Phase 1 Acknowledgements

Phase 1 Acknowledgements

Phase 1 Acknowledgements

This report could not have been completed without the help of a very large number of people.

We wish to thank the former Director of Santa Clara County Social Services Agency, Yolanda Rinaldo, the initiator of an important discussion with Dr. Sylvia R. Andrew, the Dean of the College of Social Work at San Jose State University, about the possibility of a joint research project with the Agency and the College.

Leroy Martin, Director of the Department of Family and Children's Services, chaired the Advisory Committee that provided oversight for the research project. His helpful suggestions, knowledge of research in the field, and support of our revised and enlarged scope of work were truly appreciated.

Our Advisory Committee members from Social Services Agency were Mary Helen Doherty, Director of Governmental Relations and Planning, and Jorge Gonzalez. Social Services Program Manager, Prevention, Education and Community Services Bureau. Noemi Baiza, Program Manager, and Faith Fauntleroy, Social Work Supervisor, provided key insights from their experiences as retired employees of Santa Clara County Social Services Agency and as community leaders. Noemi Baiza also represented the Latino Social Worker Network, bringing the concerns and perspectives of the Network to our Advisory Committee meetings. Judy Boring and her staff, David Heinen and Yvonne Zhing, were especially helpful with providing access to the CWS/CMS system and arranging for the data set that was used in this report.

Our special thanks to Dean Sylvia R. Andrew who provided members of the research team with the precious resource of matched release time.

Other valuable contributors to our research team included Marty Tweed who served as Child Welfare System Consultant, and our Research Assistants, Khanh Dang, Leticia Elias, Venus Esparza-Zavala, Kathy Lemon, and Paige Wyatt.

This research could not have been done without the cooperation of the staff of the agency, and we would like to acknowledge the importance of the contributions of everyone who took the time to attend a focus group in order to share ideas and perspectives with us.

Our thanks to the administrators/managers, supervisors, Coalition for Effective Services member groups (African American Employees Committee, American Indian Employee Committee, Asian/Pacific Islander Committee, EI Comité, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered Concerns Committee, Resource and Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities), the Family Resource Centers (Asian Pacific Family Resource Center, Nuestra Casa and Ujirani) and South County staff, and lineworkers.

Our special thanks to the youth at the Shelter and the parents/caregivers, who also provided us with ideas and suggestions.