OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Alameda County Social Services Committee Meeting - February 11, 2026

Board of Supervisors — Wednesday, February 11, 2026
BodyAlameda County, California
SessionBoard of Supervisors
DateWednesday, February 11, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:10:31
Transcript — Verbatim
0:09

Good afternoon and welcome to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Social Services Committee for Monday, January the 26th, may have roll call, please.

0:19

Supervisor Fortunately Bass.

0:21

Present.

0:21

Supervisor TAM.

0:22

Present.

0:23

We have a core.

0:24

You want to go through instructions with participation online and in questions?

0:28

Public participation is allowed in person, online Microsoft, yeah, Microsoft Teams.

0:34

For all participants, please state your name for the record prior to your comment.

0:38

If you wish to speak on a matter not on the agenda, please wait until Supervisor TAM calls for public items only matters within the committee's jurisdiction may be addressed.

0:47

To notify the clerk you wish to speak, please listen closely to the following for in-person participants.

0:53

Please fill out a speaker card and hand it to the clerk.

0:56

The clerk will call your name to allow you to for online participants.

0:59

Please use the raise hand function.

1:01

The clerk will call your name and allow you to unmute when it is your turn.

1:04

For dialed in participants, please dial star five, that's star five, to raise and or lower your hand.

1:11

The clerk will allow you to unmute when it's your turn.

1:14

Thank you very much.

1:15

We have four meeting informational items today on our agenda.

1:20

So we'll start with the first one on the adult protective services annual update.

1:27

Hi, Supervisor Tam and Supervisor Fortnite.

1:31

Thank you for having us on Faith Battles.

1:33

I'm the assistant agency director for the Department of Adult and Aging Services.

1:37

Today we have Cades Kabidi.

1:39

She is our program manager for Adult Protection Services.

1:42

And the Carcamo is one of our supervisors for Adult Protection Services, and she served as an out-of-class program manager for several months, and they will begin their presentation.

1:53

Welcome.

1:53

Thank you.

1:57

Well, good afternoon, supervisors Tom and Portalado Boss.

2:01

Thank you for the opportunity to speak in front of you today.

2:16

I am joined today by one of our APS supervisors, Yolanda Carcamo, who will introduce herself shortly.

2:24

Next slide, please.

2:28

We are here today to share updates about our small but mighty program and highlight key accomplishments and challenges from fiscal year 2024-2025.

2:38

Our presentation will cover the process for responding to APS reports, a snapshot of fiscal year 2425, including statistics component graphics, case example, comparison of Alameda County's APS program with a neighboring county of similar size.

2:55

And finally, we'll wrap up with our short and long-term goals.

2:59

Without further ado, I will turn it over to Yolanda to present them.

3:04

Next slide, please.

3:08

Good afternoon, supervisors.

3:09

My name is Yolanda Cartmann, and I am one of the Adult Protective Services supervisors.

3:14

We'll begin by walking through the APS process, how a report becomes an investigation and ultimately a plan for safety for our clients.

3:22

Reports come through our hotline, online platform, or in person and are processed by our intake social workers.

3:29

Each report is screened by an intake supervisor to determine eligibility and urgency.

3:34

Once ruled in, an investigation is assigned a timeline, which are as follows: immediate same-day response, 10-day response, or no 10-day response, which are our desk investigations.

3:45

Once assigned, the APS worker conducts an unannounced home visit, interviews all relevant parties, assesses risk, and links clients to appropriate resources.

3:54

If abuse is substantiated, our findings are documented and shared with law enforcement or partner agencies as appropriate.

4:01

Our work is guided by two principles.

4:03

Consent, APS is a voluntary program, services cannot be imposed, and risk reduction.

4:09

At closure, our goal is to eliminate or mitigate danger and ensure safety moving forward.

4:15

This process is the foundation of APS intervention.

4:18

Next, I'll discuss how we're addressing increasing housing instability among our elder adult population.

4:26

Our home safe program is a critical resource for APS clients who are homeless or at imminent risk of experiencing homelessness.

4:33

The program provides housing-related interventions, such as temporary housing, rental subsidies, security deposits, utility assistance, and home habitability improvements, such as repairs and accessibility modifications.

4:48

To date, 7.9 million has been invested through fiscal year 2024-2025.

4:54

34% of that has been direct financial assistance to our clients, with 41% contracted service providers, such as legal assistance, housing navigation, and case management through our two contracted home safe providers, Felton Institute and Daybreak Centers.

4:59

Enrollment has grown steadily over the years.

5:13

From June of 2025 through October, we did stop accepting referrals due to uncertainty around continued state funding.

5:20

With new funding secured, HomeSafe is now extended through 2027 2028, and the referrals have resumed.

5:27

Our mission is to eliminate housing instability as a barrier to safety because without secure housing, any other protective measure is compromised for our clients.

5:45

We'll now take a look at the key updates that have shaped APS in 2024 and 2025.

5:51

Next slide, please.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters█████████████████████21%
Adult Protective Services████████████████████20%
Child Welfare Services██████████████████18%
Youth Programs███████████████15%
Community Engagement██████6%
Fiscal Sustainability█████5%
Public Engagement█████5%
Public Safety███3%
Procedural██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Social Services Committee Meeting - February 11, 2026

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors Social Services Committee met on February 11, 2026, to receive informational updates on Adult Protective Services (APS), the Net Growth Movement guaranteed income pilot for former foster youth, and the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) progress on implementing state audit recommendations. Committee members Supervisor Fortunato Bas and Supervisor Tam presided.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • On the APS update: A social worker from the local public assistance office stated that APS referrals also come from county offices, describing a case of a 90-year-old released from a nursing home without sufficient support. No opposition was expressed.
  • On the DCFS update: SEIU SSA Chapter President Karina and Vice President Cynthia Landry urged the board to support bargaining proposals addressing workload, retention, recruitment, telework, premium pay for CPS workers, and educational pathways. They stressed that some issues require board-level funding decisions and requested a holistic department presentation to the committee.

Discussion Items

Adult Protective Services (APS) Annual Update

  • Presenters: Faith Battles (Assistant Agency Director, Dept. of Adult & Aging Services), Kadess Kabidi (APS Program Manager), Yolanda Carcamo (APS Supervisor).
  • Key statistics for FY 2024-2025: 9,253 reports received; 6,675 new referrals for 5,892 unduplicated clients; over 10,000 allegations (35% self-neglect, 30% financial exploitation). Oakland accounted for the largest share of cases. 37% of investigations were completed timely (calendar days).
  • Staffing gap: Alameda County employs 36 APS workers (vs. Santa Clara County’s 52) managing an average caseload of 42 cases per month (recommended 26). To align with best practices, the department stated it needs 13 additional workers (to reach 26/month caseload) or 54 additional workers (to match Santa Clara’s referral volume), plus 2-6 supervisors and 1 program manager.
  • Home Safe program: $7.9 million invested through FY 2024-2025; 34% direct financial assistance, 41% contracted services. Program extended through FY 2027-2028 after a temporary suspension due to state funding uncertainty.
  • Future priorities: Secure sustainable funding (Measure W, Medi-Cal claiming, Older Americans Act), expand staffing via MSW intern pipeline (75% success rate), maximize Home Safe funds, expand case management pathways, and host a 2026 hospital forum.
  • Supervisor questions: Supervisors asked about timeliness standards, demographic breakdowns by city, reasons for dependent adult referrals (ages 18-59), funding sources, and collaboration with the District Attorney’s office on financial exploitation. The DA’s elder abuse team is now prosecuting several cases. APS hotline: 510-577-3500.

Net Growth Movement Guaranteed Income Pilot Evaluation

  • Presenter: Amy Dorski (evaluator).
  • Pilot details: 67 of 90 eligible former foster youth enrolled; received $1,000/month for 24 months plus optional supportive services via Bay Area Community Services (BACS).
  • Findings: Participants reported greater financial security, housing stability, and improved mental health during enrollment. After the pilot ended, many experienced increased hardships (food insecurity, housing concerns, lower well-being), though outcomes remained better than pre-pilot. Employment rates rose after the pilot ended, partly because participants took jobs to compensate for lost income.
  • Implementation challenges: Only 14 of 67 participants engaged monthly with care coordinators; financial literacy workshops had mixed reception; social events were limited by logistics.
  • Recommendations: Pair guaranteed income with supportive services, require some level of service engagement, and use matching funds to encourage savings.
  • Supervisor questions: The $1,000/month amount and 24-month duration were deemed appropriate given Bay Area costs. The pilot’s positive effects were seen across all participants, not just those who used support services.

Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) – Status Update on State Auditor’s Report (2024-108)

  • Presenters: Shale Love (DCFS Director) and Jennifer (Senior Management Analyst).
  • Progress on recommendations: 15 recommendations from the state audit (originally 10, broken out). Completed: mandatory shadowing for new hires, identifying relatives within 30 days, sibling engagement plan (signed by board 12/16/25), policies for transitional shelter care facilities. In progress: timely supervisory review of emergency response investigations (expected by April 2026), referral status review (October 2026), staff retention survey (October 2026), hiring and recruitment.
  • Hiring updates: Comcast recruitment ads reached 40% of households in Fremont, Hayward, Oakland. Child Welfare Worker (CWW) I exam yielded 105 applications, 18 passed interviews (offers pending). CWW II exam: 75 applications, 11 accepted offers (68.8% pass rate). Vacancy rate: 26% (73 vacant positions out of 272 authorized). The department aims to continuous hire (monthly exams).
  • Dashboard: A public-facing audit dashboard is live on the department website, showing metrics on open investigations, timeliness, vacancy rate, and more. Supervisors requested historical data (pre-audit) and additional metrics on closure timeliness and average days to close.
  • Caseloads: Emergency Response Unit (ERU) guideline is 12 cases per worker (down from 15); current average is about 14, improved from pandemic highs of 30. Staff receive premium pay if over guideline.
  • Audit Implementation Task Force: Formed by Senator Dr. Aisha Wahab, meets bi-weekly to oversee implementation barriers. Supervisors emphasized collaboration and accurate information sharing to avoid duplication.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes or final decisions were taken, as all items were informational.
  • Directives:
    • DCFS to expand the dashboard to include data from before the audit (2019 onward) and additional metrics (timely closure rates, average days to close).
    • DCFS to provide a written response to Senator Wahab’s office summarizing the committee’s discussion and progress for her signature.
    • The committee will consider agendizing a holistic presentation of the Social Services Agency (including welfare and benefits) in a future meeting, as requested by SEIU.
  • Next steps: DCFS six-month audit progress report due to the state by March 23, 2026. APS will continue seeking additional staffing funding and report back on budget impacts. A joint Health/Social Services committee meeting is scheduled for February 2026 to discuss federal and state budget impacts (HR1, Medi-Cal, SNAP).

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon and welcome to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Social Services Committee for Monday, January the 26th, may have roll call, please. Supervisor Fortunately Bass. Present. Supervisor TAM. Present. We have a core. You want to go through instructions with participation online and in questions? Public participation is allowed in person, online Microsoft, yeah, Microsoft Teams. For all participants, please state your name for the record prior to your comment. If you wish to speak on a matter not on the agenda, please wait until Supervisor TAM calls for public items only matters within the committee's jurisdiction may be addressed. To notify the clerk you wish to speak, please listen closely to the following for in-person participants. Please fill out a speaker card and hand it to the clerk. The clerk will call your name to allow you to for online participants. Please use the raise hand function. The clerk will call your name and allow you to unmute when it is your turn. For dialed in participants, please dial star five, that's star five, to raise and or lower your hand. The clerk will allow you to unmute when it's your turn. Thank you very much. We have four meeting informational items today on our agenda. So we'll start with the first one on the adult protective services annual update. Hi, Supervisor Tam and Supervisor Fortnite. Thank you for having us on Faith Battles. I'm the assistant agency director for the Department of Adult and Aging Services. Today we have Cades Kabidi. She is our program manager for Adult Protection Services. And the Carcamo is one of our supervisors for Adult Protection Services, and she served as an out-of-class program manager for several months, and they will begin their presentation. Welcome. Thank you. Well, good afternoon, supervisors Tom and Portalado Boss. Thank you for the opportunity to speak in front of you today. I am joined today by one of our APS supervisors, Yolanda Carcamo, who will introduce herself shortly. Next slide, please. We are here today to share updates about our small but mighty program and highlight key accomplishments and challenges from fiscal year 2024-2025. Our presentation will cover the process for responding to APS reports, a snapshot of fiscal year 2425, including statistics component graphics, case example, comparison of Alameda County's APS program with a neighboring county of similar size. And finally, we'll wrap up with our short and long-term goals. Without further ado, I will turn it over to Yolanda to present them. Next slide, please. Good afternoon, supervisors. My name is Yolanda Cartmann, and I am one of the Adult Protective Services supervisors. We'll begin by walking through the APS process, how a report becomes an investigation and ultimately a plan for safety for our clients. Reports come through our hotline, online platform, or in person and are processed by our intake social workers. Each report is screened by an intake supervisor to determine eligibility and urgency. Once ruled in, an investigation is assigned a timeline, which are as follows: immediate same-day response, 10-day response, or no 10-day response, which are our desk investigations. Once assigned, the APS worker conducts an unannounced home visit, interviews all relevant parties, assesses risk, and links clients to appropriate resources. If abuse is substantiated, our findings are documented and shared with law enforcement or partner agencies as appropriate. Our work is guided by two principles. Consent, APS is a voluntary program, services cannot be imposed, and risk reduction. At closure, our goal is to eliminate or mitigate danger and ensure safety moving forward. This process is the foundation of APS intervention. Next, I'll discuss how we're addressing increasing housing instability among our elder adult population.

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