2016 County Innovation Videos & Blogs

Maybe it’s patriotism or pride. Maybe it’s the shared experiences of being in the military but it seems like veterans — even those who never served together — share a common bond.  There is a depth of understanding and camaraderie.  Maybe that’s one reason why in an ordinary government building in Orange County, something very special is happening.

Younger veterans who are still trying to find their own place in the world after their military service are getting much-needed work experience by helping other veterans from as far back to World War II get the benefits to which they are entitled. And while it’s a County-run program, the Veterans Administration (VA) picks up the cost.

As the defendant steps up for his court hearing, Judge Denine Guy comments how he is wearing a different Star Wars T-shirt from his last appearance. She asks him how many he has and he replies, “Six or seven.” In a legal system where misdemeanors are often looked at in terms of specific case numbers rather than the individuals behind them, Judge Guy’s comments stand out. She remembers this defendant; she knows his story and what it will take to help him turn his life around.

The scene is played out again and again as part of a Santa Cruz County program where the focus is on helping individuals get off the streets and break the cycle of crime or hospitalizations. Launched in 2014, the Bob Lee Community Partnership for Accountability, Connection and Treatment (PACT) is an effective, collaborative program between the county and city. Its roots are in a city program focusing on the downtown area, but it has grown to include a variety of county services, including the district attorney, public defender, probation, sheriff, mental health and social services, as well as city and community groups.

Despite being surrounded by a dozen people talking and moving around, Humu – a 2-year-old butterscotch labradoodle – lies motionless on the floor. It’s not that Humu doesn’t have a care in the world; he’s just been trained as a service dog – and that training began at the Southwest Juvenile Hall in Riverside County. Near him a young, small black and white dog named PJ scampers around, anxious to see everyone in the room and oblivious to any commands cast his way. PJ is awaiting training that will soon begin at the hands of the one of juveniles housed at the facility.

It’s all part of a canine training program developed by Riverside County in conjunction with a local nonprofit organization. It’s a program where not only the dogs learn a lot but the juvenile offenders charged with their training do as well.

There are some issues that transcend local government boundaries. Air pollution, traffic congestion, crime — these issues ignore lines on a map. The same is true for medical marijuana, which is legal in California. However, growing, selling and using it, even for medicinal purposes, can cause all kinds of problems that do not stay within local jurisdictional boundaries.

Those issues are likely to expand if the recreational use of marijuana becomes legal in California—something many people expect to happen, possibly this year. That’s why six California Counties — Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Lake, Trinity and Sonoma (all “grow counties” where marijuana is already a cash crop) banded together to try to influence the California Legislature as it considered new state policies related to marijuana.

Rural counties often face unique challenges. For example, they might find it more difficult to educate and train a qualified workforce. That has been true in Amador County which has been struggling with two different but related issues. Amador does not have a Community College Campus and it is no coincidence that the County Behavioral Health Department could not find enough people with the right certification to work as mental health technicians.

Most people earn their certificate at a community college and with no campus in Amador, there was no place nearby for people to get the education and training they needed. Amador County was also noticing a “brain drain.” People who wanted a higher education, in any field, had to go someplace else to get it. Many who left didn’t come back. County leaders created a Community College Foundation to lay the groundwork for local campus, but that’s a long-term proposition and they had an immediate need.