This was a solid and very substantive year for the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury. It ends with an investigation into the Office of the Ombudsperson at the county’s Child Welfare Services office, a division of the county’s Department of Health and Human Services.

The Office of the Ombusdperson was created in 2018 to settle a lawsuit brought against the county by then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris, and the conclusion of this Grand Jury investigation, which you should read in full, is damning:

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury concludes that the Child Welfare Services Office of the Ombudsperson does not fulfill its stated mission and instead serves as an ineffective complaint department. By directing the Ombudsperson to not provide resolutions to complainants, management consistently violates CWS Policies & Procedures, and contradicts the 2018 stipulated agreement. The Office of the Ombudsperson is not independent in any way, and the very structure of the office provides opportunities for conflicts of interests.

This was only one of several meaty reports the GJ released this year.

On behalf of the citizens of Humboldt County: Thank you for your service, 2023-24 Grand Jury members. Full list of reports below. If you’re inspired by this work and you have time on your hands, consider putting your name in for the 2024-25 Grand Jury. They need good people. 

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DOCUMENT:

PREVIOUSLY:

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Press release from the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury:

The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury has released the eighth and final report of their 2023-2024 term, entitled “Child Welfare Services: Office of the Ombudsperson.”

In 2023 the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury received a complaint regarding Child Welfare Services (CWS), a branch of the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services. Among several other issues, the complainant told us that after contacting the CWS Office of the Ombudsperson to lodge a complaint and receive assistance, they never received a reply. The Humboldt County CWS Office of the Ombudsperson was created in 2018 as part of a legal settlement with the State of California that required CWS to establish a complaint office to give a voice to families involved in the Child Welfare Services system.

We investigated the current state of this office and found that it does not follow through on promises made on the CWS website and that current practices violate CWS’s own policies. We found that CWS regularly refers to the Office of the Ombudsperson as “independent” but that in reality it is intricately woven into the CWS structure. We found that CWS is good at keeping records about complaints received but does not provide information about complaint outcomes involving violations of policy, procedure, or civil rights. Moreover, we found that the public has no way to know if these violations have been addressed, individually or systemically.

Crucially, we found that many people who make complaints never learn the outcomes of their complaints from CWS. These complainants are people in difficult situations. They may be at risk of losing their children, may have seen their children be abused by others, or may be abusers themselves. Whatever the case, they contact CWS to find answers, instead finding silence. Our conclusion is that CWS has an Office of the Ombudsperson in name only.

The 2023-2024 term of the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury comes to a close on June 30. We would like to say “thank you” to the hundreds of people who helped us this year, in all ways, large and small. Without you the Civil Grand Jury, your jury, couldn’t do the work we do.The 2024-2025 term for the Civil Grand Jury is approaching quickly. The Superior Court, of which the Grand Jury is an arm, is in desperate need of jurors. This is a very enriching experience and gives you a chance to learn about and give back to your community.

The time commitment is, at minimum, six hours a week, three hours via a Zoom meeting and three hours at an in-person meeting in Eureka. Later in the term more hours are needed but for the most part these extra commitments can work around your schedule. There is a small stipend (equal to $20 per seven hours) and mileage to and from meetings and interviews are paid for. Applications to serve on the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury can be found at this link. Additional information provided by the Civil Grand Jurors Association of California can be found at this link.

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THE 2024 HUMBOLDT COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY: