Blog

The emotional scars from the 2018 devastating debris flow in Santa Barbara County are still as evident as the vacant lots scattered through the Montecito community. The nature of the destruction during that January night is difficult to put into words.  In a matter of minutes, 23 people lost their lives, nearly 500 properties destroyed or damaged, and an estimated $175 million in property damage.

Alameda County resident Shanika Pate and her 14-year-old daughter would drive to a new townhouse development every day and pray outside that their application would be accepted.  And when they received the green light to move, their lives started on a new path.

Budget shortfalls and structural deficits are never good news for counties. And when a steep drop in oil and gas property tax revenues left Kern County $44 million in the red, they turned lemons into lemonade with LaunchKern, a business transformation initiative based on the principles of Lean Six Sigma.

Being a teenager can be a very complicated and difficult period of life. Add the daunting responsibility and fear of becoming a teen parent and life can seem overbearing. That’s where the Orange County Teen Parent Program comes in – to assist teen parents under the age of 18 through the child-support process while also providing the resources to help them succeed.

Many hands make light work, as the adage goes. In Madera County, a decision to create a Public Information Team from current staff rather than hire a single public information officer has led to better customer service and storytelling in this rural, Central Valley County.

Prior to joining CSAC last fall, I spent over a decade working for a nutrition education organization where I witnessed the heralded birth of our own workplace wellness program. When an organization employing a dozen registered dietitians and health advocates struggled to keep its employees engaged in wellness, I realized I was about to witness something great when I started learning more about Mendocino County’s Working on Wellness Program.

Falling through the cracks – it’s a phrase we often hear when it comes to our most vulnerable populations. In Placer County, though, a concerted effort is under way to focus on chronic homeless individuals who have traditionally needed assistance from a variety of agencies and programs.  And this effort is working; county staff is helping individuals find housing, linking them to needed resources – and changing their lives.

As one of 18 counties participating in the State’s Whole Person Care Pilot Program, Placer County has developed a custom-designed program to provide intensive case management through four different service bundles:

After a career of helping others address substance use issues with alternative and holistic therapies, Tony Landrum found himself living with brain cancer and in need of some care himself.

“Alameda County Care Partners, especially Miss Wanda, came out to visit me and learn about my needs,” said Landrum. “Miss Wanda not only listened to me, but she really heard me.”

Transparency, technology and timeliness — combine those three and you have the foundation for Nevada County’s new app that allows residents to quickly and easily communicate with county staff about hazards, needed road work or other issues of concern.