California Alliance of Child and Family Services

ADVOCACY -THE CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE IS A PASSIONATE REPRESENTATIVE FOR CALIFORNIAS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FACING VULNERABLE CIRCUMSTANCES. MORE THAN 160 CHIEF EXECUTIVES OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE CALIFORNIAS MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS TRUST THE CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE TO PROVIDE LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY ADVOCACY TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE, AS WELL AS A HOST OF STATE DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING: HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, FINANCE, HEALTHCARE SERVICES, SOCIAL SERVICES, AND EDUCATION. MEMBER AGENCIES RELY ON THE CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE TO:UNITE AN ENGAGED, EXPERT NETWORK OF CALIFORNIAS LEADING NONPROFIT CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES AGENCIES.PROVIDE TRUSTED LEADERSHIP TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT ADDRESS THE MOST VULNERABLE CIRCUMSTANCES FACING THE STATES POPULATIONS.DELIVER TRUSTHWORTHY RESOURCES, POLICY-AREA EXPERTISE, REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE AND SOUGHT-AFTER GUIDANCE.REPRESENT A COLLECTIVE VOICE IN PURSUING AN AGGRESSIVE AGENDA OF ADVOCACY TO BRING CHANGE.ACT AS A GLAVANIZING FORCE IN UNITING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CHILD AND FAMILY SERVING AGENCIES.FULFILL A COMMITMENT TO ACCREDITATION, HIGH STANDARDS, BEST PRACTICES, SUCCESFUL CLIENT OUTCOMES AND HIGH-QUALITY CONTINUING EDUCATION.RECOGNIZE INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES.SPONSORED LEGISLATION -AB 366 (RUBIO) - This bill will prohibit the physical capacity of a resource family home from being the sole reason to deny placement of a sibling group if each child has an age-appropriate place to sleep and there are no safety risks.AB 1686 (Bryan) - This bill will require the county child welfare department, in making a determination to refer a case to the local child support agency for child support services, to presume that the payment of support by the parent is likely to pose a barrier to the proposed reunification. This change would be required to be in effect on or before October 1, 2023.AB 1735 (Bryan) - This bill will provide that a child in foster care, who speaks a primary language other than English, has the right to receive a copy of their rights in their primary language. Furthermore, this bill would require that the childs court report, case plan, and transition to independent living plan be provided in their primary language.AB 2159 (Bryan) - This bill will prohibit the denial of reunification services for parents and guardians who are in custody before conviction.AB 2317 (Ramos) - This bill will add the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) in state statute for the purpose of establishing childrens crisis residential treatment programs. This measure will require that regulations and guidance align with federal Medicaid provisions to maximize federal financing for this new program.AB 2417 (Ting) - This bill will require county ombudspersons, who are required to investigate or refer complaints brought up by or on behalf of justice-involved youth of harmful conditions or practices, to notify the complainant in writing of the intention to investigate or refer the complaint. Furthermore, this bill would require the ombuds- man to provide written notice of the final outcome to the complainant.AB 2598 (Weber) - This bill will require the California Department of Education to develop evidence-based best practices for restorative justice practice implementation on a school campus and make these resources available on the department website. This policy would be required to be in place on or before June 1, 2024.AB 2697 (Aguiar-Curry) - This bill will require Medi-Cal managed care plans to engage in outreach and education efforts to inform enrollees of the community health worker benefit and a list of providers authorized to refer an enrollee to services.SB 354 (Skinner) - This bill will authorize a court to order placement of a child removed from their parent or guardian with a relative, regardless of criminal exemption or resource family approval, if found the placement does not pose a health or safety risk to the child.MEDIA -In 2022, the CA Alliance staff actively promoted our members exceptional work through various media outlets. This concerted effort served two key purposes: aiding our policy endeavors and shedding light on the remarkable achievements of our members. By strategically placing positive news stories, we effectively showcased not only the impactful legislation and policies we sponsored but also the remarkable contributions made by our members. We take immense pride in the compilation of articles that have successfully been placed in the media. These articles are a testament to the hard work and commitment exhibited by both our staff and the collective efforts of our organization.

