Los Angeles County Supervisors Don Knabe and Zev Yaroslavsky began the process of creating a permanent Rainy Day Fund today to combat potential financial shortfalls the County may face in the future.

Today’s motion directs the County’s Chief Executive Officer to examine how a Rainy Day Fund would be structured, including transferring three-percent of the County’s annual fund balance into the Rainy Day Fund, how these new reserve funds would be spent, and the maximum size the fund would have to reach before any excesses could be spent for one-time purposes. In the past, the County has created temporary rainy day funds on as-needed basis and as surpluses have been available.

At today’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors, staff members updated the Board on the County’s current budget health and the potential impacts the national economic slowdown could have on County coffers in the next several years. Today, the financial health of Los Angeles County is very strong.

Despite the current financial strength, the County is facing looming financial challenges which add to the need and relevance of an on-going Rainy Day Fund. These challenges include the State budget causing $129 million in funding reductions to the County, the Department of Health Services facing an increasing budget deficit over the next several years, and an estimated structural deficit of $181 million in the County’s operating budget by next year.

Our County is in solid financial shape today, but we are facing a number of budget uncertainties in the next few years, said Supervisor Knabe. The best time to prepare for future budget shortfalls is when times are still good. That is exactly what we are doing today by calling for the creation of a permanent Rainy Day Fund.

Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC) Dean Logan announced that polling location address information and images of sample ballot pages for the November 4, 2008 Presidential General Election are now available online at www.lavote.net. We are happy to offer this interactive service to Los Angeles County residents, Logan said. We are committed to providing accurate and efficient information and we encourage everyone to visit our web site or to call us with any questions.

Voters may access their polling location and sample ballot information at www.lavote.net by clicking on Locate Polling Place or View Sample Ballot from the Online Services box located on the right margin of the home page. Our website includes a wide range of voter information and educational materials to assist voters as they prepare to cast ballots in the November 4, 2008 Presidential Election, Logan added.

Voters must provide their house number and street name, which the system matches to the corresponding polling location and sample ballot information. The voter’s polling location address is displayed and a View Sample Ballot link appears, enabling the voter to access their sample ballot, including images of the official ballot pages, candidate statements, ballot measure, analyses and arguments that are applicable to their ballot. In addition to English, online information is also available in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Tagalog/Filipino. There are 706 different ballot combinations for the November 4th Election. These combinations consist of Federal, State and local contests as well as ballot measures that apply to local jurisdictions throughout Los Angeles County.

A voter may also call the RR/CC Office at (800) 815-2666 and use the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephone system to obtain automated polling location address information. The IVR system prompts the voter to use the telephone key pad to select digits corresponding to the voter’s zip code, street address and numeric birth date. The IVR then accesses the voter registration file seeking a match for the data provided. If a match is located, an automated voice recites the polling location address to the voter. If a match is not found, the caller is transferred to a live operator for assistance.

The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has partnered with Los Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center to celebrate the re-opening of the newly expanded Kids in the Dependency System (KIDS) Clinic. An open house at the KIDS Clinic will be held on Monday, September 29, 2008, from 9 to 11 a.m. at 1000 West Carson Street, Building N-26C, in Torrance.

The KIDS Clinic is operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS). The KIDS Clinic, along with five other Medical Hubs in the County, provides mental health, forensic and medical screenings for children who are under the care of DCFS or at risk of entering the foster care system. By working in cooperation with other County departments, the complex medical and mental health concerns of children in the child welfare system are addressed through these Hubs.

The KIDS Clinic has received numerous community donations of funds, services and supplies to decorate and make it kid-friendly, as many of the children have incurred physical or emotional trauma. Among the donors to be honored at the open house will be Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.

"The South Bay area has the highest caseloads of children and families involved in foster care in Los Angeles County. Identifying potential problems these children are experiencing – particularly mental health issues – must be done as quickly as possible. Expansion of this clinic will go a long way to helping us meet this critical need," said Supervisor Knabe.

Created in July 2006, Medical Hubs are designed to increase the safety of children, service families more effectively and decrease the re-entry of children into the foster care system with the standardization and coordination of high quality initial examinations. The Hubs facilitate streamlined information sharing with other County department’s to ensure timely and complete follow-up for the children. Through the Medical Hub Program, the capacity exists to provide medical assessments and mental health screenings 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additional Medical Hubs are located at High Desert Health System, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Valleycare Olive View – UCLA Medical Center, MLK Jr. Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center, and at the L.A. County/ USC Medical Center Violence Intervention Program.

"The Medical Hubs provide the children with a high level of medical assessment and care, as well as mental health screening in order to determine the best plan for their future. Through the medical hubs, we are better able to provide information that will assist in the best placement for a child entering foster care, as well as a more stable plan to keep families together," said DCFS Medical Director Dr. Charles Sophy.

