The Institute’s “Emerging Issues” Series
The Emerging Issues series of courses explores trends in major long-term policy issues. Each of these classes provides county decision-makers with an opportunity to explore emerging trends and issues with colleagues and experts in the field. Brief presentations examine various facets of the issue and allow ample opportunity for policy-level discussions. The conversations look at interrelationships among the facets along with the resources, capacity and authority available for counties to work toward solutions. Options are discussed along with opportunities and barriers, and the types and consequences to policy decisions counties may need to address for sustainable solutions.
Classes engage participants with subject experts in a conversation about the emerging issues: what is known, unclear, and presumed; current and potential impacts on counties; county authority or opportunity for involvement; hear mini-case studies; and share perspectives and insights. Outcomes include a summary brief on What We Learned and What We Think Needs to Happen.
The “Emerging Issues” series includes the following courses:
Protecting Children in Our Community
Thursday, September 10, 2015 — Sacramento
Counties have the responsibility for protecting children who have suffered from abuse or neglect. New challenges in child welfare and safety are emerging which affect all counties. Among the topics to be examined: human trafficking of children and the impacts both in urban and rural areas and the corridors traveled by traffickers; addressing the needs of older children as they transition from the foster care system and those who have run away from the system; efforts to reform group home and foster family agency rates and services provided to foster and probation youth; system and services provided to foster and probation youth; and efforts by the justice and law enforcement systems to work with child welfare services to divert children from the criminal justice system and break the cycle of involvement with county systems.
Facilitators: Yolo County Supervisor Matt Rexroad and Ventura Supervisor Kathy Long.
Fostering Collaborative Mental Health and Public Safety Services
Friday, October 23, 2015 — Sacramento
Counties recognize the interrelationships of untreated mental illness with enduring community challenges such as homelessness, crime, substance abuse, recidivism, child protection, education and overall community health. The conversation will explore jail diversion programs, access to mental health programs in jail and justice populations, outcomes from collaborative courts, increasing access, enrollment and participation in treatment programs, mental health services for veterans; implementation
and effectiveness of Laura’s Law and the Mentally Ill Offended Crime Reduction grants; decreasing juvenile dependency on county services; managing mental health crises in the county; and intersections between mental health services and Proposition 47.
The focus is on how to foster access and expand capacity of mental health and law enforcement services in the county to address root causes of the challenges faced by the community.
Facilitator: San Diego Supervisor Dave Roberts and former Marin County Supervisor Dr. Susan Adams
Long-Term Impacts of the Drought
Monday, November 30, 2015 — Monterey (preceding the CSAC Annual Meeting)
The extensiveness and duration of the drought is posing long-term policy decisions for counties related to land use, economic development, and human services. The conversation will explore how State and local policy decisions could have long term impacts on agriculture and ranching; sale or transfers of ag water to urban uses; loss or conversion of ag lands; and how drought-caused changes may impact the food availability. The broader economic and employment impacts to communities and to county human services programs will also be discussed. Local perspectives beyond the immediate water shortages will be examined to assess the potential consequences and responses to of these and other drought-related impacts.
Facilitators: Napa County Supervisor Diane Dillon and San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson.
Homelessness in California Counties
Thursday, April 14, 2016 — Sacramento
Homelessness has proven to be an enduring and complex modern problem which crosses many disciplines, populations, and boundaries. Homelessness does not respect political boundaries in counties and cities, and responsibilities cross and intersect with many county and city departments, and even state and federal agencies, such as the VA. Within counties, the issue intersects with the public safety, social services, public health, behavioral health, even the public works department. Yet a number of counties are taking on homelessness through a variety of collaborative approaches – both in policy and practice. This class will engage participants to explore many facets of homelessness, from decriminalization to treatment of root causes to prevention, and how counties are thinking about policies and collaborative programs to address it. Several case studies will be examined.