County approves 55 layoffs

VISALIA — About 20 people who work closely with abused or neglected children will lose their jobs as a result of the state’s financial crisis.

The Tulare County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday morning to approve reshuffling within Child Welfare Services, including the elimination of 55 positions and the addition of 16 positions.

About eight of the positions are vacant.

Officials agree that the changes will increase social workers’ caseloads, but are the best option in the wake of losing $1.8 million.

“I have tremendous empathy for the employees,” Dist. 4 Supervisor Steve Worthley said. “But the fact is, we don’t generate the funds. We are a pass-through agency.”

Employees with Child Welfare Services help about 1,500 children countywide, but their paychecks from the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency come through the state.

The money needed to fill the positions was blue-lined when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the state’s budget in July. County leaders have said there is not enough money in the General Fund to backfill the loss.

At Tuesday’s regular meeting, three Child Welfare Service staff members voiced concerns that managerial and administrative positions are not getting the ax.

“I don’t know how you can ask an entire agency to take cuts for a specific sector,” Dist. 2 Supervisor Pete Vander Poel said in response to the employees adamantly opposed to the layoffs.

Some of the changes include reclassifying titles given to social workers.

Five Social Worker-Adoptions, four Court Representatives, one Social Worker-Adoptions Lead, one Lead Court Representative, 10 Social Services Worker II and five Social Services Worker III positions were cut. Three Social Services Worker III and 13 Lead Social Services Worker III, however, will be cued in.

“Caseworkers are really critical to us,” John Davis, director of Tulare County’s Health and Human Services Agency, said.

The restructuring will strengthen supervision and flexibility, Davis said.

In an earlier interview, David Crawford, director of Human Services for the Health and Human Services Agency, said staff now will be cross-trained to reduce heavy workloads that could pile up in departments other than their own.

In addition to taking on the work of those whose jobs were recently pink slipped, social workers will now carry out the job of 15 caseworker aides.

“I feel the insult like the workers do,” Dist. 1 Supervisor Allen Ishida said. “The state has not gone far enough to protect us in delivering services to the county and cities.”

The other layoffs include one administrative aide, one manager, one investigator, five office assistants, one paralegal, one prevention program supervisor, one registered nurse, one nurse, one trainer and one supervising office assistant. They follow 66 positions already eliminated in the department in December.

-- Contact Jenna Chandler at 784-5000, Ext. 1050, or jchandler@portervillerecorder.com.