Lassen County Municipal Code Ch. 2.24 Department of Health and Social Services

A department of county work is created, to be known as the Lassen County department of health and social services. This department is composed of the following program areas, plus any additional programs as may be added by the board of supervisors in the future:

(1) Alcohol and drug;

(2) Mental health;

(3) Public guardian and mental health conservator;

(4) Public health;

(5) Veterans service office; and

(6) Welfare.

(Ord. 184 § 1, 1936; Ord. 479 § 2, 1986; Ord. 2016-008 § 3)

The board of supervisors shall appoint an administrator of the department of health and social services, who shall have the requisite qualifications and experience necessary to enable the administrator to discharge the functions of this office. The administrator shall be placed in the exempt service.

(Ord. 184 § 2, 1936; Ord. 479 § 2, 1986; Ord. 2016-008 § 3)

The administrator is authorized and empowered to appoint and employ a program director for the department and such professionals and support personnel as may be deemed necessary for the proper conduct of the affairs of the department, upon approval of the board of supervisors, and to pay salaries authorized by the board. All departmental personnel, with the exception of the administrator and state employees in the public health program, shall be governed by the rules and regulations of merit system as specified by contract approved by both merit system and the board. These rules and regulations and the provisions of Chapter 2.36, Lassen County Code, shall govern all personnel actions within the department.

(Ord. 184 § 3, 1936; Ord. 479 § 2, 1986)

The board of supervisors shall provide policy direction to the department of health and social services and have approval authority over all plans and resolutions relative to the department. The administrator shall manage and enforce all department policies, rules and regulations.

(Ord. 184 § 4, 1936; Ord. 479 § 2, 1986; Ord. 2016-008 § 3)

The board of supervisors shall appoint the department administrator and/or program director as the state-recognized director for the following programs within the department of health and human services:

(1) Alcohol program director;

(2) Drug program director;

(3) Mental health director; and

(4) Welfare director.

(Ord. 184 § 5, 1936; Ord. 479 § 2, 1986)

The board of supervisors shall establish and appoint a health and social services advisory board, not to exceed fifteen members, as specified in the Welfare and Institutions Code and Health and Safety Code, for community advice and input to the department's alcohol, drug, and mental health programs. The advisory board shall make recommendations to the department administrator concerning policies and goals for the alcohol, drug, and mental health programs but shall not have jurisdiction over personnel matters or daily operations of the department. The board of supervisors shall approve bylaws for the advisory board, which shall include membership composition, terms of appointment, election of officers, and duties and responsibilities. Advisory board members shall not receive any salary compensation and shall serve at the pleasure of the board of supervisors.

(Ord. 184 § 6, 1936; Ord. 479 § 2, 1986; Ord. 2016-008 § 3)

Pursuant to Government Code Section 27430, there is created within the department of health and social services the office of public guardian. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 24011(a), the office of public administrator shall hereafter be filled by appointment rather than election. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 24011(b), the offices of public administrator and public guardian are consolidated.

(Ord. 184 § 7, 1936; Ord. 479 § 2, 1986; Ord. 2016-008 § 4)

The compensation of the public administrator/public guardian shall be fixed by the board of supervisors and shall be in lieu of fees. The public administrator/public guardian shall pay into the county treasury all fees, commissions and allowances received for services performed as public administrator/public guardian.

(Ord. 2016-008 § 5)

The duties of the public administrator/public guardian shall be as prescribed by law. Additionally, the public administrator/public guardian is designated as the investigating agency, pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5351, to provide conservatorship investigation concerning persons alleged to be "gravely disabled," as defined in Welfare and Institutions Code Section 5008. The public administrator/public guardian shall serve as conservator of any person found to be gravely disabled, if the court recommends the conservatorship after a conservatorship investigation, and the court finds that no other person or entity is willing and able to serve as such conservator.

(Ord. 2016-008 § 6)

The public administrator/public guardian shall serve as an at-will employee. The director of health and social services, with the concurrence of a majority of the board of supervisors, shall be the appointing authority for the public administrator/public guardian. The public administrator/public guardian shall report directly to the director of health and social services and the board of supervisors delegates to the director of health and social services the duty to supervise the public administrator/public guardian on an ongoing basis. The board of supervisors delegates to the director of health and social services the authority to impose all forms of discipline, without concurrence of the board of supervisors, upon the public administrator/public guardian, except that of termination. In the case of termination, the director of health and social services must first have the concurrence of a majority of the board of supervisors.

(Ord. 2016-008 § 7)

There is created a welfare program as part of the department of health and social services. All welfare program staff are subject to Section 2.24.030 of this chapter. The welfare program shall exercise the duties and responsibilities specified in the Welfare and Institutions Code relative to operation of a county welfare program and observe all appropriate federal and state regulations required for the efficient operation of a county welfare program.

(Ord. 184 § 8, 1936; Ord. 479 § 2, 1986; Ord. 2016-008 § 3)

All employees within the department of health and social services shall sign a confidentiality oath in order to ensure client confidentiality. Signed confidentiality statements shall be retained in each employee's personnel file.

(Ord. 479 § 2, 1986; Ord. 2016-008 § 3)