Title
a. Amend the Department of Social Services Budget Unit 001-5010-SOC005-8262 to add six (6) FTE Social Worker III's; one (1) Social Work Supervisor II; and three (3) Social Services Aide II's; and
b. Authorize the County Administrative Office to incorporate the changes to the FY 2014-15 Adopted Budget Unit 001-5010-SOC005-8262 to reflect the change in position counts; and
c. Approve and authorize the Auditor-Controller to amend the FY 2014-15 Adopted Budget Unit 001-5010-SOC005-8262, to increase estimated revenues and appropriations by $431,666. (4/5ths Vote Required)
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Amend the Department of Social Services Budget Unit 001-5010-SOC005-8262 to add six (6) FTE Social Worker III's; one (1) Social Work Supervisor II; and three (3) Social Services Aide II's; and
b. Authorize the County Administrative Office to incorporate the changes to the FY 2014-15 Adopted Budget Unit 001-5010-SOC005-8262 to reflect the change in position counts; and
c. Approve and authorize the Auditor-Controller to amend the FY 2014-15 Adopted Budget Unit 001-5010-SOC005-8262, to increase estimated revenues and appropriations by $431,666. (4/5ths Vote Required)
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The enacted State Budget for 2014-15 included new requirements to implement the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for the In-Home Supportive Service (IHSS) Program. Effective January 1, 2015, Department of Social Services (DSS) must absorb the workload of two major ongoing program changes associated with these new requirements: 1) oversight of weekly assignment of hours and overtime authorization and 2) oversight of provisions to pay travel time when providers work for multiple IHSS recipients. Currently, our IHSS program has over 4,000 consumers receiving in-home care services and over 4,000 individuals providing the care.
The primary tasks associated with the new requirements include notifying and working with recipients who are authorized more than 160 hours of care per month; instituting a process to work with individuals who have unique, intermittent or occasional needs that cannot be captured in regular weekly arrangements for care; and working with providers who serve more than one recipient to assess travel time between providers. Additionally, a process needs to be established to monitor and hold providers accountable who work overtime beyond authorized hours in any given week.
Each case must be handled to assess what types of additional forms and agreements need to be discussed and signed with consumers and providers. The ongoing work will also involve reviewing and changing assessed hours to include paying for wait time in medical offices and travel time between consumers being cared for on the same day. Monitoring and sending notifications to providers who fail to adhere to the new requirements will also constitute new workload. With these new requirements, it will take longer to assess and gather all of the new required information.
To assist in addressing this workload DSS is recommending the addition of 10 additional staff positions which includes: Six (6) FTE Social Worker III's; one (1) Social Work Supervisor II; and three (3) Social Services Aide II's as listed below:
Class Current FTE Revised
Classification Code FTEs Change FTEs
Social Worker III 60C22 21 6 27
Social Work Supervisor II 60C81 20 1 21
Social Services Aide II 60D11 58 3 61
Given that the financing for the IHSS Program is based on a Maintenance of Effort (MOE), the costs associated with these additional staff will be borne by the California Department of Social Services.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Human Resources Department and Merit Systems Services have reviewed/approved the recommended actions. County Counsel has approved to Form.
FINANCING:
Recommendations result in additional appropriations of $431,666 in Budget Unit 001-5010-SOC005-8262 for six (6) Social Worker III's; one (1) Social Work Supervisor II; and three (3) Social Services Aide II's. Under Welfare and Institutions Code 12306.15(b) the additional costs are fully funded by Federal and State IHSS funds in the current year and future years. These additional costs will have no effect on the statutory 3.5% annual growth in the IHSS Maintenance of Effort requirement under Welfare and Institutions Code 12306.15(c). Recommended actions will have no impact on the County General Fund Contributions in DSS.
Prepared by: Wendy Russell, Administrative Services Director, x4431
Approved by: Elliott Robinson, Director, x4434