workers and supervisors to gain the skills and knowledge required to intervene on the behalf of vulnerable elders and dependent adults.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
As the first-line of defense against elder and dependent adult abuse and/or neglect, APS social workers are available during normal business hours and they provide on-call coverage after business hours. In El Dorado County, 18.52 percent of the population is aged 65 or older, compared to a statewide average of 13.3 percent. Unfortunately, with a high percentage of elders in El Dorado County, there has been steady growth in reported abuse and neglect of seniors as summarized below:
- Calendar Year 2013: 977 allegations of abuse and neglect
- Calendar Year 2014: 988 allegations of abuse and neglect
- Calendar Year 2015: 1,007 allegations of abuse and neglect
- Calendar Year 2016: 1,200 allegations of abuse and neglect based on projections and year to date referrals.
The State is responsible for funding APS training to ensure statewide consistency and quality of APS services. However, with only $88,000 available for APS training statewide, there is not enough training for APS staff.
HHSA encourages the Board to approve and authorize the Chair to sign letters of support to the California State Assembly and the California State Senate. El Dorado County’s Commission on Aging, Advisory Council to the Area Agency on Aging for Planning and Service Area 29, supports additional funding for training to APS social workers and passed a motion during their April 21, 2016, meeting to also send letters of support to the California State Assembly and Senate.
ALTERNATIVES
Disapproval of authorizing the Chair to sign the APS training letters of support will result in County of El Dorado not being able to forward letters of support to the California State Assembly and California State Senate.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
N/A
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
N/A
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) Clerk of the Board to obtain signature of Chair on each letter of support.
2) Clerk of the Board to return both signed letters to the HHSA Contracts Unit at 3057 Briw Road.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Don Ashton, M.P.A., Director