Melissa Bass

• Plan, assign and supervise the work of a unit of Social Service Workers involved in providing child welfare services
• Serve as a leader in a unit of Social Service Workers by coordinating assignments, coaching, conferencing and providing instruction to unit members
• Monitor workload and performance of unit members and prepare employee performance evaluations
• Insure new employees receive mentoring by providing field training in investigations, serving protective custody warrants, and assessing allegations of child abuse or neglect to determine if allegations meet penal code definitions
• Carry exceptionally difficult or complex cases including cases of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or general neglect
• Collaborate with local law enforcement agencies in response to conjoint investigations
• Provide regular case review and consultation
• Develop, maintain and regularly report workflow and workload information to agency management
• Monitor timeliness and appropriateness of referral intervention, court documentation, contact requirements and general case activities
• Serve on selected task groups and subcommittees, including emergency response and commercial sexual exploitation of children
• Collaborate with California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, Parole Unit once per month to assess risk and safety of inmates being released into the community
• Collaborate with California Department of Social Services and California Department of Justice to assess and investigate registered sex offenders and their interaction with foster children based on address location

Quality Improvement Unit

Court Unit

• Represent the Agency in juvenile dependency court hearings and provide answers to judicial officers regarding specific cases as well as county policies and procedures.
  
• Investigate referrals, which allege abuse and neglect to children within the community
• Conduct psychosocial history assessments, and strengths and needs assessments
• Conduct brief assessments of post-traumatic symptoms of the pediatric population
• Provide guidance to new social workers and interns in the area of court related services and reports
• Coordinate and facilitate team-decision making meetings involving clients, care providers, and community members to stimulate a network of support
• Ensure that Child Welfare Services meets local, state, federal, and judicially mandated requirements as well as the best standards for practice.
  
• Conduct special reviews or studies, as requested and approved by Administration: Reviews (on a continuous basis):
  

- Compliance with Division 31 regulations

- Compliance with California Penal Code Sections

- Compliance with county Program Memorandums/Policies & Procedures

- Compliance with California Structured Decision Making for Child Welfare

- Quality of Social Workers' Documentation in state databases

Pediatric Death Review Team

- Review for possible child welfare history when deaths/near deaths of children occur as reported by the Tulare County Coroner's office, law enforcement, the media, and other sources.

- Responsible for completing and sending the SOC 826 report of Child Deaths/Near Deaths to California Department of Social Services

• Managed a caseload of investigations involving child abuse allegations
  
• Encouraged families to progress in their court ordered case plan services
  
• Provided victim witness support 
  
• Reviewed and prepared court reports, attended legal hearings and consulted with attorneys regarding legal/ethical issues