LAKEPORT >> Two contracts for Lake County Social Services were recently approved by the Board of Supervisors.
The first contract, which is between the county and the Lake County Office of Education (LCOE), will expand services to foster youth attending county schools.
“We have partnered with LCOE to provide additional case management services,” Lake County Social Services Director Carol Huchingson said. “Services under this contract include a LCOE staff liaison to ensure facilitation of services between our departments, the foster family, the school and the child.”
The contract, which totals approximately $39,500, will last until June 30, to coincide with the school year.
According to Huchingson, the contract was not included in the 2014/15 budget because of the lack of clarified details. However, the department has enough savings to fund it without any adjustments to the approved budget.
The second contract regarded a five-year planning cycle for Child Welfare Services operations planning, which is required of the Lake County Department of Social Services by the California Department of Social Services.
January marked the beginning of a new next five-year cycle, according to Huchingson. Counties are encouraged to use their regional training academies to assist with the process. the UC Davis extension is the regional training academy for Northern California.
Considering the facility’s “extensive experience assisting northern California counties in this process” the Lake County Department of Social Services requested to contract with UC Davis to assist with the peer review and county self assessment.
The review and assessment will culminate in a system improvement plan.
The agreement, which totals $18,500, includes costs and services related to the review and assessment, such as planning, report preparation, rental of meeting spaces, accommodations, food service, travel reimbursement for up to six members of the review team — which will consist of staff from other counties — and technical assistance needed to complete these first steps of the five-year cycle.
Additionally, accommodations and food service for UC Davis staff while conducting the peer review, as well as facilitation of stakeholder meetings and focus groups for the county self assessment are included in the agreement.
Both contracts were unanimously approved by the board, with 5-0 votes.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
