REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
July 14, 2020
FROM
SHARON NEVINS, Director, Department of Aging and Adult Services
SUBJECT
Title
San Bernardino County Area Agency on Aging 2020-2024 Area Plan
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve and authorize submission of the San Bernardino County Area Agency on Aging 2020-2024 Area Plan to the California Department of Aging as required under Section 306 of the Older Americans Act.
(Presenter: Sharon Nevins, Director, 891-3917)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The San Bernardino County Area Agency on Aging Area Plan (Area Plan) is non-financial and as such approval of this item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Area Plan is developed by the Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) and required by the California Department of Aging (State) to receive funding for services provided to seniors throughout San Bernardino County. Major goals of the Area Plan include increased focus on outreach and education and robust evaluations of existing services to ensure quality standards are met. The Area Plan describes the priority areas that the County intends to spend in the delivery of the services to seniors over the next four years. A Board of Supervisors (Board) approved 2020-2024 Area Plan must be submitted to the State no later than July 15, 2020.
In 1976, the State of California designated the County as an Area Agency on Aging. This designation allows the County to receive Federal Older Americans Act (OAA) and State Aging funds to provide a comprehensive and coordinated system of supportive and nutrition services based on need. On behalf of the County, DAAS acts as the Area Agency on Aging and works in partnership with the County’s Senior Affairs Commission to assess and develop services provided through Federal OAA and State Aging funds. The Senior Affairs Commission was established by the Board in 1973 and serves as an advisory body on policy matters related to the service needs of seniors. The 2020-2024 Area Plan was developed with input from and in collaboration with the Senior Affairs Commission.
To develop the 2020-2024 Area Plan, DAAS held a series of four public meetings throughout San Bernardino County, utilized the results of a needs assessment survey from 513 seniors countywide, and held a public hearing on March 12, 2020 in San Bernardino. A total of 113 individuals from the public provided comments and input to DAAS that provided recommendations and identified current needs.
The format and general contents of the Area Plan are prescribed by the State. Over the next four years, major goals and objectives of the 2020-2024 Area Plan include:
• Increasing awareness of programs and services through focused outreach and community education.
• Increasing attendance by Senior Information and Assistance staff at senior centers, housing complexes, health fairs, expos, and other related community events.
• Increasing collaboration with service providers and ensuring clients are receiving current and pertinent information.
• Evaluating program and service effectiveness by actively soliciting client feedback through surveys.
• Improving data collection efforts and monitoring to assess efficiency and effectiveness of programs.
• Increasing socially-distant outreach to target populations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Jacqueline Carey-Wilson, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 29, 2020; Finance (Christopher Lange, Administrative Analyst, 386-8393) on June 29, 2020; and County Finance and Administration (Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on June 29, 2020.