Catalyst center support

MEMBER SERVICES, TRAINING & CONFERENCESWHEN AN AGENCY JOINS THE CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES, IT JOINS A FAMILY OF OUTSTANDING ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN BE COUNTED ON FOR SUPPORT, ADVICE, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. MEMBER AGENCIES RECEIVE ALL THE FOLLOWING SERVICES AND BENEFITS:COVID19 RELATED ACTIVITIES DEVELOPED LOCAL ADVOCACY TALKING POINTS TO ADDRESS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE DEPARTMENTS ON RATE ADJUSTMENTS DUE TO THE IMPACT OF THE COVID19 (BEHAVIORAL HEALTH) CONTINUED MEMBER FORUMS TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE MEMBER CONCERNS INCLUDING HR, CFO, CEO, CLINICAL DIRECTORS, AND NURSING FORUMS AND BROUGHT IN EXPERTS TO ADDRESS MEMBER QUESTIONS (MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT) CONTINUED COVID-RELATED COMMUNICATIONS TO PROVIDE TIME-URGENT INFORMATION TO MEMBERS ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING, TELEHEALTH, PPE, AND OTHER CRITICAL ISSUES TO ASSIST IN MEMBER SUSTAINABILITY (MEMBER SUPPORT) ADVOCATED FOR COVID-SPECIFIC FUNDING FOR FAMILY RESOURCE CENTERS (PREVENTION) CONTINUED WEBINARS AND TRAINING RELATED TO TELEHEALTH, FAMILY AND YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND OTHER MEMBER-REQUESTED TOPICS RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC (MEMBER SUPPORT) ADDITIONAL MEMBER SUPPORTPROVIDED SUPPORT TO ALLIANCE MEMBERS NEEDING CLARIFICATION ABOUT LICENSING OR OPERATIONAL ISSUES OR REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CALLS WITH CDSS AND COUNTIES (STRTP)MONTHLY AND BI-WEEKLY COMMITTEE MEETINGS FOR ALL PROGRAM COMMITTEESTHE CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE IS COMMITTED TO BUILDING A HIGHLY SKILLED AND APPROPRIATELY COMPENSATED WORKFORCE OF PROFESSIONALS. THE ALLIANCE PROVIDES AN ARRAY OF TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES SPECIFICALLY GEARED TO IMPROVING THE SKILLS OF DIRECT CARE STAFF, CLINICIANS, AND ADMINISTRATORS WORKING IN CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES. EACH YEAR THE CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE HOLDS TWO MEMBERSHIP CONFERENCES FOR EXECUTIVES AND SENIOR MANAGERS INCORPORATING PLENARIES AND WORKSHOPS ON A WIDE VARIETY OF TIMELY AND IMPORTANT TOPICS. OFTEN THE LIST OF SPEAKERS INCLUDES MEMBERS OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE, HIGH-RANKING INDIVIDUALS FROM WITHIN THE STATE ADMINISTRATION, COUNTY WELFARE, MENTAL HEALTH AGENCIES, AND JUVENILE PROBATION AGENCIES, OR FROM PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS. THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP BUSINESS MEETINGS ARE HELD AT THESE CONFERENCES.PLENARIES AND WORKSHOPS AT MEMBERSHIP CONFERENCES ARE APPROVED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES FOR GROUP HOME ADMINISTRATOR CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS AND BY THE BOARD OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES EXAMINERS FOR LCSW AND MFT CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS, AND BY THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS.RETURN TO IN-PERSON CONFERENCES -The 2022 CA Alliance Homecoming Conference marked a momentous occasion as we joyfully reunited in person after a two-year hiatus. Over three exhilarating days, attendees participated in insightful workshops, listened to powerful speakers, and celebrated our 2022 youth legislative champions, Assemblymember James C. Ramos, and Senator Anthony Portantino, for their transformative legislation in support of our cause. This long-awaited return to in-person gatherings revitalized our sense of community and provided invaluable networking opportunities. Participants reignited their passion for our shared mission, fostering new connections and partnerships that will amplify our impact in the future. The success of the 2022 CA Alliance Homecoming Conference showcases our resilience, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to advocating for the well-being of children, youth, and families.