Discover Marina del Rey Day 2008, an annual day of family fun and activities, will take place Sunday, October 12, 11 am to 4 pm, in Burton Chace Park, 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey. The popular event is presented by Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water and sponsored by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and the Department of Beaches and Harbors. As in past years, there’s something for everyone, including some of the event’s most popular offerings, such as the air-sea rescue demonstration in the Marina’s main channel by the United States Coast Guard and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and the inflatable games for children. Among other special events returning this year are the Bob Baker Marionettes, that will present performances throughout the day, preceded by Children’s Storytime by the Lloyd Taber-Marina del Rey Library. The Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation will offer unique arts and crafts workshops and Beaches and Harbors’ W.A.T.E.R. Youth Program will offer leisure kayaking from noon to 3 pm in the main channel for visitors ages 6 and up. A train on wheels will take boys and girls on a ride throughout Chace Park.
From 1:00 to 3:00 pm, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission will present a concert in the park with the sensational Orquesta Charangoa band playing traditional Cuban dance music. They will be preceded from 12:30 to 1 pm by the Venice High School choral group, the Allegros.
Though the event is presented free to the public, those who want to use the inflatable games pay $5 for a wristband, which also includes access to hair braiding and painting booths, snack carts and a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. Throughout the day, a variety of exhibitor booths will offer vital information on health, safety and the environment. Parking for the day is available at $5 in Los Angeles County Lot 4, near the park, at 13500 Mindanao Way.

The County of Los Angeles will examine how trauma and violence shapes the behaviors of young people of today as it will be conducting a one-day training for mental health professionals, probation officers, community workers, school administrators and teachers entitled A Transformational Learning Opportunity, Understanding How Trauma and Violence Impact Children and Youth taking place at Quiet Cannon in Montebello on Wed., Oct. 1 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.).

The training day is hosted by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, Children’s Council of Los Angeles, Department of Mental Health, Interagency Operations Group, Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

For far too long, we have viewed kids involved in the juvenile justice system – over 27,000 in Los Angeles County alone – from primarily a prosecutorial standpoint, and that really impairs our ability to help them move past their delinquent behaviors and overcome the significant obstacles they face, said Supervisor Knabe.

Our goal for today’s conference is to impart upon staff who work with these young people everyday specific, concrete practices that take into account the trauma and violence these kids grew up with and are continually exposed to. I hope that these new groundbreaking practices will be a positive and significant step towards improving their lives and ultimately eliminating violence and the pervasive influence of gangs in their communities.

This training day has been inspired by Supervisor Knabe’s vision and support in focusing our collective efforts on healing youth who have experienced violence and trauma in their lives. Among the priority populations to be served by the Mental Health Services Act Prevention and Early Intervention funding are children and youth who are trauma-exposed, living in stressed families, and those at risk of experiencing juvenile justice involvement, said Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Director Marvin J. Southard, D.S.W.

"Understanding trauma and how it affects children is critical in helping understand treatment options that are available. Those of us involved in juvenile justice see far too many children affected by trauma. We often become the front line for treatment as a result of children acting out," said Los Angeles County Chief Probation Officer Robert B. Taylor.

The training day will feature three keynote speakers who are experts in the field of trauma and violence: Marlene Wong, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., Assistant Dean and Clinical Professor, Director of Field Education, School of Social Work at the University of Southern California (USC) will make a presentation on The Impact of Community Violence on Children and Youth (8:15-10:15 a.m.); Jennifer L. Skeem, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) will talk about Evidence-Based Practices in Community Corrections and Mental Health (1:30-2:30 p.m.); and Todd Sosna, Ph.D., California Institute of Mental Health (CiMH) will make a presentation entitled Towards an Integrated Model of Behavior Change (3:45-4:45 p.m.).

The free summer Beach Shuttle that ran from Memorial Day to Labor Day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and every other Thursday night for the Marina del Rey Concerts, had its best year ever. Los County Supervisor Don Knabe wants to thank the 6,000 riders that used the Beach Shuttle this summer, increasing ridership by 100% over last year. The Beach Shuttle is an easy way to navigate the Westside traffic, as well as offering savings on parking, said Supervisor Knabe.

You still have one more chance to catch a ride on the Beach Shuttle. On September 28th the Beach Shuttle will be providing transportation to the Abbot Kinney Festival from 10 am to 6 pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to come out and have some fun and leave the driving to someone else. See you there and bring a friend.

The Beach Shuttle is provided to the public free of charge courtesy of Supervisor Don Knabe and Playa Vista.

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health has made mental health crisis counseling services available to the Chatsworth Metrolink accident survivors, victims, and their family members at two San Fernando Valley locations.

San Fernando Valley Mental Health Center

10605 Balboa Boulevard, Suite #100

Granada Hills, CA 91344

(818) 832-2400

West Valley Mental Health Center

7621 Canoga Avenue

Canoga Park, CA 91304

(818) 598-6900

(Hours of Operations: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.)

For more information, contact the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s ACCESS Center at (800) 854-7771. The ACCESS Center is open 24 hours, seven days a week, including all holidays.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department is proud to unveil its new Wildland Fire Protection Initiative Program. This program, which consists of both internal departmental improvements to take place over the next several years and external community outreach elements for the public is, in part, a byproduct of Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman’s series of meetings which took place with the Corral Canyon Working Group, a representative group of homeowners from the Corral Canyon area who were devastatingly affected by the Corral Fire in November 2007.

