San Diego County's In-Home Supportive Services program, which serves disabled adults and children and seniors, needs a makeover.
That's the gist of a new report from the county grand jury. The report was prompted by a complaint about a social worker employed by the county program.
During a home visit, the social worker misinterpreted the actions of a severely disabled 10-year-old, which resulted in a two-month investigation of the parents on allegations of child abuse. The charges were eventually dismissed.
Grand jury foreman Bob O’Connor said social workers in the program should deal with either children or adults.
“They have a wide variety of cases from adults to minors, and I think they’re not focused on any one particular age group or disability," O’Connor said.
The grand jury's report also says social workers who handle children need more specialized training in the behavior and medical limitations of children who are disabled.
About 7 percent of the In-Home Supportive Services caseload involves children under 18.
The program is administered by the county's Aging and Independence Services division. It's a state-mandated program that receives funding from federal, state and county governments.
