Children’s Mental Health Services (1979, Update 1997)
The Alameda County Council of the League of Women Voters supports the need for children’s mental health services and recommends the following:
A. Increase the priority given Children’s Mental Health Services in the mental health program and budget.
B. Retain present service and ensure equal access to Day Treatment Service throughout the county.
C. Focus on prevention and early intervention by:
1. Increased education of parents and public.
2. Utilization of school resources where feasible.
D. Finance these services by:
1. Active pursuit of all available sources of funds.
2. Coordination of county, state and federal budget deadline.
3. Sufficient funds for a service from the government that mandates that service.
E. Make most efficient use of funds by:
1. Retention and expansion of contracts with private providers.
2. Support for case management system of services.
3. Increased coordination and communication among all public and private service providers and continuation of the Interagency Council.
Alameda County Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools and Office of Education (2007)
Position in Brief:
Support an efficient, effective, and equitable balance of responsibility and authority among the levels of governance with accountability to the public that results in providing services that best meet needs of students and the local school districts.
A.
Efficiency: Provide those services (education, training, fiscal, oversight) to county school programs and district school programs that do not duplicate those provided by districts or other agencies.
B.
Effectiveness: Provide those services that best meet the needs and interests of local districts. Constantly monitor services to determine their effectiveness and remove or improve those that are not meeting district goals.
C.
Equitable Balance of Responsibility and Authority for Governance:
- Establish policies that delineate the powers and functions of each entity where not covered explicitly in the Education Code to ensure an equitable balance of responsibility and authority for governance and to enhance accountability.
- Provide for consolidation of functions between and among county offices of education to deal with area-wide problems. Consider consolidation of functions to achieve cost savings and improve the quality of service and equity.
D.
Accountability to the public:
- Ensure that both the Board and the Superintendent abide by the tenets of the Brown Act, and the Freedom of Information Act and the California Public Records Act.
- Maintain public visibility by utilizing technology to keep constituents informed about actions taken by the Board and the County Superintendent.
- Advertise upcoming elections for Board members' and the County Superintendent's seat to encourage contested elections. This will allow the public to learn about the candidates' credentials and the issues so they can make informed choices.
- Develop a collaborative Annual Work Plan to set up measurable goals to be used in the annual evaluation of both Board Members' and Superintendent's performance. These evaluations will then be helpful in the Superintendent salary-setting process and for measuring progress toward established goals.
Monitoring
The League's role should be to:
A. Continue observing County Board of Education meetings to ensure compliance with the Brown Act and Education Code.
B. Monitor the County Office website to ensure that constituents have access to current and complete information concerning actions taken by the County Office/Superintendent and the Board.
C. Review Grand Jury comments and recommendations pertaining to the County Board and County Superintendent and support those that support the improvement of efficient, effective, and appropriate governance and fiscal management of those entities.
D. Monitor the governance model to determine if there is any interest by the public in changing the method of selecting a County Superintendent.