After meeting with these homeowners consistently over a period of three months, they were able to gain a greater understanding and respect for the decisions made and actions taken by firefighters, said Freeman. At the same time, through their experiences, we were also able to learn about areas in which we can improve, both in terms of response and public education.

One such public education element is the development of the Living in the Fire Zone Fire Expo, several of which are scheduled to take place throughout Los Angeles County before the end of the year. The inaugural expo will take place on Saturday, September 20, 2008 at the Malibu Performing Arts Center in the City of Malibu, located at 23825 Stuart Ranch Road. The expo will run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and will feature an array of static displays and presentations on Building Standards and Vegetation Management.

In a somewhat unprecedented move, the Department will also offer a presentation featuring guidance and education directed to homeowners who become trapped and cannot evacuate or simply make their own decision to stay. Vendors will also be on hand to provide information, products, and/or demonstrations. These vendors will feature products ranging from basic emergency supplies to personal protective equipment to portable fire suppression systems to emergency response

It is important to understand that the Department does not advocate a property owner’s decision to stay, said Freeman. We believe it is in everyone’s best interest if everyone would evacuate early and quickly; however, the sad truth is that, despite orders to evacuate, some property owners just won’t.

It is those property owners especially, according to Freeman, the department is trying to reach. For those who make a decision to stay, it must be an informed decision. They need to understand the conditions to which they can be subjected, they need to be properly prepared and equipped and, most important, they need to fully understand the risk at which they are placing not only themselves, but also the firefighters.

While this expo will address the issue of staying, it will also continue to focus on educating homeowners on how to properly prepare themselves and their property prior to evacuation. Attendees can also visit with law enforcement officials, representatives from Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control, and the American Red Cross to learn more about how each of these agencies responds during an emergency. Finally, residents will also receive information on forming Fire Safe Councils within their own neighborhoods.

Over the next two months, additional Fire Expos are being planned throughout Los Angeles County, including Whittier Hills, Santa Clarita, Claremont, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Industry, and the Antelope Valley. As part of the Wildland Fire Protection Initiative Program, these expos are planned to take place annually.

Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center (LAC+USC) opened the doors to its new Clinic Tower. The Clinic Tower move is the first of two moves; General Hospital and Women’s and Children’s Hospitals moves to the Inpatient Tower are targeted to take place from October 17 to October 18. The new facility serves as an additional resource in L.A. County’s community healthcare network, and represents a positive advancement in meeting urban healthcare challenges. This move represents a milestone for L.A. County’s healthcare safety net system.

We’ve planned these moves like a chess game, said LAC+USC CEO Pete Delgado. No medical services will be disrupted during the phased moves. Our plan is to have all hospital services, including the operating rooms and the emergency department, ready for service in their new locations October 17th.

The moves are the closing steps of a process that began in 2003, in recognition of the need for cutting-edge health care in the East L.A. community.

To ensure that all county residents with and without healthcare coverage receive the care they need, LAC+USC works closely in partnership with The Camino de Salud Network, an integrated public-private healthcare delivery network, managed by COPE Health Solutions and consisting of the LAC+USC Healthcare Network and nonprofit community clinics. The Network coordinates hospital services and community-based ambulatory care to ensure that patients receive access to the right care, at the right place, at the right time. Click on the following link: http://www.lacusc.org/CaminoDeSalud
for more information.

The hospital is completely dedicated to providing all levels of medical care, said Delgado. The Camino de Salud Network is where people should go for primary care services, so we can use the new hospital the right way. Patients who often face long waits in the emergency room, hich is sometimes their only means of receiving care, can now work with a care manager in their community clinic to coordinate their needs. They can get the diagnostics, the treatments, and the support they need in their local community.

Among the largest teaching hospitals in the country, LAC+USC has been a partner with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1885. Staffed by more than 500 full-time faculty of the Keck School of Medicine and approximately 900 medical residents, LAC+USC currently admits more than 40,000 inpatients and handles nearly 200,000 emergency department visits and 1 million ambulatory care visits each year. The medical center provides major regional and community emergency trauma and critical care services among other clinical care activities.

We are enormously proud of the clinical contributions of our USC faculty, residents, and medical students in the outstanding care of the people of Los Angeles County, said Carmen A. Puliafito, dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. While the facilities are new, the tradition of exceptional patient care will continue.

On Sunday, August 31, the Los Angeles County Fire Department deployed a 14-member Swift Water Team to Louisiana to support logistical and potential rescue operations for those affected by Hurricane Gustav.

The team assembled out of the Technical Operations Center in Pacoima and prepared for a caravan to the Gulf Area. The crew will be there for an unknown amount of time to assist and support the Office of Emergency Services for the State of Louisiana. The team is one of seven supporting FEMA teams, which responded to the Gulf States Region.

The members of the Department’s Swift Water Team are well trained individuals that specialize in various water rescue skills, including working with watercraft and search equipment to perform life saving missions.