Recommended Budget Volume One.book - Chief Executive Office ...

participants and customers. This automated telephone system
assists DPSS participants by making reminder telephone calls
in ten different threshold languages. The system received an
LA County STARS! Award in the category of Service Excellence
and Organizational Effectiveness given by the Board of
Supervisors in November 2010.
To enhance service outreach, the Department deployed a
34-foot mobile unit equipped with wireless technology and
a self-contained power generator to support the use of
laptops and Electronic Benefit Transfer equipment. The unit
is functioning not only as a one-stop Food Stamp/Medi-Cal
office to allow walk-in applicants to conveniently apply for
Food Stamps (now called CalFresh) and/or Medi-Cal without
having to go to the District Offices, but also serves as an
emergency response unit during any type of natural disaster.
The Department has continued to achieve significant
success in the delivery of its core programs. The TANF work
participation rate has increased from 21 percent to
43 percent in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2010 and has placed
thousands of individuals in employment and other WtW
activities. The Department continues to maintain its efforts
to reduce the error rate despite the continued rapid rise in
CalFresh caseloads. Los Angeles County’s CalFresh Quality
Control payment error rate for FFY 2009 was an incredible
2.82 percent compared to the California and National
average error rate of 4.4 percent for the same period. In fact,
the CalFresh payment error rate is the lowest in the
Department’s history since the United States Department of
Agriculture imposed quality control performance
measurements more than 25 years ago. As a result, California
and Los Angeles County are once again sanction-free for
maintaining the error rate under the national average for the
last three consecutive years. Furthermore, the Department’s
efforts to improve Medi-Cal case management has yielded
resounding results as evidenced by the 97.8 percent
accuracy rate received in the recent mid-year status audit.
The Department continues to receive recognition for its
innovative improvements in service delivery. The
10,000 Jobs Initiative, which was funded with TANF ECF,
surpassed its original goals. By the closing of the project on
September 30, 2010, the project had created TSE placements
for approximately 12,000 adults and 18,000 youth at over
2,100 worksites, including saving 121 County jobs in Library
and Parks and Recreation. In October 2010, the Department
received the Los Angeles Productivity and Quality Award Top
Ten award for its General Relief to Supplemental Security
Income (GR-to-SSI) collaborative project. The project goal
was to assist 1,000 GR recipients, who had been receiving GR
benefits for the longest consecutive period of time,
transition to SSI. By May 21, 2010, this project had generated
542 SSI approvals resulting in total projected County savings
of $13.0 million over a five-year period.
PUBLIC SOCIAL SERVICES
Budget Summaries
The Department continues its collaboration and partnership
with other County departments and stakeholders to
improve service delivery. This is evidenced in the creation
and formation of the General Relief (GR) Restructuring
Project. The five-year project, which was developed by a
Workgroup of 11 County departments and ten stakeholders,
was designed to better assist GR participants with the
expectation that more of these individuals would be able to
transition off County assistance by securing employment or
State/federal disability benefits. The project consists of
27 recommendations approved by the Board in
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October 2009 and an additional 15 approved by the Board in
February 2010. About one-third of these recommendations
have already been implemented, and most of the remainder
is scheduled to be implemented by June 2011. Savings are
expected to be compounded in future years of this
long-term project.
Workforce Excellence: The Department assesses current and
future staffing needs based on organizational goals and
budget realities. Despite the current economic conditions, the
Department continues to offer opportunities to develop and
enhance the skills of its workforce. The Department’s
Succession Plan is designed to provide opportunities for
training and guidance to create a qualified pool of highly
educated, well-trained, and success-oriented successors. The
Mentorship Program is expanding into its second phase for
Human Services Administrator/Administrative Services
Manager positions. To ensure a departmentwide expansion as
outlined in the DPSS Strategic Plan, the DPSS Academy has
been working with departmental representatives to enhance
the program and develop a comprehensive training
curriculum for mentors and mentees. Since 2005, the
Department has partnered with California State University,
Northridge, and initiated a unique Master’s of Public
Administration Program to offer its employees an opportunity
to further advance their education. As an expansion of this
career/education opportunity, the Department began
implementing a new Masters in Social Work program in
September 2010. To provide employees with career guidance,
the Department Volunteer Career Resource Coordinator
Program is on target to serve 1,000 employees in 2010-11. The
Wellness Program continues to thrive. The program is
designed to encourage employees to improve their health
and well-being, thereby improving productivity and
attendance. In October 2010, the Board of Supervisors
recognized DPSS for vigorously participating in the
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Countywide Fitness Challenge, the “Biggest Loser” campaign.
A total of 1,494 DPSS employees, forming 211 teams,
participated in the challenge which resulted in an astounding
total weight loss of almost three tons.
Organizational Effectiveness: The Department continues its
transition from manual processes to a system of
FY 2011-12 Recommended Budget Volume One 51.3 County of Los Angeles