Imperial County
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
Serving Communities to Improve Lives
Fraud Hotline:
(442) 265-1191
24 Hour Child Abuse Hotline:
(866) 858-7750
24 Hour Adult Abuse Hotline:
(760) 337-7878
Divisions
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Personnel
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Issuance and Recovery
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Clerical Support and MEDS
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Financial and Accounting Services
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Program Support
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System Support
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Administrative Services Division
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The Administrative Services Division (ASD) is dedicated to assisting all other ICDSS divisions in the delivery of services by providing support in the areas of budget and finance, day to day operations, facilities management, and the coordination of essential resources. ASD employs ethical, knowledgeable, and professional individuals, committed to helping Department staff reach their goals and provide the best customer service to the population served.
Aging and Disability Services
Adult Protective Services
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The Adult Protective Services (APS) program provides prevention, intervention and protective services for dependent and disabled adults and the elderly. County staff is responsible for responding to allegations of abuse and neglect, intervening in adult abuse and neglect situations, providing services to families where the adult is at risk. APS provides 24-hour reporting services to the community to report suspected abuse and neglect, investigations of abuse and/or neglect, preventative, victim services, as needed during intervention.
The Hotline for the Adult Protective Services exceeds 700 calls per year. These calls results in over 400 cases accepted annually for investigation of abuse and neglect. This program is required to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Staff is assigned and rotate to cover the after-hours work. If you know someone is being abused or you suspect they are, call (760) 337-7878.
Family Justice Center
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The Family Justice Center (FJC) provides comprehensive victim services through coordinated efforts to use victim assistance, law enforcement and affiliated partner agencies to help connect victims to appropriate services, including housing, medical and mental health support, and legal representation, including immigration assistance. The FJC creates a network and partnership with organizations that serve populations at risk for trafficking, child abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence to expand and provide appropriate services. We also collaborate with federal agencies and other diverse partners who offer services, support or access that can address the needs of victims.
In Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
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In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) provides services to individuals 65 years of age or older, disabled, or blind, to remain safely in their own home. Disabled children are also potentially eligible for IHSS. Individual caregivers provide the services that allow the recipients to remain safely in their home as an alternative to out-of-home institutional care. IHSS can authorize various services that can include housecleaning, meal preparation, laundry, grocery shopping, personal care services (such as bowel and bladder care, bathing, grooming and paramedical services), accompaniment to medical appointments, and protective supervision for the mentally and developmentally impaired. IHSS enrollments include over 6,200 individuals that receive in home support from over 5,000 caregivers.
Public Authority
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The purpose of the Public Authority for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is to help IHSS elderly, blind and disabled recipients in hiring home care providers. The Public Authority was established per State mandate to act as Employer of Record for IHSS Providers for purposes of collective bargaining and operate a Registry of Providers. The significant role of the Public Authority is to assist IHSS recipients in gaining greater access to care providers. This is accomplished by creating and maintaining a computerized registry of screened and trained care providers. In addition to establishing a registry, the Public Authority is also responsible for: 1) investigating the qualifications and background of potential care providers, 2) establishing a referral system to connect providers with recipients and, 3) providing access to training for providers and recipients and, 4) perform other functions related to the delivery of IHSS services.
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Visit our website: https://www.icihsspa.org/
Children and Family Services
Adoptions
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This program component requires Social Worker to finalize the adoptions of children whose parental rights have been terminated which includes, but is not limited to, conducting monthly face-to-face visits with the children, preparing status review reports and ensuring the prospective adoptive parents comply with the adoption process. The adoption social workers are also each responsible for a post-adoption caseload. This caseload consists of children whose adoptions have been finalized and are eligible to receive adoption assistance.
Emergency Response
The Emergency Response (ER) Units are responsible for investigating Suspected Child Abuse, which encompass general neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and commercial sexual exploitation. Social Workers in these units respond to reports varying from immediate in nature to reports that require a 10-day response. The social workers identify the family’s need for intensive casework services and provide referrals to services available in the community to families, as deemed necessary. Social Workers conduct a comprehensive assessment pertaining to family dynamics, risk/safety, support systems, and assess all areas of maltreatment. ER social workers determine whether the families need preventative services or court intervention services to mitigate further risk of child abuse or neglect.
Family Support
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They are primarily community-based prevention activities for families. They are designed to alleviate stress and promote improved and positive parenting skills and behaviors that will increase the ability of families to successfully nurture their children and to enable families to use other resources and opportunities available in the community. These services are primarily provided through the Family Resource Centers.
Family Maintenance
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Consists of time-limited services that are designed to provide in home protective services when the child can remain safely at home. The services provided may be court ordered or accepted by families on a voluntary basis.
Family Reunification
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This is a time-limited service to children in out-of-home care to prevent or remedy neglect, abuse or exploitation when the child cannot remain safely at home and needs temporary foster care while services are provided to the parents to reunite the family.
