Biweekly Third District Update

Dear Third District Resident,

As we approach the June 15 reopening of California, there will be a number of changes taking place locally and statewide.

First, the focus of this newsletter will shift away from COVID updates. We will instead provide information on local events, as well as county programs and services. Data on the county’s COVID-19 cases will still be posted at www.rivcoph.org/coronavirus and on Facebook at @countyriversidedepartmentofpublichealth and Twitter at @RivCoDoc. For state updates, visit www.cdph.ca.gov, and for national updates, visit www.cdc.gov. During the summer, the newsletter will transition to monthly updates, which will be sent June 9, July 7 and Aug. 4. The bimonthly newsletter will return Sept. 1.

The County of Riverside is also working on its budget for fiscal year 2021/2022. The Executive Office released a recommended budget that includes nearly $7 billion for vital regional and local services. Some of the highlights of the recommended budget include:

• $921 million in discretionary revenue, an increase of $65 million from last year’s adopted budget. The anticipated rise in the discretionary revenue is primarily attributed to a net increase in property and sales taxes, redevelopment residual assets and motor vehicle revenue;
• $957 million in recommended general fund discretionary spending, an increase of $39 million from last year. This includes $3 million toward unincorporated areas in response to a survey conducted earlier this year to prioritize projects in underserved, unincorporated communities. The increase in spending is primarily from increased labor, COVID-19 and unanticipated one-time costs.
• $232 million in reserves, which is $2 million above the requirement based on Board Policy B-30.

It is important to note that this recommended budget was developed without relying heavily on COVID-19 federal relief funding. The executive office and departments are working with the board to develop an effective and equitable spending plan for COVID-19 federal relief funding, with a focus on supporting public health, laying the foundation for a strong economic recovery, investing in infrastructure and strengthening community resiliency.

The recommended budget will be discussed during upcoming budget workshops on June 14 and 15. Following any adjustments by the board, the final budget is scheduled to be adopted June 29. To read the recommended budget, visit https://bit.ly/3g6ErMG.

Finally, the Riverside County Third District Supervisor’s Office is pleased to return in person to our district offices Monday, June 14. There will be at least one staffer available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at our Valle Vista Office inside the Valle Vista Sheriff’s Station (43950 Acacia Avenue, Hemet) OR our French Valley Office at the French Valley Airport (37600 Sky Canyon Drive, Murrieta). Please contact our office ahead of time before your visit by calling 951-955-1030 or emailing d3email@rivco.org. In-person meetings will be limited at this time. For regular Third District updates, visit our Facebook page (@supervisorchuckwashington), Instagram page (@supervisorchuckwashington), Twitter page (@SupWashington), and website (SupervisorChuckWashington.com).

Sincere regards,

Chuck Washington 

Reopening Update We are just a few days away from California’s full reopening on June 15. Assuming sufficient vaccine supply for everyone and consistently low and stable COVID-19 hospitalizations, all industries may return to usual operations. There are a few exceptions: Unless vaccination or testing status is verified, conventions will be capped at 5,000 attendees until Oct. 1. Face coverings will not be required for fully vaccinated individuals except when using public transportation, when required by your workplace or when required by local regulations or businesses. You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your single dose of Johnson and Johnson or two weeks after your second Pfizer or Moderna dose. However, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board recently approved regulations requiring indoor workers to wear masks unless all employees in the room are also vaccinated. Riverside County is still awaiting further guidance on this new regulation.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information Currently, the County of Riverside is vaccinating people ages 12 and up. Teenagers who are under the age of 18 years old must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and go to a vaccination clinic that offers the Pfizer vaccine. At this time, the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines have only been approved for individuals age 18 years and older. All county vaccine clinics are now walk-in sites, but appointments are encouraged. To make an appointment, visit www.ruhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine. Seniors who need assistance making an appointment can call 951-867-3895. Press one for English or two for Spanish, then press one for vaccine assistance. Anyone else who would like to make an appointment by phone should all 2-1-1. Vaccine appointments are also available at 13 Community Health Centers across Riverside County. To schedule an appointment at a Community Health Center, call 800-945-6171. Riverside County is also offering vaccinations to homebound residents. To be added to the list of homebound individuals seeking vaccination, call 833-422-4255 or visit myturn.ca.gov.

As of June 7, 2021, 50.3 percent of Riverside County residents are partially or fully vaccinated (1,057,638 residents), and 41.3 percent are fully vaccinated (868,002 residents). To see a larger image, click on the picture.

Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP) The Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP) offers education and training for high-demand jobs to veterans who are unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To be eligible, all of the following must be true: At least 22 years old, but not older than 66; and Unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic; and Not rated as totally disabled because you can't work; and Not enrolled in a federal or state jobs program. If you’re eligible for VRRAP, you can get up to 12 months of tuition and fees, and a monthly housing allowance based on Post-9/11 GI Bill rates. VRRAP will be available until Dec. 11, 2022. Payments will stop being made on this date or when the program reaches either the $386 million funding limit or the 17,250 participant limit. For all requirements and to apply, visit https://bit.ly/2TSAxhJ.

Fireworks are Illegal in Riverside County The Fourth of July is just around the corner – a perfect time to remind residents and visitors that fireworks are illegal in unincorporated Riverside County and in most Riverside County cities. All fireworks are banned, including “safe and sane” fireworks, in an effort to reduce the risk of wildfires and severe injuries. Violators are subject to fines up to $5,000. Illegal fireworks can be reported to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department nonemergency line at 800-950-2444. Residents of Hemet can call the Hemet Police Department nonemergency line at 951-765-2400, and residents of Murrieta can call the Murrieta Police Department nonemergency dispatch line at 951-696-3615.

REMINDER: UnitedLift Still Accepting Applications for Rent Relief Applications for United Lift rental assistance are still available to Riverside County residents. Qualified renters can receive up to 12 months of past due rent and utilities for free! Eligibility is limited to renters in Riverside County with a current lease agreement who are earning 80 percent or below of the area’s median income and can document a loss of income due to COVID-19 economic impacts that leave them unable to make their rent. You must submit your application by June 30, 2021. To apply, visit Unitedlift.org or call 211, extension 5.

New Volunteer Team to Respond in the Aftermath of Suicide Fatalities

The Riverside County Suicide Prevention Coalition is partnering with the Trauma Intervention Program of Southwest Riverside County (TIP) to build a team of volunteers who have experienced suicide loss to deploy in the aftermath of a suicide fatality.

TIP is a nonprofit organization that uses specially trained citizen volunteers to support victims and their families in the first few hours following a tragedy. TIP volunteers have been responding to traumatic incidents in Riverside County since 1993 – however, the organization is now building a team of suicide loss survivors.

The Local Outreach to Suicide Survivors Team (LOSS Team) will be specially trained to intervene in the hours after a suicide fatality. Volunteer members will be able to provide on-the-spot emotional support and resources to grieving family members and friends throughout the County.

Diana A. (Brown) Gutierrez, co-lead of the Riverside County Suicide Prevention Coalition, noted this partnership is another step forward for Riverside County, which formally adopted a strategic plan to reduce suicide fatalities last fall.

“TIP has been a tremendous service to people in need for many years. The LOSS Team will allow people who have experienced a suicide loss in their own life to provide critical emotional support and care to those who have just experienced a suicide loss,” said Gutierrez.

Magda Stewart, CEO of TIP of Southwest Riverside County, says the organization is always looking for new volunteers ready to respond to traumatic events in their community.

“If you have experienced a suicide loss, we would love you to be part of our new LOSS Team. If you have not experienced a suicide loss, we wholeheartedly welcome you, too,” Stewart said.

Volunteers who have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide and are ready to help others through suicide loss are encouraged to visit www.tipswrc.org to find additional information and register as a TIP volunteer.

Professional Parents Bring Unwavering Love and Support to Foster Parents

Story from DPSS News May 2021, pg. 11

In the end, it was steadfast support from a professional parent that helped Jennifer Williams find her way. Williams, a beaming and confident young woman, is a former foster youth who has already confronted many challenges in her life.

“They changed my life by showing me someone will care for you and someone will advocate for you no matter what,” Williams said from the Oakland campus operated by Seneca Family of Agencies.

Seneca specializes in helping youth who are often considered too difficult to place in traditional foster care. Williams is a graduate of the agency’s professional parent program. The success of the professional parent model has not gone unnoticed in Riverside County.

Children’s Services is contracting with the agency for professional parents, and leaders in DPSS hope to see similar models developed locally. While the model is relatively new in California, agencies across the country have begun incorporating it into their systems of care to help children and youth in trauma.

“The professional parent is really a godsend — an answer — to those children who have the deepest, hardest needs,” says Charity Douglas, assistant director of DPSS Children’s Services. “The professional parent is there to support them, help them heal, to love them — not to judge them.”

The professional parent model will help Riverside County round out its continuum of care — the different types of placements available for children and youth in foster care. A professional parent commits 24/7 to one child only and sticks by that child through thick and thin.

“That’s what’s different than regular foster care,” said Verlesha Smith, a placement program director for Seneca. She called the new partnership with Riverside County “very collaborative,” and notes, “They have similar values in that whatever it takes to meet the needs of the clients, that’s what we are going to do.”

Jennifer Williams was in the foster system until her life was changed by the loving support of a professional parent.