Social Service Agency Hires 10 Caseworkers

The Ventura County Public Social Services Agency has hired 10 new child-abuse caseworkers, which officials hope will ease workloads in an agency that has been hit hard by employee complaints.

Nine of the new caseworkers are bilingual, which will help the agency better deal with the county’s growing Latino population, said Jerry Blesener, deputy director of adult and children’s services.

This will nearly double the number of Spanish-speaking employees in the agency’s Children’s Protective Services division, Blesener said.

The new employees, who were hired to fill vacant positions, bring the number of caseworkers in the division to 82, he said.

But it will be six months before the workers are actually out in the field. They must now undergo extensive training and will not take on full caseloads until this summer, Blesener said.

The new hires come after agency workers complained publicly of being overworked and ill-equipped to do their jobs.

Some caseworkers said they have been juggling as many as 35 cases at once.

Agency Director James Isom has also come under fire from workers over his management of the 925-employee organization. The complaints recently prompted county officials to launch an ongoing review of Isom’s job performance.

County Supervisor Frank Schillo, who has been critical of Isom in the past, said they met privately on Tuesday to discuss problems in the agency. Schillo said he was pleased with the director’s renewed commitment to his job.

“He indicated to me that he’s going to make a very sincere effort to change what’s been going on,” Schillo said. “He’s got the experience and knowledge, if he applies himself, to be a dynamite leader. But he’s going to have to prove himself.”

“I want to do a good job,” said Isom, 56, who has served as director since 1975. “I want to make this place better. I think we’re on the right track.”

In addition to hiring more social workers, Isom said he has purchased 21 cellular telephones and 21 cameras for caseworkers to use in the field.

He said the telephones will improve safety for employees, while the cameras will help them better document their cases.

Isom, a former sheriff’s deputy, said he also plans to accompany a social worker on her house calls next week to get a better understanding of the day-to-day demands of the job.

“I’ve never done that before,” he said. “I’m embarrassed to say that. But I want to see if there is anything else we can do, or if there are any other tools [caseworkers] need to help them do their jobs.”