LA County Board

12. Evolving from Mandated Reporter to Mandated Supporter\nRecommendation as submitted by Supervisors Horvath and Hahn: Instruct the\nExecutive Director of the Commission for Children and Families to work in\npartnership with the Director of Children and Family Services and the Executive\nDirector of the Office of Child Protection, to build on its existing Mandated\nSupporting Initiative, to engage local stakeholders and bring on national subject\nmatter experts, and report back to the Board in writing in 180 days with\nprogress on the following:\nProvide quantitative and qualitative data trends on who is calling the\nDepartment of Children and Family Services’ Child Protection Hotline\n(Hotline), the reasons why, and any other relevant information that will\nhelp understand why Mandated Reporters are calling the Hotline,\nincluding demographic breakdown;\nDevelop decision-making processes to help improve Mandated\nReporters’ capacity to make more accurate, consistent, and equitable\ndecisions about whether or not to report to the Hotline, or to connect the\nfamily to community-based resources;\nExpedite the development of guidance and policies to operationalize\nAssembly Bill 2085 Crimes: mandated reporters at the Hotline and with\nreporting organizations;\nEstablish and build community pathways and supports to connect\nfamilies who are in need, but do not require Department of Children and\nFamily Services (DCFS) intervention in alignment with other community\npathway work underway in the County, including exploration of piloting\npromising and innovative approaches involving law enforcement,\nhealthcare providers, and educators, and enhancing through\ncapacity-building new or existing community supports, and exploration of\nsustainable funding opportunities for this ongoing work;\nCreate a standardized County Mandated Supporter training and training\nguidelines;\nDevelop recommendations for further redesign of the front end of the\nCounty’s child welfare system that align with the vision for mandated\nreporting reform and the broader effort to safely meet the needs of\nfamilies through the provision of community-based services and supports\nand reduce overreliance on the child welfare system;\nDraft policy ideas and recommendations informed by nationwide and\nStatewide best practices, including efforts of the California Child Welfare\nCouncil’s task force on mandatory reporting, for long-term sustainable\nStatewide and local reform efforts related to Mandated Supporters;\nInclude recommendations for the ongoing Mandated Supporter work to\ncontinue, as well as its long-term placement and funding within the\nCounty’s infrastructure; and\nEnsure that adequate workforce support and funding is made available to\nthe Commission for Children and Families to carry out the Board’s\ndirectives; and\nInstruct the Executive Director of the Commission for Children and Families to\nwork in close collaboration with a broad array of stakeholders to achieve the\nabove-described goals and directives, including:\nRelevant County Departments, initiatives, and quasi-governmental\nagencies including, but not limited to, the Departments of Children and\nFamily Services, Youth Development, Sheriff, Health Services, Public\nHealth, Mental Health, Public Social Services, Office of Child Protection,\nLos Angeles County Office of Education, Interagency Council on Child\nAbuse and Neglect, Domestic Violence Council, Women and Girls\nInitiative, the Poverty Alleviation Initiative, Center for Strategic\nPartnerships, Chief Information Office, Chief Executive Office, First 5\nLA, Prevention Services Task Force, County Counsel, Family First\nPrevention Services Act Community Pathways Planning Team, and\nPre-Petition Legal Advocacy Planning Team; and\nNon-County organizations, including school districts, law enforcement\nagencies, medical providers, community-based organizations, labor\npartners, philanthropy, and advocates and stakeholders with lived\nexperience and expertise. (23-1717)\nAttachments: Motion by Supervisors Horvath and Hahn\nPublic Comment/Correspondence