Betty Jo McNeece Receiving Home
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This is a 24-hour facility developed by community members over 25 years ago, in recognition of the need for temporary care and shelter for children. A fundamental goal of the Continuum of Care Reform is to limit the amount of time that children spend in care, especially within group homes or congregate care. The Betty Jo McNeece Receiving Home is a 10-Day Temporary Shelter Care Facility. The facility requires staff trained and certified by the California Department of Social Services, Title 22 Regulations. An Administrator Certification Program is legislatively mandated; designed and intended to upgrade the knowledge and educational levels of persons employed in a licensed shelter home.
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315 W McCabe Road
El Centro, CA 92243
Permanent Placement
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It consists of providing alternative family structures for children who, because of abuse, neglect or exploitation cannot remain safely at home and who are unlikely to return home. These services are provided when there has been a judicial determination of a permanent plan for adoption, legal guardianship, or other alternate planned living arrangement.
Independent Living
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The social workers under this component are responsible for minors receiving Independent Living Program and Extended Foster Care services. Social workers visit with the minors or non-minor dependents every month, prepare status review reports for the status review hearings, refer their clients to services and ensure case plan compliance. Furthermore, social workers are responsible in locating suitable placements for the minors, which may consist of resource family approval homes, foster family home, foster family agency certified home or short-term residential treatment program. These placements may require social workers to place minors out of state on an approved Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children or supervised independent living placement for non-minor dependents.
Resource Family Approval
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The preferred placement of children who require out-of-home care is with relatives. Under the Continuum of Care, Resource Family Approvals (RFA) are completed by social workers. The RFA is a family-friendly and child-centered caregiver approval process that combines elements of the current foster parent licensing, relative approval, and approvals for adoption and guardianship processes and replaces those processes. Children who require out-of-home care generally come under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. The juvenile dependency process involves a series of hearings and case reviews, which may result in caregiver placement, to include placement with relatives and non-related extended family members. Staff holding a Master of Social Work conduct the RFA for homes that care for children through reunification with parent caregivers or up to adoption. For more information click here.
Imperial Valley Continuum Care Council
Homeless Taskforce
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This team implemented and operated the Assessment Center and Project Roomkey during the COVID-19 pandemic. They provided non-congregate shelter options, such as hotels or self-contained trailers, for people experiencing homelessness, and in need of space to isolate, quarantine or practice safe social distancing, Services offered by the Homeless Taskforce have the the goal of protecting human life, and minimizing the strain on health care system capacity.
Administrative Entity
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Dedicated team developed and implemented internal procedures that reduced administrative time, which has subsequently been refocused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of delivery of services. Increase in IVCCC membership participation from organizations within the community. Monthly meeting attendance has improved, which has allowed for invaluable input for existing or future program design.
Housing Support
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A total of $500,000 of funding provided to the Imperial Valley College for the first of its kind tiny homes off-campus neighborhood. This community of twenty-six (26) 170-square-foot homes is dedicated to students experiencing housing insecurity.
Over $2,500,000 of funding provided to Catholic Charities for Apagando Las Calles, the remodeling of a building which included adding the following: a modular bathroom for men (at least 2 toilets and 2 urinals), a modular bathroom for women (at least 4 toilets), shower stalls for men and women (at least four) which will be alternated between the two genders on a given day and a laundry area. Additionally, a new commercial kitchen was built in a vacant space near existing building.
Transitional Services
CalFresh
Federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), can add to your food budget to put healthy and nutritious food on the table. The program issues monthly electronic benefits that can be used to buy most foods at many markets and food stores. For information on how to apply click here.
Medi-Cal
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This is California's Medicaid program. This is a public health insurance program which provides needed health care services for low-income individuals including families with children, seniors, persons with disabilities, foster care, pregnant women, and low income people with specific diseases such as tuberculosis, breast cancer or HIV/AIDS. Medi-Cal is financed equally by the State and federal government.
CalWORKS
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California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) is a cash aid program for low-income families to meet their basic needs. Families receiving public assistance under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) are required to participate in employment activities to remove barriers to employment and achieve self-sufficiency within prescribed time limits under welfare reform. There is a time limit for adults, but children can remain on aid if otherwise eligible under the Safety Net program. There are special services for pregnant and parenting teens through the Cal-Learn program
Self Sufficiency
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This program helps family members acquire the skills needed to get a job. The County will determine if a family must participate in Welfare-To-Work activities as a requirement for CalWORKs. Families may also volunteer to participate. Parents receiving TANF are required to participate in Welfare to Work employment activities to remove barriers to employment. This includes education, employment, and training programs to help families get jobs and move towards self-sufficiency. Childcare, transportation, work expenses and counseling are available for families in work activities.
General Assistance
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The General Assistance or General Relief (GA/GR) Program is designed to provide relief and support to indigent adults who are not supported by their own means, other public funds, or assistance programs. Each county's GA/GR program is established and funded (100 percent) by its own Board of Supervisors. As the state is not involved in this program, benefits, payment levels, and eligibility requirements vary among each of California's 58 counties. Many recipients of GA/GR are also eligible to participate in the CalFresh (CF) Program, which is designed to raise the level of nutrition among low-income households. A review of the General Relief program reveals growth in the population of adults eligible for services that include job readiness and referrals to community based programs.
